First club-root resistor on offer
First club-root resistor on offer
OILSEED rape growers have three new varieties from the CPB-Twyford stable to choose from, including the UKs first recommended club root resistant variety, Mendel.
Elan and Action complete the trio, all of which will only be available through CPB Direct (see above), alongside last years Direct offerings of hybrid Disco and conventional variety Tradition.
With a gross output rating of 103 hybrid Mendel lags behind recommended list leading hybrids Royal (109) and Disco (108). But on club root infected land Mendels performance will be maintained while other varieties typically suffer 15-30% yield loss, says CPBs Liz Williams.
That could be particularly useful for growers in Scotland, where 25% of oilseed rape growing land is estimated to be infected with the brassica-bashing soil-borne fungus.
"Often farmers do not identify club root as the problem, because it occurs in patches. They put the poor performance down to poor nutrient or water uptake," says Ms Williams.
Acidic soils, early drilling, mild autumns and a history of brassicas in tight rotation favour the diseases development.
Elan is a hybrid variety offering the top oil content on the recommended list. Gross output at 107 is just behind the hybrid list leaders. But Elan has the edge on light leaf spot with a resistance rating of nine. Action is a conventional variety coming in at 104 for output, rated seven for light leaf spot resistance and nine for lodging resistance. *
CPB NEWCOMERS
• Hybrids Elan and Mendel.
• Conventional variety Action.
• Mendel first for club root resistance.
• All available on-line.