Although Westminster is now outclassed on yield, the variety continues to produce very competitive yields on-farm and offers good agronomic attributes, which growers appreciate.
Tall, stiff straw with brackling resistance, combined with very good disease resistance and grain quality, makes it the ideal variety to grow on the less intensive farm holdings within the UK.
Westminster is one of a few varieties with a very high specific weight. This attribute, combined with low sieving losses, means it sits well in the feed sector.
Westminster’s excellent resistance to mildew and Rhynchosporium offers growers real opportunities to reduce fungicide input and to grow the variety in areas of the country where these diseases predominate.
In Scottish trials, Westminster has shown a high level of resistance to abiotic leaf spotting and good resistance to Ramularia.
