LG Astronomer

✚ Excellent physical grain quality and rated ‘medium’ for distilling

✚ Good resistance against rusts

Variety Positioning

• Starting to look outclassed in terms of yield (93% treated, 85% untreated) but it retails good grain quality (HFN 232, 78.1 kg/hl) that suits the domestic biscuit market but is not accepted for uks export.

• Its northern performance, later maturity and mildew susceptibility have limited interest in distilling markets. 

• Its best performance is in the East and West regions, in both official and Agrii trials, and its performance drops off a little further north.

• Acceptable performance as a second wheat and across soil types including lighter soils.

• Unsuitable for early drilling but it has performed well in late drilled trials up until the end of January.

• Medium-long straw but good strength treated (8.6) (7) and is very competitive against grassweeds. Later maturity (+2) (+1) and reasonable resistance to sprouting (7). 

• Disease ratings are good for yellow rust (8.3) (7.7), brown rust very good (7.4) (6.7) but weaker for Septoria tritici (5.9) (4.2) and mildew resistance is poor (3.8). Average resistance to eyespot (4.7) and moderately resistant to fusarium ear blight (6.4).

• Resistant to orange wheat blossom midge.

NOTE:
Numbers in bold – Agrii Advisory List data.
Numbers in standard text – AHDB Recommended List.