Plant breeder SW Seed has joined forces with French seed company SAS Maison Florimond Desprez and Elsoms Seeds to improve the breeding, production and marketing of winter oilseed rape in Europe.

SW Seed is the majority shareholder of the new company which will be called SW Winter Oilseed AB.

All three companies will bring together their plant breeding programmes to develop a stronger winter oilseed rape programme and portfolio for the whole European market.

The new company will have both hybrid and open-pollinated breeding programmes and it promises that the joint resources will enable “even greater selection and trialling to find the best material for each country’s environment and market”.

Any varieties of the parties currently on the market or in official trials will not be included in the co-operation.