National Farm Trials Confirm Favourable OSR Crop Condition

Early winter assessments of Dekalb’s national series of field-scale oilseed rape trials with nine current and emerging hybrids across the country confirm the remarkably favourable condition of this season’s crop establishment revealed in Bayer’s national grower poll.

The average establishment rate across all varieties grown under strictly commercial regimes on the 15 farms from Wiltshire in the south west to Angus in the north east has been 74%, with all sites seeing at least 50% of the 50 seeds/m squared sown establish to give populations of between 25 and 48 plants/m squared.

Average vigour and uniformity scores in the top of third of the standard 1-9 scale and development before winter ratings averaging comfortably over 5 underline the good condition of most going into the winter despite the very dry August and higher CSFB pressures than the past two years. “An average establishment rate of over 70% for every one of our hybrids is particularly encouraging,” says Dekalb trials manager, Richard Williams. “As is the fact that all showed excellent vigour, particularly uniform stands and relatively rapid development in a season posing more than its share of early challenges. “At 80%, HOLL variety, V367OL had the highest establishment rate overall, closely followed by DK Exsteel.  DK Exstar scored best for vigour, just ahead of DK Excited, DK Exsteel and DK Extremus. Topping the uniformity ratings were DK Exsteel, DK Exstar and V367OL. And, as expected DK Exsteel and DK Extremus were the fastest to develop ahead of winter. “We are only really splitting hairs here, though, as even the more constrained early developers like DK Expectation, DK Exposé and promising new all-rounder, DK Exbury gave establishment rates of around 75% and vigour, uniformity and development before winter scores well within the top half of our 1-9 scales.”

Interestingly, the sites drilled in the first half of August and from the very end of the month and into September saw noticeably better establishment than those sown in the most common mid to late-August slot – 82% and 78% respectively compared to 70%. They also showed rather higher vigour, greater uniformity and faster early development.

The three sites proving the most challenging establishment-wise were all sown around August 20 when seedbed conditions were still dry and CSFB pressures were ramping up.  Even so, all three had average establishment rates of 50% or more, with decent vigour and crop uniformity scores. And one scored in the top five overall for crop development ahead of winter.

“Performance on these sites, in particular, is great proof of the reliability our hybrids have always been known-for,” Mr Williams points out. “Standing out for the highest average establishment rates here were DK Exsteel, V367OL, DK Excited and DK Exbury.  Alongside DK Exsteel and DK Excited, though, DK Exposé proved to have the highest development before winter score. “As ever, it will be interesting to see how our farm trial crops come through the winter,” he concludes. “However, they have certainly passed their establishment and early development tests with flying colours. And, whatever the season brings from now on, we know this is a good 80% of what success with OSR is all about.”