Following the success of Skyfall, it might seem improbable that RAGT could have another top quality wheat to hit the market. The new candidate variety, RGT Illustrious, has already created a great deal of interest in the end market because of its baking consistency at a range of different protein contents.
According to Célia Bequain, RAGT’s Senior Wheat Breeder “the variety has shown consistent top bread making potential since harvest 2010 when the line was first baked by our independent partners. From then on, and despite some very challenging growing seasons, RGT Illustrious has always compared favourably to the control Solstice for both its baking and quality attributes.”
The variety is a candidate for the 2016/17 RL with a yield challenging Skyfall. Its maturity is similar to Solstice, it has excellent disease resistance profile, as well as the Pch1 eyespot resistance gene.
“The Recommended list trial confirms that RGT Illustrious has very similar quality attributes to Solstice but we have to keep in mind that those data are from trials managed for yield. In our RAGT quality trial network, RGT Illustrious shines with a HFN above 300 sec. even in the 2012 harvest, a protein content which ranges from low 12% to high 13% and a specific weight above 80kg/hl.”
“From what we have seen, RGT Illustrious is baking extremely well at all protein levels tested, in-part due to its consistency of rheology and dough strength, this includes very good water absorption properties, with its quality traits RGT illustrious is one of the most exciting milling wheat’s to come out of UK breeding since Hereward” explains RAGT’s Julie Seekings.
“Good levels of water absorption are an important character in bread making, as it aids the formation of the dough structure during mixing. This will subsequently help with loaf volume, crumb structure and shelf-life of the product.
Célia Bequain will be present on the RAGT stand at Cereals to discuss this new potential top quality wheat and their other wheat varieties.
