DK Exsteel proves its worth in Hampshire

Despite a modest average of around 3.2 t/ha, the 20ha of ‘lovely’ DK Exsteel, David Northway harvested last week at Breamore Estate in Hampshire, was a good tonne more than the bulk of the rest of his 92ha crop through a combination of much better autumn and spring development and impressive pod shatter resistance.

“We won’t be persuaded to grow a variety without decent pod shatter resistance again,” insists David.  “Much thinner and less even in the first place, the 50ha of non-shatter resistant OSR we grew last year lost a huge amount of seed in the summer wind. It barely gave us 1.8t/ha.”

Direct drilled into reasonably long spring barley stubble at around 45 seeds/m² in the first week of September with DAP in the seedbed, the DK Exsteel never looked back once established. It particularly impressed with its ability to deal with relatively late sowing in a north-facing field under substantial lea beetle pressure..

“Despite the difficult start it had, the crop stood out the whole year,” David reports. “And it was a joy to harvest, springing straight back up from desiccation and holding onto its seed strongly in the run-up to and at combining. All 70ha of our OSR will be DK Exsteel this autumn.”