The first ever oilseed rape variety with tolerance against the stem disease sclerotinia will be available for drilling this summer, after it gained National Listing.

Sclerotinia is a disease that can lead to stem canker resulting in lodging and yield losses. In severe cases it can be devastating, potentially halving yields.

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Bred by Pioneer, the seed brand of Corteva Agriscience, the hybrid variety PT303 delivered the highest gross output yields with 116% in the East and West region and 105% for the North.

The company said in its trials with sclerotinia infection levels at 25% or above, the severity of the disease was reduced by up to 75%. Trials also showed that the higher the severity of disease, the greater the benefit from the trait.

Corteva Agriscience’s seeds and inoculants sales manager Andy Stainthorpe said: “Pioneer Protector Sclerotinia PT303 gives farmers the ability to reduce the incidence of disease and manage their crop protection applications with greater flexibility and assurance.

“With environmental effects such as global warming, sclerotinia is becoming a bigger burden for farmers during increasingly humid and wet weather.”

He said that after identifying a genetic source of sclerotinia tolerance, Corteva breeders have spent more than a decade crossing that source into its regular hybrids through traditional breeding.

The variety will be up for recommendation in December 2021.