The 2021 growing season has seen a lot of Septoria [Zymoseptoria tritici] in the usual suspects as well as in some previously resistant lines with Cougar in their parentage. We are pleased to see that our resistant winter wheat, Theodore, remains the UK’s cleanest wheat, earning and maintaining its 8.3 septoria rating. Comparing the pedigrees of Cougar and Theodore, we can show that the septoria resistance is derived from a septoria resistant breeding line which in turn gave rise to Stigg, one of Theodore’s parents. This is a different source of resistance than the Cougar derived varieties. The winter wheat breeding programme at DSV UK will continue to work closely on novel and robust sources of septoria resistance to provide growers with clean, easy-to-manage varieties.
