Winter wheat variety with a high resistance to virus set for launch

An elite winter wheat variety with a high level of resistance to barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV)is being launched on the UK market next autumn by RAGT seeds, which claims it offers farmers an alternative to chemical control for the first time.

The company says the launch of RGT Wolverine is timely because it follows the withdrawal of neonicotinoid seed treatments for wheat which has left growers relying on less effective insecticide sprays to control aphid vectors.

RAGT’s cereal product manager, Tom Dummett, said his company was the first breeder in Europe to offer a BYDV-resistant wheat.

“RGT Wolverine has yielded exceptionally well over five years of trials and is capable of competing with the likes of RGT Gravity and Skyscraper, even when there is no BYDV to be seen,” he added.

The variety’s resistance originates from a goat grass, Thinopyrum intermedium, which is a distant wheat relative. A genetic segment from Thinopyrum containing the resistance gene has been translocated on to a wheat chromosome.

The variety, which is aimed at the Group 4 hard sector, is up for Recommended List candidate selection this autumn and farmers will be able to try the variety in autumn 2020 when about 3,500t of seed is expected to be available.

Mr Dummett said the variety had a good disease profile, particularly given it contains a new genetic trait.

He added: “Often translocations can also bring with them undesirable traits, which can effect yield and quality, for example. After a breeding effort of more than 15 years, there are no signs of that with RGT Wolverine.”

Under high BYDV pressure in the trial RGT Wolverine, left, had significantly fewer symptoms compared with the control varieties.