Innovation plot trials underline high reliability hybrid value

High reliability hybrid, DK Excited has underlined the value of its great management flexibility in Bayer’s OSR Innovation plot trials at Callow near Hereford this season. The marked advantage hybrids have over pure lines at lower plant densities was crystal clear in adjacent plots of the hybrid and the current conventional market-leader sown at 30, 50 and 80 seeds/m2) on September 1. While the pure-line variety lost almost a third of a tonne when sowing rates were reduced from 80 seeds/m2 to 30 seeds/m2, the hybrid actually yielded more at the lower rate. At 80 seeds/m2, Bayer trials manager, Richard Williams recorded a yield advantage of 3% for DK Excited over its conventional competitor, increasing to 13% at 30 seeds/m2. “This really reinforces the importance of giving robust hybrids like DK Excited enough space and light to take full advantage of their branching superiority,” he stresses. “The marked difference in branching between the two varieties at the lowest seed rate, in particular, was obvious from the early spring and quite apparent to all the visitors to our Callow field day in June. “Less immediately apparent in the crop structure at this stage but very obvious in the tank at harvest was the fact that our September 19 sown DK Excited alongside the seed rate comparison plots did even better – out-yielding the September 1 sowing by over 0.4t/ha. “The bone-dry August meant mid-September sowing was almost certainly preferable for many growers moisture-wise last autumn. But to take advantage of opportunities like this it’s essential to have varieties with sufficient flexibility to deal with late sowing as well as delivering a better than average performance from a more traditional drilling slot. Which is exactly where DK Excited excels.”