Four new varieties – two sugar beets and two oilseed rapes – were unveiled by Elsoms Seeds at the Cereals Event.

Barnowl and Bullfinch are joining the company’s sugar beet portfolio, said the company’s Tony Guthrie.

“Bullfinch is a rhizomania resistant variety, which has come in the top five for sugar yield when sown early and harvested either early or late,” he said.

Barnowl is Elsom’s last conventional variety, reflecting the rate of spread of the rhizomania virus into new areas, added Mr Guthrie.

Colleague Bob Miles said Temple, a conventional winter oilseed rape variety up for recommendation this autumn, was the first oilseed rape variety to come from Elsoms’ breeding programme

“With yields of 116 in Scotland and the north, together with an 8 for light leaf spot resistance and a 7 for stem canker, it’s an exciting introduction and a milestone for Elsoms,” he reported.

Temple also has good resistance to lodging and is stiff stemmed, remarked Mr Miles. “It has an oil content of 44.9% and is quite short. It suits the requirements of growers in the north and takes yield to a new level.”

Canti CS, the first variety from breeder Caussade Semences, will also be marketed by Elsoms in the UK. Another candidate for the Recommended List, it’s an all-round performer with a yield of 103, good resistance to lodging and robust disease resistance.