NEWCOMER OXBRIDGE OUSTS AN OLD FAVOURITE

Oxbridge’s superior performance over Optic last season has encouraged Ross-Shire grower John Batty to increase his acreage this spring.

Last season Mr Batty decided to switch a small proportion of his Optic to the new higher yielding, low nitrogen Oxbridge. Explaining why he says growers in Scotland are always on the look out for opportunities to breakaway from the monoculture of Optic.

Grown as a direct replacement for Optic for malting, the improved yield and good Rhynchosporium rating (7 on the Recommended List) initially attracted Mr Batty to Oxbridge; and the 30 hectares he grew last season performed exceptionally well.

“It was similar to growing Optic, didn’t brackle, had less disease, and averaged 10 per cent better yield at 8.25 tonnes per hectare.  We were concerned at ear emergence that a proportion of heads didn’t fully emerge from the boot, and that some showed distortion of the heads reminiscent of the older hormone herbicides, but our concerns appear unfounded - although it is still only the first year.”

Grain size was similar to Optic as were nitrogens overall at around 1.4, but according to Mr Batty screenings were lower. These on farm results with Oxbridge were mirrored by the tonnages handled by Mr Batty for a local grain merchant, for whom he stores around 7000t of spring barley. 

Encouraged by his results last season Mr Batty is expecting to increase the area of Oxbridge and drill 70 hectares this spring.

Oxbridge’s breeder Mark Glew says: “We are delighted that Oxbridge has started to deliver the improvements in performance over Optic that trials results indicate, especially in terms of yield and disease resistance.

“After such a long dominance by Optic, growers may be understandably nervous about moving to a new variety, but they can be reassured that Oxbridge has been trialled very extensively in Scotland - even beyond the SAC Recommended List - and is accepted as a variety with no agronomic weakness.”

Oxbridge has already been awarded provisional approval for distilling by the Institute of Brewing (IoB) and currently 2,000 tonnes from harvest 2005 is going through additional malting and distilling tests. Nickerson are hopeful of gaining full IoB approval for distilling during 2006.

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