Robust farm Oilseed Rape trialling demonstrates strength-in-depth

Robust farm trialling demonstrates strength-in-depth

Average ‘Ex’ hybrid seed yields ranging from 4.8t/ha to 5.1t/ha across the 14 large-scale strip trials run with growers from Hampshire to the Scottish borders this season underline the strength-in-depth of all the main DEKALB varieties.

Together the seven varieties sown over an extended window averaged an encouraging 4.91t/ha overall, only averaging less than 4t/ha on two sites, doing more than 5t/ha on five and over 6t/ha on three.

 “Confirming the much more favourable growing season, average yields on the six sites that also ran trials with us in 2021 were up by over 0.75t/ha this year,” notes DEKALB trials manager, Richard Williams.

“As expected, western and northern crops with better spring and summer moisture conditions generally fared better than those in the much drier south and east of the country.

“At 5.11t/ha, average yields on our five early September sown sites were noticeably higher than the 4.80t/ha and 4.83t/ha averages from those sites sown in early August or the traditional drilling window,” he points out. “This underlines the importance of sowing when conditions are right for the farm and is particularly encouraging for those waiting for sufficient moisture this season.”

 Topping TuYV-resistant hybrid performance under the strictly commercial farm regimes were DK Excited and DK Exposé with average seed yields of 5.07t/ha and 4.94t/ha, outyielding a TuYV-resistant East/West RL hybrid standard by 5% and 2% respectively.

DK Excited showed its particular strength with a seed yield 23% ahead of the trial average at 5.99t/ha in Rob Atkin’s trial at Field Hall Farm, Uttoxeter in Staffordshire. It also took first place in trials in Hampshire, Suffolk, Herefordshire and Shropshire.

Meanwhile at Adbaston Hall, Newport on the border with Shropshire, John Billington saw DK Exposé stand out in his main trial field at 5.65t/ha – 15% ahead of the average.

The fact that the 5.25t/ha (107% of the average) it delivered also topped a second informal trial he ran in another field leaves him particularly impressed with the RL candidate.