@LGSeedsUK

Unduly adjusting oilseed rape drill date and seed rate to mitigatecabbagestemfleabeetlepressureshouldbedone withcaution,withbothabletosignificantlyreducefinalyield.

Since the withdrawal of neonicotinoid seed dressings, rapeseed producers have been solely reliant on pyrethroid insecticide applications to control the pest.

However, resistance to pyrethroids is making chemical control unreliable, so growers are manipulating drill date to avoid peak adult beetle migration and using higher seed rates to dilute feeding damage and ensure adequate plants survive into the winter.

Reduced potentialADAS crop physiologist Pete Berry isn’t critical of the tactics because, at present there are no obvious alternatives, but says growers must accept moving away from optimum seed rates may reduce crop potential and drilling too early could also be damaging.

“When you are sowing in the first half of August, you are more likely to get over-large canopies and a greater risk of lodging. Large canopies also don’t set as many seeds at flowering and yield potential will be a lot less,” Pete adds.

Similarly, using high seed rates to dilute flea beetle damage also runs the risk of over-thick canopies and stifles yield.

APRIL2018

VASILIS GEGAS

www.lgseeds.co.uk

FROM THE BREEDER

continued >

Three golden rules for optimum oilseed rape establishment1. Waitforadequatemoisture

Do not drill by calendar date. Assess field conditions and

ensure seed is planted into warm, moist seed-beds to

aid rapid early growth.

2.Correctseedrate

The latest varieties are selected for their deeper canopy profiles,

so avoid using high seed rates. Aim for a final plant

population of 25-35 plants/m2.

3.Chooseavigorousvariety

There are both hybrid and conventional varieties available that can provide the useful characteristic of early vigour, to help crops ‘up and away’ from flea beetle pressure.

At a glance...

GatePost

“The window for drilling is bigger than people perceive, with mid-September crops often yielding as much as earlier-sown crops. However, if you go beyond mid-September, you can usually expect yield to drop off,” he explains.

No silver bulletLimagrain’s senior oilseed rape breeder; Vasilis Gegas says, “in flea beetle hotspots, manipulating drill date or increasing seed rate won’t provide a ‘silver bullet’ for preventing crop failure.”

He has seen early-drilled crops on heavy land struggle to grow away quickly in dry conditions. This leaves small plants vulnerable to attack when adult beetles move into the crop in late August.

He has also seen early-September sown crops – when flea beetle pressure is expected to be high – ‘romp away’ from attack, as they went into a warm, moist seed-bed.

The window for

drilling is bigger than people perceive...

“

”

How to optimiseestablishment for top oilseed rape yields

Dr Gegas says growers should ignore calendar date and apply three golden rules for getting oilseed rape safely established and growing away from flea beetle damage.

1. Soil conditionsSoil conditions are critical, and having adequate moisture will allow the crop to ‘grow away’, providing the flea beetle attack isn’t extremely severe.

2. Optimum seed ratesUse the correct seed rate, as even drilling a high number of home-saved conventional seed, combined with high flea beetle pressure can still cause partial or complete crop failure in some seasons.

In addition, if that pressure doesn’t materialise, growers are then left with

@LGSeedsUKwww.lgseeds.co.uk 03

> continued

over-thick crops to manage.

“We are now breeding varieties that suit wider row establishment systems. They branch lower and need light to reach down through the canopy, resulting in the formation of a deeper layer of pods, and therefore higher yields”.

“Target plant populations should be closer to 25-30 plants/m2, for both hybrid and conventional types.

3. Choose a vigorous varietyAutumn vigour is an important characteristic for giving crops a fighting chance of ‘growing away’ from pest attack, with rapid early growth.

“A vigorous variety in a poor seed-bed won’t help, but if the variety is given the conditions it needs to grow well, it certainly can,” says Dr Gegas.

Speed of germination and emergence, plus early rooting

capacity, are all important for successful plant establishment,

and while strong genetic influence on those characteristics and varietal differences does exist, environmental conditions can play a significant role.

“Hybrids like Aquila or Architect tend to have good autumn vigour and put on biomass quickly without becoming too lush, when sown earlier”.

“Conventional variety Anastasia, is as vigorous as most hybrids and copes very well with late sowing, but will need canopy management if sown too early”.

“Nikita, on the other hand, responds well to early sowing with quick establishment, without getting too forward in the autumn.

We haven’t heard very much about Orange Wheat Blossom Midge (OWBM) in recent years. Is it a threat that has gone away?

The threat certainly hasn’t gone away. We feel that OWBM is a potential ticking time-bomb. The widespread use of resistant varieties in the past has perhaps reduced the threat but with less than half of the AHDB Recommended wheat varieties now having genetic resistance, some growers may be taking an unnecessary risk.

So as a breeder, do you still think Orange Wheat Blossom Midge (OWBM) resistance is an important trait for UK growers to have in their

wheat varieties?

Yes we do. Limagrain UK have 7 winter wheats on the AHDB Candidate List this year and all of them have OWBM resistance. In future, we aim to have the resistance in all of our varieties.

Why should growers choose OWBM resistant varieties?

It is a complete solution to the problem and comes at no cost to the grower. The alternative is to monitor and spray if necessary; this inevitably comes at a cost and may not be 100% effective. I think most proactive agronomists would recommend the use of resistant varieties, wherever possible.

On-farm thoughts from some of our farmer partners around the country

B&C Farming Ltd are contract farmers and producers of high quality seed potatoes, based in north east Norfolk, near Aylsham. Day to day operations are the responsibility of MD Tony Bambridge.

Our focus on driving yields and output continues. In order to really push the commercial crops as hard as possible, it’s all about attention to detail. Keeping disease at bay and optimising the nutrition of the crop will be crucial.

It’s been a bitterly disappointing year for potato prices, although thankfully we have been somewhat shielded from this by our contracts with McCain’s. The vibe from McCain’s is positive as they continue to perform well with some market growth, so we will certainly look to maintain our contracts for next year. We continue to focus on delivering the highest quality crop as the cost of failure is very high; anything that drops out of the quality spec requirements and into the free market brings very low returns.

We will be reducing our total acres this year, as there is no real incentive to produce over the contract tonnage.

We continue to invest in areas where we can see efficiencies being made. We have invested in a new potato belt planter for 3-row planting, which is much faster and is non-calibrated so also makes changing from different seed sizes much easier. We have also added a new disc cultivator to the machinery inventory, so that we can work in compost and stubble for the organic matter benefits.

The loss of plant protection products on Ecological Focus Areas (EFA’s) is a real concern. We usually drill kale and radish to provide winter feeding for birds. Not being able to use seed treatments on these crops will seriously affect establishment, and I can’t see them being viable. What a shame, as birds rely on these crops for protein in the winter months - but the green lobby seem to have overlooked this fact!

Tony Bambridge, Norfolk

Q&ABreeders Perspective

Ed Flatman Senior Wheat Breeder

Q

FROM THE

Q

QThe

loss of plant protection products on Ecological Focus Areas (EFA’s) is a real

concern.

“

”

Phillip Gorringe farms 370 hectares on a Duchy of Cornwall tenancy. Cropping is all grown for seed. He runs a herd of suckler cows and a racing kart business.

For fear of bringing up the dreaded word – these are the last crops we will be growing ‘pre-Brexit’. However, we are feeling pretty robust as we head into the unknown, as our wide rotation and focus on growing for premium markets affords us some protection – and we are optimistic for the next few years, as long as we continue to be careful with costs, weather and politicians aside of course!

We are growing less vining pea seed this year and increasing the forage rape on the more slightly challenging ground.

With the imminent return of my son to the farm this summer from Harper Adams, we are starting to look more closely at how precision technology can help us to be more efficient. We currently use GPS for spraying and fertiliser application on the cereals, and want to extend this to the grass where we don’t

have any tramlines to help us avoid overlaps. We haven’t gone as far as auto steer yet,

but all of our equipment is upgradable, should we decide to change.

The variability of our fields lends itself to yield mapping off the combine, but there’s a cost implication to

converting the combine and I still need to be convinced that the benefits justify

the cost.

In contrast, we have gone back to paper record keeping for all assured crops and manure management plans, due to our frustrations with Gatekeeper. That’s not to say we are not considering other digital options. We are currently looking into a cloud-based system from the US which is free and uses Google Earth rather than us having to map the whole of the farm, whilst still producing the necessary reports. Sounds almost a bit too good to be true!

Phillip Gorringe, Hereford

We are now breeding for varieties that suit wider row establishment systems. They branch lower and need light to reach down

through the canopy, resulting in the formation of a deeper layer of pods, therefore higher yields.

“

” Our nine-year rotation remains centred around grass and cereal seed production, with some peas and forage rape.“

”

This new project is called ‘Yellowhammer’, and will start this summer.

www.lgseeds.co.uk

The major diseases affecting wheat are becoming ever more dynamic so plant breeders are adopting smarter tactics to minimise their impact on yield.

Disease control is challenging for UK wheat producers, as efficacy of fungicides is eroded by reduced sensitivity in populations of the most damaging pathogen; Zymoseptoria tritici.

In theory, it is possible to stack many resistance genes into an elite variety, but this will severely restrict the genetic diversity of breeding populations for other important agronomic traits.

It can also come at a cost, as highly resistant plants typically have reduced yield.

“It is about finding a balance, as yield stability is still the most important characteristic for the grower.”

Fighting septoriaA clearer understanding of the genetics behind septoria resistance, twinned with smarter breeding techniques, is bearing fruit in the form of highly resistant wheats coming onto the AHDB Recommended List.

For example Limagrain UK’s Group 4 variety LG Sundance has the highest current rating for septoria tritici of 7.4, and Mr Fenwick is excited by what is now achievable against wheats most damaging disease.

Yellow rust – a disease that can slash yields by half in susceptible varieties – is now more widespread and its population more virulent.

The new Warrior-type races can undergo sexual recombination, so that the disease can evolve more rapidly and can quickly overcome a plant’s inherent resistance.

Similar changes in virulence are occurring in Septoria, brown rust and mildew, albeit at a slower rate. Limagrain UK’s cereal pathologist; Paul Fenwick, says single gene resistance is no longer enough in the face of such adaptable enemies.

“With yellow rust, it is a particular challenge. We aren’t on the verge of defeat, but we are steadily losing resistance genes one by one.

“As the pathogens are becoming more complex, we need to stack several different genes in order to get robust and durable

resistance to these diseases.”

Molecular markersThe first hurdle in rising to this

challenge is working out what genetics the breeders have

at their disposal within current elite lines or less conventional sources such as landraces, although the latter are much harder to breed with.

Limagrain UK has a vast set of molecular

markers developed in-house. These are tools

that help identify genes underlying desirable traits,

such as; septoria or yellow rust resistance, and enable the

‘pyramiding’ of resistance genes into a new variety.

PAUL FENWICK

How smarter plant breeding is keeping one step ahead of wheat diseases

Preparing for emerging disease threatsWhile septoria and yellow rust resistance are the current focus of wheat breeding efforts, emerging threats like stem rust are posing unexpected new challenges.

Stem rust favours hotter climates and has been absent from the UK since the early twentieth century, except for an isolated case in Suffolk during 2013 – the first recorded in 60 years.

However, Limagrain UK’s Paul Fenwick says recently there have been several cases in Germany, Sweden and Denmark – which is a cause for concern.

80% of UK wheat varieties recently tested at NIAB were susceptible to the strain of stem rust implicated in these outbreaks, and UK breeders will need to search for sources of resistance to the disease, should it become more common place.

“A slight change to warmer night time temperatures would favour stem rust. It is also a highly sexual population and could spread quickly,” says Mr Fenwick.

“We must keep one eye on the future and be able to react to any unexpected occurences.”

Yellowhammer Yellow Rust Project

With yellow rust, achieving more robust resistance is more difficult. It takes time to bring new sources of resistance into elite varieties, and regular population changes means the resistance won’t necessarily be effective when commercial seed is finally available.

Many varieties on the AHDB Recommended List have good resistance to the current population, but more needs to be done to ensure that new wheats coming through have potentially durable resistance and

so are less prone to break down to population changes.

A NIAB-led consortium of plant breeders, including Limagrain UK, have applied to BBSRC and AHDB for funding to characterise yellow rust resistance in elite European wheat lines, enabling breeders to better utilise the genetics in the future.

Project Title

RESEARCH

“We used to breed for septoria resistance using conventional field

screens, but we can now create it by design.”

“We also know that stacking septoria resistance has an additive effect, and the varieties coming though that have novel combinations of resistance genes will hopefully be more durable.”

“Varieties with a rating of 8 – which are close to being a commercial reality – will be very

attractive to UK growers, especially to those in the west and south west where the disease is

particularly problematic.”

Even with genetic markers, the skill or art of the breeder is still required when it comes to choosing the optimal phenotypes,“

”explains Mr Fenwick.

@LGSeedsUK

We used to breed for septoria resistance by using conventional field screens, but we can now

create it by design. “

”

...varieties coming through that have novel combinations of

resistance genes will hopefully be more

durable.

“

”

05

So, what are the benefits?

www.lgseeds.co.uk

Flying Flocks - The benefits of sheep in an arable rotation

Conventional

Improvement to the soil: manure from the grazing animals is slowly released and can be utilised by the arable crops following in the rotation. Sheep generally defecate more evenly and are less damaging to the soil than cattle and should therefore be the animal of choice. The soil will benefit from increased organic matter.

Better black-grass and weed control: sowing grass leys or fast-growing brassica crops can help combat black-grass. The crops can be grazed off which can help with the switch to a spring sown arable crop.

Environmental: mixed species on the farm helps crop diversity and for many, may help unlock environmental scheme payments for grazed crops and fencing.

Partnership and income with sheep farmers: partnering with other farmers and encouraging young-farmers to have a stake in a new enterprise, can be rewarding to both parties.

If all of this sounds attractive, then the next step is to think about cropping.

Grass leys: these can be sown in spring or autumn and can be grazed for a period of 1-3 years. They are great for black-grass infested fields! Leys like our Sinclair McGill Lambtastic mixture, which includes beneficial herbs such as Chicory and Plantains, as well as White Clovers, will finish lambs and help with the soil structure.

Stubble turnip Samson: easy to grow; crops are usually sown after barley in July

and early August. They are fast growing, with some crops being ready to feed in 12-14 weeks.

Forage rape Rampart: another fast-growing brassica crop that can be sown in June to August. It is more winter hardy than stubble turnip, so crops can be left for later use.

Kale Pinfold: great for providing huge feed yields that can be grazed into February, but crops need to be sown earlier, in May to June.

‘Flying Flocks’ - takes some saying doesn’t it! It refers to a flock of sheep that don’t breed their own replacements, and which are usually brought in to finish on arable land and crops. Introducing sheep into arable rotations holds many benefits and this system is already steadily increasing in many eastern arable areas.

Crop summary

Hybrid

It is true that the first hybrids introduced in the UK some decades ago, were ill-adapted to UK conditions, as they tended to be very tall, prone to lodging and late to mature. These characteristics, in combination with the lack of agronomic knowledge on how to manage on-farm the then new crop species, led growers to favour conventional OSR varieties over hybrids.

Modern hybrids, however, could not be more different from their old counterparts. Huge breeding effort has gone into improving the agronomic characteristics of the parental components of hybrids, resulting in significant genetic gains in terms of yield and oil content. At the same time, selecting for earlier and stiffer varieties with improved disease resistance has given rise to hybrids much better suited to the UK conditions. Indeed, the majority of hybrids on the AHDB Recommended List are at least as stiff stemmed as any conventional, and there are examples of conventional varieties being noticeably later to mature than hybrids.

Supporters of hybrids have traditionally emphasised early vigour as one of the main advantages over conventional varieties. Although this argument holds largely true, despite some noticeable examples of vigorous conventionals, the superiority of hybrids is now based primarily on the risk management that they offer to growers, thanks to the genetic traits they possess.

Indeed, the use of traits that protect against diseases (e.g. clubroot, TuYV and stem canker), environmental risks (e.g. pod shatter), and even herbicides (e.g. Clearfield), has only become possible through hybrids. Moreover, stacking multiple traits in one variety, as in the cases of; Aquila, Architect and Conrad CL, has now become a routine, enhancing even further the value that growers get from every bag of seed.

So, as you come to choose your variety this year, consider that although conventionals may represent a low-cost option when establishing a crop, hybrids can offer better value and help safeguard your yield potential throughout the year. What will your choice be this year?

Why choose conventional varieties?

When hybrids were first introduced, they were perceived to be higher yielding and much more vigorous than the traditional open pollinated varieties, but I’m not sure whether that still holds true today. The old hybrids were also very tall and late; not at all what growers wanted. Newer hybrids are much shorter and earlier, but may have lost some of their old yield advantage over the best modern conventionals.

A quick look at the AHDB Recommended List shows that conventional varieties, such as; Nikita and Anastasia, have gross outputs that still compare well to the best hybrids, while the Candidate variety; Aspire, could well get Recommended next year, with the top gross output.

Good autumn vigour is always a strongly favoured characteristic, but it is no longer restricted to the hybrids. Indeed, Anastasia is as quick as many hybrid varieties, making it especially suited to the north. Good vigour is also a trait that contributes greatly to its consistency and reliability in the more challenging areas of the country. The reality is that not all hybrids are quick in the autumn, and not all conventionals are slow. It’s a case of choosing the right variety for each situation.

Finally, we cannot ignore the fact that conventional seed is cheaper than hybrid seed, and also gives the option of farm saving seed in the second year. It is understandable that when establishment can be compromised by poor seed beds, lack of moisture and Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle, many growers will go for this lower cost, lower risk option.

In summary, a conventional can be a lower risk option that does not necessarily mean sacrificing either autumn vigour or yield. Last autumn, growers representing over 50% of the UK’s OSR area grown, thought that conventional was the way to go! Which way will you go in 2018?

conventional can be a

lower risk option

“

”

...hybrids can offer better value and help

safeguard your yield potential

“

”

Why choose hybrid OSR varieties?

VS

WHAT TO DO NEXT If you need any help regarding your cropping plans, you can visit lgseeds.co.uk where you can find bags of information about sowing, growing and using your crops to their full potential.

CROP TONNES FRESH YIELD PER HA GROWING COSTS PER HA

Stubble Turnip 38-45 £305

Forage Rape 24-35 £408

Kale 60-65 £496

@LGSeedsUK

LES DAUBNEY VASILIS GEGAS

The Great Oil Seed Rape Debate!

07

MARTIN TITLEY

@LGSeedsUK

www.lgseeds.co.ukWe’d love to hear from you, get in touch:

E: enquiries@limagrain.co.uk

01472 371471 Limagrain UK, Rothwell, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, LN7 6DT

JUST FOR FUN!

Can you find the Limagrain OSR variety names and the name of our OSR breeder?

AspireArchitect

ArrowAquilaNikita

AnastasiaConrad CL

ArchimedesAnnalise

ArticAmalieArtoga

You’ll have the chance to explore exciting varieties of cereals, pulses and oilseeds as well as a wide array of environmental mixture

plots. In addition, our ‘genetic solutions zone’ illustrates the range of traits and characteristics plant breeders now have,

and what benefits these bring to the grower. LG experts will be on hand to provide advice on how to get the best from such a diverse range of crops, and to

answer any questions you may have.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Come and visit LG at the all-new Cereals Event for your opportunity to win 20ha of LG Skyscraper seed – the highest yielding winter wheat Candidate on the AHDB Recommended List 2018/19. Be one of the first to grow this thrilling new variety!

F B X Z Z Q M O U C R A

L L C D A R N O C Z T T

S E D E M I H C R A T I

A D A R N O C E T A C K

V I R J W H S O A Q E I

A R S O Y I X S W U T N

R G R A L A P J R I I Q

C R O A T I M D P L H M

A E N T R S J A Y A C Q

H N P E R O A A L Q R G

A R T I C A V N U I A X

V A S I L I S A A W E K

OSR breeder name:

STAND 504