The Niab Variety Cup acknowledges varieties that have made a major contribution to crop productivity through improved quality, disease resistance, grower return or commercial success, and can be drawn from the entire spectrum of horticultural, ornamental and agricultural crops.
It takes an exceptional variety to win the Niab Variety Cup in a normal year and Niab can be go for several years without making an award. The Cup was first awarded in 1986 to the cauliflower White Rock, with past winners including Libravo winter oilseed rape in 1990, perennial ryegrasses Aberdart in 2003 and Abergreen in 2015 and Roberta sugar beet in 2004.
Centenary Award
To celebrate Niab's Centenary Year in 2019, the Niab Variety Cup remit was changed to recognise 'the most influential UK non-cereal variety from the past 100 years.' The Centenary Variety Cup was awarded to the red onion variety Red Baron.
Past winners
2015 - Abergreen perennial ryegrass (IBERS & Germinal)
2011 - Eskimo carrot (Nickerson-Zwaan & Vilmorin)
2010 - Kentaurus forage maize (KWS)
2009 - Vision onion (Syngenta)
2008 - Pearl winter barley (Nickerson Advanta Ltd)
2007 - Fuego spring bean (Nickerson UK Ltd)
2006 - Crusader white clover (Agresearch Ltd)
2005 - Spartacus forage maize (Advanta Seeds Ltd)
2004 - Roberta sugar beet (KWS & English Sugar Beet Seed Co Ltd)
2003 - Aberdart perennial ryegrass (IGER & British Seeds Houses Ltd)
1997 - Maverick spring cauliflower (S&G Seeds Ltd)
1995 - Fianna potato (Mr JPG Konst)
1993 - Hereward winter wheat (Plant Breeding International (Cambridge) Ltd)
1992 - Saxon sugar beet (Hilleshog (UK) Ltd)
1990 - Libravo winter oilseed rape (DSV)
1988 - Mercia winter wheat (Plant Breeding International (Cambridge) Ltd)
1986 - White Rock autumn cauliflower (Sluis en Groot)