First new Group 1 wheat approved for milling in seven years – SEO optimized title
Growers of milling wheat will have a new variety to consider this autumn, as the recently recommended Cheer has received full Group 1 milling status. Cheer was provisionally added to the 2024-25 AHDB winter wheat Recommended List as a Group 1 breadmaking variety last December, and has now been officially confirmed as a full Group 1 variety by UK Flour Millers after undergoing additional breadmaking tests.
Matthew Bull, seeds technical manager at Syngenta, the breeder of Cheer, highlights the variety’s consistent yields nationwide and strong resistance to common foliar wheat diseases. With many Group 1 varieties showing weaknesses against rusts, Cheer stands out with disease resistance ratings of 7.4 against yellow rust, 6.0 against Septoria tritici, and 5.5 against brown rust.
In terms of milling quality, Cheer meets the protein threshold often required by millers with a 13% protein content. Additionally, its quality characteristics such as 299 Hagberg and 79.5 kg/hl specific weight exceed typical requirements. Syngenta’s seeds portfolio marketing manager, Kathryn Hamlen, sees Cheer as a potential game-changer for growers due to its combination of quality, yield, and disease resistance.
With the demand for Group 1 breadmaking wheat remaining high despite a decline in the percentage of UK wheat area planted with Group 1 varieties in recent years, Kathryn believes Cheer could help reinvigorate the Group 1 market and stabilize domestic production.
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Maria Sanchez completed her Bachelor’s degree in Plant Sciences from the University of California, Davis, in the USA. Her studies focused on plant genetics and biotechnology, with an emphasis on developing disease-resistant crop varieties. Maria has contributed to several research projects aimed at improving crop resilience to climate change and is now pursuing her Master’s degree in Plant Breeding.