Convoitise Winter Spelt
A high-yielding, low-input spelt for premium milling and livestock markets
Convoitise is an exclusive winter spelt variety from French breeder Lemaire, offering growers a naturally low-input crop with excellent standing ability, high specific weight and strong bread-making quality. Suitable for both conventional and organic farming, Convoitise is ideal for growers supplying artisan food markets or producing grain for livestock rations.
Why choose Convoitise?
Convoitise has been selected to deliver both agronomic performance and premium grain quality, making it an excellent choice for modern arable rotations.
High untreated yields
- Convoitise has demonstrated excellent untreated performance in UK trials, helping growers maximise returns while reducing reliance on crop protection inputs. Untreated Agrii trials showed higher yields than Zollernspelz, alongside improved specific weight.
Naturally low-input
- With good resistance to Septoria tritici, yellow rust and mildew, Convoitise is well suited to low-input and organic farming systems.
Premium grain quality
- Convoitise combines good protein content, high specific weight and excellent bread-making quality, making it attractive for artisan flour and food markets while also being increasingly used in livestock rations.
Excellent standing ability
- One of the first characteristics noticed during UK trials was Convoitise's standing power, helping growers produce a clean, harvestable crop. The variety also naturally dehulls more readily than Zollernspelz, improving grain processing.
Why grow winter spelt?
Interest in spelt continues to grow as consumers increasingly seek traditional grains for artisan bread, pasta, breakfast cereals and speciality foods.
For growers, winter spelt offers several advantages:
- Access to premium niche markets
- Lower input requirements than many modern cereals
- A valuable break crop within cereal rotations
- Suitability for both conventional and organic systems
- Additional demand from livestock feed markets.
When should you grow Convoitise?
Convoitise is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a resilient cereal that combines premium grain quality with lower production costs.
It is particularly suited to growers who:
- Want to supply artisan milling or speciality food markets.
- Farm organically or are reducing input use.
- Need a reliable break crop within cereal rotations.
- Are growing on lighter or less fertile land, where spelt performs particularly well.
- Want a crop that offers both grain and livestock feed opportunities.
Growing advice
Convoitise is straightforward to establish and should generally be managed in a similar way to winter wheat.
For best results:
- Aim for 110–120 plants/m² to make the most of the variety’s strong tillering ability.
- Drill during the October to November window.
- Prepare seedbeds using the same principles as winter wheat.
- Although suitable across a range of soil types, taller crops generally perform best on less fertile ground, helping minimise lodging risk.
- Take advantage of Convoitise’s strong disease package and excellent grain quality.
Proven performance
Independent UK trials demonstrate Convoitise’s combination of untreated yield, specific weight and disease resistance. Compared with Zollernspelz, Convoitise produced higher untreated yields and greater specific weight while maintaining excellent grain quality.
Yield (t/ha) | Powdery mildew (1-9) | Specific weight (kg/hl) | Height (cm) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Convoitise | 3.57 | 5 | 48.4 | 130 |
Zollernspelz | 3 | 4 | 44.8 | 128 |
Organic and regenerative farming
Convoitise’s naturally low-input characteristics make it particularly attractive for growers looking to reduce fungicide inputs or diversify rotations.
Its strong disease resistance, robust standing ability and suitability for less fertile soils fit well within organic and regenerative farming systems where crop resilience is increasingly important.
What is Convoitise winter spelt?
Convoitise is an exclusive winter spelt variety bred by Lemaire that combines high untreated yields, strong disease resistance and premium milling quality.
Is Convoitise suitable for organic farming?
Yes. Its naturally low-input characteristics and good resistance to Septoria, yellow rust and mildew make it well suited to organic and conventional production.
What markets can Convoitise be grown for?
Convoitise is suitable for artisan bread-making, flour milling, breakfast cereals and livestock rations, providing growers with access to multiple premium markets.
When should winter spelt be drilled?
Convoitise should be drilled during October and November, using similar seedbed preparation to winter wheat.
What makes Convoitise different from other winter spelt varieties?
Convoitise combines high untreated yields, higher specific weight, strong standing ability, natural dehulling characteristics and excellent grain quality, making it a compelling alternative to established winter spelt varieties.
Get in touch
Speak to COPE about growing Convoitise