Elsoms and Ackermann combine forces for UK barley breeding

Elsoms Seeds, the UK’s leading independent plant breeding business, has joined forces with renowned German barley breeder, Ackermann to form Elsoms Ackermann Barley Ltd. Elsoms Ackermann Barley Ltd will focus on breeding varieties specifically for the UK market, combining strong disease resistance and market leading yield characteristics with Ackermann’s impressive high quality malting and feed barley varieties.


“By joining forces in barley breeding, we will expand the impressive and comprehensive breeding programme established by Ackermann and focus it on the UK market, utilising the resources of the plant breeding, research and trialling facilities of Elsoms Seeds,” said Roger Keeling, Chairman of Elsoms Seeds Ltd.

Ackermann is a member of the Saaten Union group of German breeders who have been working very closely with the Commercial and Technical teams at Elsoms over the past four years, for example in developing the new Spring Barley, Chanson.

Alexander Strube, Managing Director of Ackermann said “We have been impressed by the way Elsoms has developed Chanson and other varieties from our fellow members of Saaten Union” said. “We have established a global trialling, production and customer network but realised that to be successful in the UK, we required a strong UK partner and are delighted that Elsoms has agreed to join us in creating a new barley breeding business, Elsoms Ackermann Barley Ltd,” Alexander concluded.

Ackermann has a comprehensive breeding programme, successfully producing 2 row, 6 row, spring, winter, feed, distilling and brewing barleys, as well as being part of Saaten Union’s hybrid barley programme.

Adrian Hayler, Head of Elsoms Seeds’ Agricultural Department said “I attended the recent World Barley, Malt and Beer conference as part of the Saaten Union team and was impressed by the excellent reputation Ackermann have established with maltsters, brewers and distillers through their variety portfolio and technical expertise”

Elsoms Ackermann Barley products are expected to follow Ackermann’s own varieties onto the AHDB Recommended List by 2020. Over the last few years UK farmers, merchants and end users have had an increasingly limited choice of breeding programmes to choose their varieties from. The formation of Elsoms Ackermann Barley Ltd will provide the UK market with greater genetic diversity and an improved range of competitive varieties.

Elsoms Ackermann Barley is now recruiting a Barley Breeder, to be based in Lincolnshire, to lead the dramatically increase in scale of its barley programme.

Visitors to Cereals 2017 at Lincoln on 14th and 15th June will be able to discuss the Elsoms Ackermann Barley programme as well as see existing Ackermann varieties, such as Chanson, with Adrian Hayler and Dr Richard Jennaway, Technical Director of Saaten Union UK.