AMISTAR

Amistar is a Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) tolerant variety that has performed strongly in KWS and distribution trials in the past two years. It is early to move in the spring and is early maturing.

In trials without BYDV pressure, Amistar yielded close to that of KWS Cassia and KWS Tower (i.e. at the average of control varieties in official trials) and had a specific weight akin to that of KWS Cassia.

In situations with high BYDV pressure, Amistar demonstrated the value of tolerance in protecting yield potential. In 2017 and 2018 trials in Cambridgeshire where virus pressure was high, Amistar suffered yield losses of between 0.4 and 0.5% whereas the losses from non-tolerant varieties ranged from 6 to 19%.

The variety can be used to reduce the risk to other varieties by sowing in aphid-prone areas such as headlands, beside margins or around areas difficult to spray, such as close to water courses. Alternatively, the variety can be sown across the entire field area if desired, but it will be for the grower and their advisers to consider how to make best use of the yield protection afforded by Amistar.

It is flexible across a wide sowing window so can be sown early as per standard practice or drilled later where there is a desire to reduce the risk of infection to other varieties.