12 varieties added to BSPB 2026 Forage Maize DL

The new entrants on the 2026 Favourable First Choice List are KWS Zimo, KWS Reo, Amarola, Agrolino and KWS Portabello from KWS, SU Addition from Bayer and LG31206, Harmony and LG31152 from Limagrain. DKC2742 from Bayer, and MAS 195P and Clifford from Bright Seeds, have been added to the Favourable Second Choice List. LG31152, Harmony, KWS Portabello and KWS Reo have also been included on the First Choice List for Less Favourable sites. No further varieties have been added to the Very Favourable list for 2026.

Favourable sites DL

Of the new varieties added to the Favourable sites DL, Niab forage crop specialist Ellie Roberts highlights KWS Zimo as the highest yielding new variety at 19.6 t DM/ha, with a metabolisable energy (ME) yield of 230 kMJ/ha and starch yield of 6.90 t/ha. Bayer’s SU Addition is the next highest yielder at 19.5 t DM/ha, with an ME yield of 221 kMJ/ha and starch yield of 6.02 t/ha. KWS Reo has the highest starch yield on the list at 7.08 t/ha. 

Less Favourable sites

Of the Less Favourable sites DL varieties, Limagrain’s LG31152 is the highest yielding new variety at 18.5 t DM/ha at 40.0% DM, with KWS Reo giving the highest ME yield of the new varieties on the list at 222 kMJ/ha and highest starch yield on the less favourable first choice list at 7.29 t/ha at 37.0% dry matter. “All the new varieties score well for both early vigour and standing power,” advises Mrs Roberts.

Crop trials organisation Niab coordinates the forage maize variety trials programme on behalf of BSPB. Halfway through yet another challenging growing season for UK maize growers Mrs Roberts remains positive that the majority of trials sites across the country have had enough moisture in time to grow away.

“With 13 trial sites across England, the locations and circumstances not only give the varieties a robust testing across UK conditions but also aims to provide sufficient data on each variety and allows for the risk of some trial losses. Fortunately, the lack of moisture at establishment has, so far, only led to some trial failure due to uneven establishment at two sites this year.”

Mrs Roberts warns that the timing of late summer/autumn rainfall can impact harvest, particularly after a long dry period as maize plants may be drying rapidly when wet soils prevent access for harvest. 

“The most critical element of the forage maize variety trials programme is that all varieties in a trial have fair and consistent treatment within each trial to ensure reliability and validity of the published data. The continuing challenging UK growing conditions over recent growing seasons continue to put these maize varieties through rigorous performance testing.”

The BSPB 2026 Forage Maize Descriptive List is available to download from the BSPB and Niab websites.

BSPB 2026 Forage Maize DL

ENDS

• The BSPB Forage Maize Descriptive List dataset incorporates five years of trials and is divided into three Lists – Favourable, Less Favourable and Very Favourable.
  • The Favourable List is for growers who are in good growing locations but for certain reasons such as drilling follow on crops need to find a balance between maturity and yield.
  • The Less Favourable List is for growers whose major concern is growing a crop to reach acceptable maturity by a given date.
  • Varieties on the Very Favourable List may be suitable for biogas producers growing and using the crop as a feedstock. Some varieties are also found on the current Favourable and Less Favourable Forage Maize DLs but others, including some later maturing varieties, are unique to this List.
• BSPB is the representative organisation for plant breeders in the UK. The BSPB Forage Maize Crop Group organises independent Descriptive List esting for forage maize varieties.
• All maize varieties sold in the UK are tested in UK growing conditions and accepted on the GB Variety List, with a minimum of two years of robust trials data from six locations across England. Only GB Variety List varieties can be entered into the Descriptive List trials programme and can be published after an additional year of trials across nine sites. The Forage Maize Descriptive List is reviewed annually by a panel of farmers, breeders, nutritionists and agronomists, ensuring rigorous, independent evaluation of the varieties to support the resilience of forage systems within the changeable UK climate.
• The Forage Maize Descriptive List provides a range of parameters for growers to select suitable varieties within the appropriate maturity range for their growing conditions. Parameters include dry matter yield and ME yield per hectare as well as, starch% and cell wall digestibility. Scores for early vigour, standing power and eyespot resistance are useful for selecting varieties that will establish and grow well at sites with more challenging growing conditions and where there is a high risk of lodging or eyespot incidence.
• The trial work is carried out by Niab and plant breeders under contract to BSPB. Trials are grown to standard protocols which are reviewed annually to ensure that they are relevant to the industry. All trials are independently inspected to ensure compliance with protocol and high standards of trialling and the data are independently verified and analysed by Niab.