RAGT wheats gain full UK approval on AHDB’s 2025/26 Recommended List

 Breadmaking wheat RGT Goldfinch and soft wheat RGT Hexton make the list after a very strong performance in trials and on farm. 

RGT Goldfinch, the first high quality breadmaking wheat that is resistant to barley yellow dwarf virus and orange wheat blossom midge, has gained full UK approval on AHDB’s 2025/26 Recommended List.

The Group 2 variety is the latest wheat to emerge from RAGT’s Genserus breeding programme, which provides season-long protection against BYDV. 

“Using genetics rather than insecticide to prevent BYDV infection greatly simplifies crop management,” says RAGT’s arable technical manager Andrew Creasy.

“It removes the need to monitor and control aphid vectors for less than the cost of buying and applying a single pyrethroid spray, which is good news economically and environmentally.”

Additional resistance to orange wheat blossom midge means RGT Goldfinch growers can apply with confidence for the £45/ha payment under SFI for growing an arable crop without insecticide.

“The variety has good protein content and an excellent and resilient Hagberg score, which, along with encouraging results in provisional milling and baking tests, underlines its potential as a breadmaking wheat,” says Andrew.

RGT Goldfinch has an outstanding foliar disease-resistance profile, better than any other Group 1 or 2 on the Recommended List. It scores 8 for mildew resistance, 9 for both yellow and brown rust resistance and 7 for Septoria tritici resistance. 

It is best suited to well-bodied land and can be sown from early September, ideal for a BYDV-resistant variety, to the end of November. It produced very high yields under BYDV pressure in RAGT trials and in commercial situations last season.

“Overall, RGT Goldfinch is a robust wheat that will withstand disease and pest pressure better than most,” says Andrew. “It can be relied upon to deliver high quality grain.”

RGT Hexton is a barn-filling Group 4 soft wheat with a good disease resistance package, making it a strong contender on farm next autumn as growers look to replace older varieties coming under increasing pressure.

This newly recommended variety is the highest yielding Group 4 soft approved for distilling, with a UK yield of 105 and an exceptional 111 in the north.

“RGT Hexton’s output has been consistent wherever it is grown,” says RAGT’s arable technical manager Andrew Creasy. “It produces the goods as a first or second wheat on light or heavy land and can be sown from the last week of September onwards.

“Growers don’t have to worry about pushing harvest back too much, as it is a medium-maturing type with short stiff straw and a decent specific weight, providing useful insurance if harvest is delayed.”

RGT Hexton has good resistance against Septoria tritici and yellow rust (both scored at 7), with a 6 for mildew and 5 for brown rust.

It is also resistant to orange wheat blossom midge, a prerequisite for the increasing number of growers turning away from insecticides.

“We think RGT Hexton will have widespread appeal across the UK,” says Andrew. “The variety has no Achilles heel, and the combination of an exceptional yield and suitability for distilling make it even more attractive for growers in the north.”