“We want to show farmers exactly what is happening on demonstration plots of Avatar, the leading HGCA oilseed rape candidate hybrid for the east and west region,” explains Tom Nickerson of Ebbage Seeds, marketing agent for breeders LSPB. “We would like potential growers to make their own decision with the help of farmers in their area who are already growing the variety.

“The web site can be found at www.watchitgrow.co.uk and farmers, agronomists or others interested in Avatar can simply click on the red dots on the map of England. Then click ‘more information’ and search the photos and drilling information to get a feel of how it is performing in each area.”

“We are confident that our very open approach to how our new variety is performing will pay off as Avatar is currently showing the best gross output figures of all candidates based on its high seed yield, combined with one of the highest oil contents of candidates.”

Avatar has good agronomic qualities with good stem stiffness medium height and mid to early maturity. It has good disease resistance for Light leaf spot Stem canker plus good autumn vigour – comparable to current leading varieties – and similar spring vigour and flowering time.

“The other key point is that Avatar is early maturing – important to spread the harvest load. This makes it ideal for the big milling wheat growers who can get their oilseed rape into the shed to be ready for their wheat.  This is something that we hope will be seen as it happens on the web site when we reach next year’s harvest,” adds Mr Nickerson.

Avatar has the highest gross output of the candidate varieties, based on NL 2-year east/west region trials with the second highest seed yield, combined with one of the highest oil contents of candidate varieties. With oilseed rape prices high, the oil content bonus becomes even more valuable.

It is an early maturing variety, important to spread the harvest load. This makes it an ideal variety for the big milling wheat growers who can get their oilseed rape into the shed to be ready for their wheat.

Avatar has good stem stiffness, it is medium height and mid to early maturity and has good disease resistance with provisional score of 6 for Light leaf spot and 5 for Stem canker.  Also it has good autumn vigour – comparable to Excalibur – and similar spring vigour and flowering time.

Fury has good agronomic characters – including the highest downy mildew resistance of all the fully-recommended spring beans on the PGRO list – and has a yield advantage over the old favourite Fuego.

It is a pale hilum, pale-skinned bean that has already shown good samples that meet the quality standards for the human consumption export market, with the same earliness of ripening as Fuego.

“This has been another good year for us with our Sesame once again yielding well in excess of 5 tonnes/ha overall on our 12ha (29.7 acre) crop,” comments Sesame seed grower Nick Wilson. “With the crop safely in the barn, our overall yield is 5.80 tonnes/ha (2.34 t/acre).

“I would say one of the reasons for Sesame’s success for us is that, while the top yielding areas are high, the average has been pushed up by the fact that yields from our less-favoured areas are still good.”

“Another plus is that the variety does recover well, as we had one small field where it was hammered by the pigeons, and I would not have given it much hope of yielding anything.  Yet we still got a respectable 1.8 tonnes/ha from it.

“A final comment is that it has been easy to harvest. Although it is a taller variety, it stands well and is an even, flat top crop.”

Theo Labuda, breeder LSPB’s managing director adds: “Looking at official trials results to date, while these are still fluid until the later sets of trials are harvested, it is clear that Sesame is giving consistently good yields with a current list-topping 5-year overall seed yield.”

Sesame grower Nick Wilson has seen as second year yield of well in excess of 5t/ha from his crop.

“As we analyse the samples from our oilseed rape seed growers, Sesame is staring to notch up some excellent yields,” says Paul Nickerson of Ebbage Seeds, marketing agents for breeders LSPB.  “And Sesame is coming up with a similar performance in commercial crops where the pattern is good yields and repeat seed orders – often for increased acreages.

“For example, Stephen Moore, of RJ Moore near Salisbury, has a Sesame yield over 5t/ha – which compares very favourably with a yield of 4.3t/ha for the other variety grown on the farm. Stephen is delighted by the returns from his Sesame and confirms it will take the largest part of his oilseed rape acreage for next season.

“There is a similar story in East Anglia where we had one commercial grower with 10 ha of Sesame to try. The grower commented that, from the statistics of their rape crop this year, Sesame has done extremely well – yielding over 5t/ha in some fields and around 4.2t/ha in others.  More to the point, their other variety grown has yielded in the region of 3.4-4 t/ha.”

“In summary, of our seed crops harvested and commercial farm crops we have seen, we are looking at a consistent picture of yields around or in excess of 5 tonnes/ha.  We are confident that Sesame will confirm its position as the leading high-yielding oilseed rape variety year-on-year as results continue to mount up,” adds Mr Nickerson.

This season, Nick’s crop looks set fair to equal or exceed that yield and he is looking for a 5 tonne result across the whole of his 12ha (29.7acre) crop.

“As seed growers of course we give our crops a bit more care – but they have to have the yield potential there – and I am really thrilled with the way my Sesame looks as we head for harvest.”

“We had the usual battle with pigeons in the winter, but it grew away well and by spring there was no visible sign left.  Also the Sesame was not badly affected by frost damage.”

“As with last year, our Sesame flowered early, and kept flowering over a long period – and from flowering into podding it has stayed very clean in line with its claimed disease resistance.”
Paul Nickerson of Ebbage Seeds, who work with breeders LSPB on marketing the variety, adds: “Nick’s positive view is echoed by our other seed growers and by commercial growers.”

“Sesame topped the HGCA oilseed rape Recommended List for 2011. Now we are getting very good feedback to suggest that it will reinforce its position as a high-yielding and agronomically robust variety as we look towards harvest and the 2011-12 sowing season.”

For further information, please contact Paul Nickerson on 01366 387877 or paulnickerson@ebbageseeds.co.uk

In the south, Wiltshire grower RJ Butler comments: “Our crop inspectors noted it was a very good, even crop and we agree that the Sesame looks excellent, having come through winter better than other varieties on farm. There have been problems with poor flowering and blind sites on some varieties this season, but not in the Sesame.”

Also in Wiltshire, Richard Moore who farms near Salisbury, and has a large block of Sesame notes that: “The variety established well and, despite minimal spring rain, it’s not been held back and now looks promising for harvest.”

In the major oilseed rape growing of Holderness, east Yorkshire seed specialist Mark Winter says that: “Looking around the Yorkshire rape crops Sesame looks to have been a good decision – we have not a single variety related problem that I am aware of. Most crops look full of promise given reasonable weather as we get to harvest.”

Further north, Nick Wilson who farms near Boroughbridge, north Yorkshire grew Sesame last year and this years’ crop look set to give a similar yield: “Our Sesame flowered longer than many other varieties in the area and has really thick stems, which has helped it to withstand the drought. It has stayed very clean and has laid down pods without issue.”

Craig Padley, head of oilseed breeding at LS Plant Breeding (LSPB), explains that, while Sesame may not be the neatest variety on the farm during the growing season, its top RL ranking is what matters and proves that it comes up with the yield when the combines start to roll: “With oilseed prices hovering around £400 a tonne, it’s not looks you want – it’s seed in the store.  And Sesame’s high-yielding pods are typically packed with high-value seeds.”

For further information, contact Craig Padley on 01223 236808 or cpadley@lspb.eu

The situation should lead growers in susceptible areas to place resistance to the disease higher up their list of priorities when selecting varieties for next year, believes NIAB TAG’s Dr Jane Thomas.

“Light leaf spot is a problem in the north and Scotland more or less every year,” points out Dr Thomas. “It thrives in the sort of cool and wet autumn conditions that are more common to this region.

“But in recent seasons, and especially in 2010-11, we have seen greater than usual pressure in England – mainly in the west and south, but also in the east to an extent.

“Intensive oilseed rape rotations help to create carry-over of the disease, and there has been plenty of opportunity for build-up. Although infection occurs in the autumn, light leaf spot actually thrives in the sort of cool, wet autumn and cold, frosty winter we had this year – even in the south. And a run of years that favour the disease’s development can build up its presence on crop debris. Severe infestation can mean yield penalties of up to 1.0t/ha, and individual plants can be killed out.”

While the disease establishes itself early on the plant’s lifecycle, in the crown of the plant, the first symptoms often appear only around Christmas, she points out, when a light green discolouration becomes evident, along with leaf crinkling and the formation of small white spore droplets.

“Where the disease has already been an issue, and the focus is on the next rape crop in the rotation, ploughing is probably the best method for incorporating disease-harbouring material from the previous rape crop in order to prevent carryover. But, of course, fewer farms are using that as their favoured method of cultivation.

“Rotations also need to be broadened if the disease is to be managed, with at least a three-year gap between oilseed rape crops if possible. The move on many farms to alternate wheat and rape has helped light leaf spot’s spread and development.

“Without a full fungicide programme, even moderate resistance may not be enough to prevent yield losses, and a two-spray (autumn and spring stem-extension) fungicide strategy is essential even on partially resistant varieties to get the most from them,
” she suggests.

Craig Padley, head of oilseed breeding at LS Plant Breeding (LSPB), comments that the restored hybrid Palace, Recommended for the east/west region, carries a 7 rating for light leaf spot resistance – the highest of the fully recommended varieties on the 2011-12 Recommended List.

“The higher the pressure, the more help resistance provides, and a variety with a high rating for light leaf spot is essential if rape is to be grown in a known high pressure area,” he adds.

For further information, contact Craig Padley on 01223 236808 or cpadley@lspb.eu

“Clubroot reports appear to be coming from a wider area, and there has been an increase in the number of incidences reported since Christmas,” says ADAS Boxworth’s Peter Gladders. “In some areas there are cases on farms that have never before seen clubroot.

“In England, while the dry, alkaline soils of the east mean the area is relatively free of the problem, there is a strong trend in the West Midlands, where higher rainfall, the greater predominance of mixed farms, and generally acid soils combine to create an ideal environment.

“But it’s not restricted to the area by any means – the south-west, south Wales, North Yorkshire, Northumberland and the Midlands are all seeing higher incidences. The cold winter held the disease back a little, so we didn’t see wilting of foliage in the autumn, but the effects soon became apparent once conditions warmed up.

“When rape was first grown in the UK in the 1970s, a one in five rotation was usual, but one year in three or even one in two is now common, and this isn’t helping. The clubroot fungus spores can stay undetected in soils for many years and, once the issue has shown itself on-farm, a resistant variety such as Cracker is the only way of addressing the problem.”

An ongoing HGCA report is working on identifying the issues surrounding clubroot suppression, including liming and, to a lesser extent, the application of trace elements such as boron, reports Dr Gladders. But results have shown inherent varietal clubroot resistance can give double the yield response of any soil treatments, he says.

“Often the issue is with soil acidity, and soils of pH 6.3-6.4 are simply too acid for rape when clubroot is present. Lime treatments increase soil pH, but also work by increasing available calcium. Clubroot can occur on soils with high pH – pH 8 and above – on Lincs silt soils, where Perlka or Limex applications can still improve clubroot control. The latter’s smaller particles address the problem faster than coarser conventional lime.

“It’s important to weigh up the cost of treatment against the cost of crop loss: big galls on tap roots and purple plants can lead to total failures in the worst cases. Even where there are simply acid hotspots within a field, spot lime treatment is recommended, to prevent an issue arising in future.”

On farms where clubroot has appeared recently, fields should be tested ahead of sowing, and varieties selected upon the result, says Dr Gladders.

“In addition to club root resistance, Cracker offers good yield and oil content, as well as light leaf spot resistance,” he notes. “If yield losses of 5-10 per cent can be attributed to club root, then it is worth switching varieties.”

Andrew Gilchrist, of Scottish Agronomy, notes that a recent SAC survey showed half of soil samples testing positive for clubroot.  “We are seeing more and more incidences, and tighter rotations haven’t helped. Neither have the wetter autumns – one year in three or four – of recent seasons. We have a large number of fields that are heavily infested.

“Cracker looks to be the next step on from Mendel and, in that respect, it gives growers in clubroot-affected areas a means of keeping rape in their rotation. But it also performs well in other respects – it’s at the top end of the scale for yield, it produces high oil content samples, and has good light leaf spot resistance.

“While Aberdeenshire has the highest incidence of clubroot, the problem is becoming more widespread throughout Scotland. Most soils are nowhere near the pH 7.0 + that discourages clubroot development, and liming appears to have limited effect. Genetics plays a bigger part than any other factor in terms of control.

“With limited alternative winter break crops, and clubroot effects that can vary from negligible to devastating, causing yield penalties of perhaps 0.5t/ha in a mild infestation, a new variety that’s resistant to the disease will give arable farmers greater scope to
continue benefiting from the inclusion of rape in their rotations.”

Healthy vs Clubroot Infected

“Our spring bean Fury is the highest-yielding variety on the PGRO Recommended List of spring beans 2011 with good agronomic characters – including resistance to downy mildew.  This year there is only limited seed available but, with Fury yielding a very positive 5% above the current market leader, it looks set to take a strong position in the market in the future.

“As growers make the final decisions on their spring cropping, it is worthwhile adding in the agronomic benefits of a spring pulse crop to the basic figures on their spreadsheets.  For a start, pulse prices are being pulled up along with those of wheat and oilseed rape.  And, looking at crop inputs, an increasingly large part of the returns from growing pulses comes from the nitrogen provided to the following crop in the rotation, particularly given increased N input costs.

“All-in-all, this is a year when spring pulses have a firm place in the spring cropping and, along with the established varieties, the 5% yield benefit alone of Fury will give a further boost to the bottom line.”