Commended for its significantly improved distilling quality and potential alcohol yield per tonne, candidate variety Sparkler is catching attention. CPM investigates why this wheat could prove a gem for northern growers.
“Sparkler’s promised alcohol yield is what makes the variety an exciting prospect.” DON PETERS
By Janine Adamson
With its good tillering ability, significantly improved distilling quality and high septoria resistance, could Sparkler’s brilliance create a fizz among the soft Group 4 offering?
According to breeder Elsoms, offering a step up in key traits such as disease resistance, a notably high alcohol yield, plus the wider attributes growers have come to expect from a modern variety, means Sparkler has the potential to become a treasured gem in the North.
Currently a candidate variety set to gain a spot on the Recommended List in November this year, Sparkler ticks all of the boxes required for a robust feed or distilling wheat, says Elsoms’ head of wheat breeding, Milika Buurman.
“Not only is Sparkler proving to deliver exceptional yields in the North, but this is accompanied by a significantly improved alcohol yield per tonne, compared with similar varieties in soft Group 4.
“While in the past, popular varieties for distilling have had high gross output but perhaps lacked alcohol yield, Sparkler has broken through this barrier. Therefore we hope growers will perceive it as a high yielding option with a guaranteed end market, whether that’s feed or distilling,” she explains.
FOSTERING FAMILIARITY
Recognising grower preference for their tried and tested varieties, Milika says Sparkler has been bred from Graham-Skyscraper parentage therefore it should offer a level of familiarity. “Farmers in the North have extensive experience in growing these varieties, and while Sparkler is created to outperform its parents, we hope that might provide some added assurance regarding its potential.”
Disease-wise, the jewel in Sparkler’s crown is septoria resistance, which although yet to be formally scored, trials suggest is on a par with the leading RL varieties. “Importantly, we’ve seen consistently low levels of septoria infection in Sparkler throughout the breeding process. On a personal level, having seen its development from initial cross through to impending launch, it’s satisfying that septoria resistance is one of its stand-out traits.
“As for yellow rust resistance, which has come under high levels of scrutiny of late, we have no concerns – the level of resistance in Sparkler doesn’t seem to have changed from last season,” stresses Milika.
However, she admits that as per many wheat varieties, there’s been a trade-off – in this case, brown rust resistance. “Sparkler was put to the test last season where we saw unprecedented levels of the disease in many varieties. So while brown rust resistance isn’t its forte, it meets the minimum standard required.
“In addition, chemical control for brown rust remains effective and the disease is less of a concern in general, in particular, in those areas where growers aim for the distilling markets in the northern region.”
Although the variety is primarily being pitched for those in the North, it performs well across the wider UK too. Agrii agronomist, Andrew Farley, says having seen Sparkler in Agrii trials at Saltash in Cornwall this year, its septoria resistance is what caught his eye. “In my region (Devon and Somerset), a robust septoria score is a must.
“The untreated plots especially look good and reasonably clean. It’ll be interesting to see how Sparkler performs in a year with greater disease pressure such as last season, to put that resistance package to the test.”
According to Milika, there should be no issues regarding lodging risk either, with Sparkler holding its own both with and without PGR.
DRILLING DATES
Looking at drilling window, she explains that this has been calculated based on Sparkler’s development speed and tillering ability, although will depend on regional risk. “In the North, growers could drill from 15 September; then in the South, we advise from the beginning of October onwards.
“But overall, due to its growth habit and high tillering capacity, Sparkler makes for a good late driller. This is particularly useful for growers who are planting a first wheat after harvesting sugar beet or potatoes, for example.
“Conversely, its early-drilled septoria ratings are still good – it’s flexible and can take an earlier drilling slot if necessary,” comments Milika.
Don Peters, seed specialist for McCreath Simpson & Prentice, the agricultural merchanting division of Simpsons Malt, says Sparkler is currently being evaluated as part of the company’s dedicated distilling wheat trial in Angus. Drilled on 5 October, he says the variety was quick out of the blocks and established well. “It was also noticeably fast to get going in the spring, launching into vigorous growth.”
One aspect Don noted in particular, was that during early assessments, Sparkler presented above average tillering – one or two more tillers than all of the other varieties in the trial. “We experienced significant fluctuations in temperature in Scotland this spring, meaning there will have been an impact on the physiology of the wheat plants.
“As such, there may have been lost tillers. However, with Sparkler having a higher baseline to begin with, this offers some insurance in those types of scenarios,” he points out.
All varieties being trialled by McCreath Simpson & Prentice are evaluated both untreated and with the addition of the standard RL fungicide protocol. Don says while septoria pressure this year in Scotland has been low, Sparkler has remained clean throughout plus indicated a low susceptibility to mildew.
“There has been some yellow rust in the untreated Sparkler plot, but this was controlled well by appropriate fungicides. All-in-all, it appears to offer a good, robust disease resistance profile.”
In terms of the variety’s position in the market, Don agrees with Elsoms. “Spirit extract potential has plateaued for the past 20 years or so, so Sparkler’s promised alcohol yield is what makes the variety an exciting prospect.
“Distilling is a significant proportion of our business, so this is an important factor for growers in the North. Now it’s a case of waiting for the numbers post-harvest to truly confirm that.”
And if this does come to fruition, there’s the potential to offset sustainability concerns, highlights Elsoms’ Toby Reich. “Particularly in the distilling market – Sparkler is efficient due to its high alcohol output, achieving more from less,” he says.
To conclude, Toby has an assured message: “We’re confident Sparkler will achieve its place on the RL. We aim for it to re-ignite the soft Group 4 market segment, just as Bamford has reinvigorated Group 3.”
This article was taken from the latest issue of CPM. Read the article in full here.
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