The competition is for Troon grown in 2005 and the winning sample will be judged by a panel of expert, independent judges. The prize, of a three day all inclusive break in Copenhagen will be awarded to the winning grower, his or her seed supplier/representative and the trader/merchant who marketed the grain for malting.

"Troon's large grain size and quality makes it ideal for distilling," says Nickerson's malting barley breeder Mark Glew. "Troon is also very strong agronomically; however the one area that does need special attention is grain nitrogen. Troon is earlier maturing than Optic and needs to be treated differently to ensure its grain nitrogen content remains below the desired 1.60%. Typically Troon needs 15-20% less fertiliser nitrogen to achieve the same grain nitrogen as Optic.

"With its high yields lower requirements for fertiliser and sprays, and premium market potential, Troon has a lot to offer but husbandry techniques need to be refined to reflect its field characteristics. This is one of the reasons we are running this competition," Mr Glew adds.

Any farmer wanting to enter their Troon into the competition will need to fill in an official entry form. These are available from Nickerson Direct by calling 0800 581847 or by logging onto www.nickersonuk/troon.html. Entries close on 31 October and winners will be announced in November 2005. Husbandry guidelines for Troon are also available from the same source.