Call for three-year OSR variety tests

24 May 2001



Call for three-year OSR variety tests

By FW staff

FAST-TRACK recommended list testing protocols for oilseed rape allow unstable varieties onto the list, claims a leading plant breeder.

Advanta says the current procedures should be replaced with a system under which all varieties would undergo three years of testing.

I believe selecting candidates for the recommended list trials after one year of national list trials is a mistake, said Advanta technical manager Paul Hickman.

Advantas view is that testing should go to three years, as for other crops, said Mr Hickman at the launch of new conventionally bred variety Courage.

Oilseed rapes performance can be substantially affected by the seasons weather — more so than cereals, argues Mr Hickman.

If Courage is recommended this autumn, it will go onto the list above, but a year behind, Syngenta variety Recital.

Both are in the third year of trials, but Recital benefited from the fast-track system, appearing on the list in two years, despite Courage outyielding it last year.

Recitals yield was down in year two and Courage has overtaken it, said Mr Hickman.

Courages economic yield is 106% of controls compared with Recital and Escorts 103, and on a par with the top newly recommended hybrids.

There could be 150t of seed available this year, enough for 24,000ha at 6.25kg/ha.

• Breeder queries hybrid rape figures, FWi, 10 May 2001
• Recommendation to throw list away, FWi, 17 November 2000
• Breeders blow cool on NIABs list approach, FWi, 28 November 1997
  

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