Growers have wide choice of varieties for oilseed rape

Five winter oilseed rape varieties from LS Plant Breeding (LSPB) promise growers a wide choice of yield, agronomic characters and marketing outlets.

Based on seed yield, Turing is the highest yielding variety on the Recommended List for 2024/5, says the company, being just one percentage point off the highest yielding UK varieties for gross output. It combines yield potential with light leaf spot resistance – and strong vigour.

Vegas has the same UK recommendation as Turing and is very high yielding with exceptional RlmS phoma resistance. It has very good light leaf spot scores, mid-maturity and is described as very vigorous – particularly in the spring.

Yield potential

Murray remains well positioned in the east-west only recommendation category with high gross output and high seed yield. It combines this high yield potential with exceptional RlmS phoma resistance as well as good light leaf spot scores and strong spring vigour.

In terms of the new AHDB ratings for verticillium wilt resistance, Murray features in the highest category of moderately resistant, showcasing its broad stem health characteristics, explained LSPB managing director Chris Guest.

“Vegas and Murray in particular underline the results of the innovation in our breeding programme,” said Mr Guest.

This innovation meant growers now had access to varieties with excellent light leaf spot resistance alongside high resistance to stem canker from major gene Phoma resistance RlmS with very high disease ratings.

The two other LSPB varieties on the recommended and described lists focus on the important disease challenge of clubroot and the niche – but valuable – market opportunity for high erucic (HEAR) rape oil.

Crome is the clubroot resistant variety with a specific recommendation for growing on land infected with common strains of clubroot. The disease is on the rise across the UK and particularly prevalent in Scotland and in western regions.

Crome has high gross output, good resistance to light leaf spot, good stem stiffness and resistance to lodging.

High erucic

Resort is the only HEAR variety on the described list. Mr Guest said HEAR rape had benefits for the right grower, given demand from specialist markets with significant buyback contract premiums – and the same agronomy and growing costs as double lows.

“We see stem health is a key component of our new genetics and a large driver to high yield potential and robust plant health, while also giving good tolerance to late season diseases – including verticillium wilt, a feature now shown in the recommended list system.”

LSPB’s oilseed rape breeding programme is backed by parent company NPZ and breeding colleagues in the UK – as well as the  European Union. This meant growers had more varieties to look forward to in the pipeline, said Mr Guest.

He added: “We have varieties progressing through the trials system featuring stacked traits as we continue to introduce the best hybrids with improved yield and agronomics added to consistency in performance.”

These  newly listed candidate varieties are set to be added to this section of the recommended list.

The next generation of hybrids would feature high yield potential and good disease resistance packages, including clubroot resistant varieties.