Cabbage stem flea beetle has been a big factor behind the decline in oilseed rape area over recent years, but one Lincolnshire grower is using varietal resilience to return to the crop after a three-year break.

David Bristow, Lincolnshire

David Bristow of the 650 ha Stourton Estate on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, stopped growing oilseed rape in 2022/23, after several seasons spent battling flea beetle, but decided to give it another go after hearing about the CSFB resilience characteristics of LG Avenger (see panel).

“When our seed supplier United Oilseeds told us about the resilience characteristics, it was one of the main reasons we were prepared to give oilseed rape another go,” says Mr Bristow. “But, it’s not the only reason. LG Avenger really has got the whole package; it’s a well balanced, good variety, that we’ve had no issues with growing so far.”

Rapid establishment

This season, Mr Bristow has 52 ha of LG Avenger in the ground, sown after winter barley in the last week of August. Stubbles were cultivated with a low disturbance subsoiler before drilling with the farm’s Horsch Avatar at 2.6 kg/ha, alongside a companion crop of buckwheat (5 kg/ha) and a surface dressing of 150 kg/ha of DAP fertiliser.

“We did have to wait until there was some moisture before drilling, but once it went in, the LG Avenger was up and away really quickly. The drill worked really well, with very even seed depth, which resulted in excellent establishment.

“The crop grew past the cotyledon stage so rapidly, I don’t think we saw any of the classic shot-holing last autumn, although pressure was generally fairly low.”

Larval assessments in 10 stem samples collected this spring support this, with just one larvae per stem found. “They were all very small, so I suspect they were laid fairly late in the season,” he notes.

The lack of CSFB damage comes despite no insecticides being used on the farm for the past six years, with a large area now signed up to the SFI no insecticide option (CIPM4).

Marginal gains

Mr Bristow is well aware that CSFB remains a threat to oilseed rape, so is keen to do all he can to mitigate the risks when coming back into the crop. Below are some of the steps he has taken:

• Selecting a CSFB resilient variety, LG Avenger
• Waiting for adequate moisture before drilling to aid rapid establishment
• Sowing with a companion crop to ‘mine’ soil phosphate and help disguise the OSR
• Applying DAP fertiliser at drilling to boost establishment
• Leaving taller stubble in the preceding barley crop to lessen the brown soil colour that CSFB are more attracted to
• Focus on achieving uniform seed depth and even emergence
• Applying an early spring multi-nutrient (polysulphate) fertiliser and nitrogen in mid-February to boost spring growth
• Two spring fungicides applied at mid-stem extension and mid-flowering, plus micronutrients at the earlier timing
• Close monitoring of pest and disease levels in-season, and potential CSFB migration risks to next year’s crop

“Individually, they’re all quite small things, but together they do all add up to make a bigger difference,” says Mr Bristow.

Added insurance

LG Avenger’s strong disease scores and pod shatter resistance provide another layer of insurance for protecting yield potential, Mr Bristow says.

“This season we’ve only applied two fungicides in the spring, and nothing last autumn, as the combination of LG Avenger’s phoma resistance and our careful disease monitoring was enough. Crops just never reached the threshold for treatment.”

The crop’s first spring fungicide was based on 200g/ha of tebuconazole, which Mr Bristow says helps to encourage compensatory growth lower down the plant. “It’s not about managing crop height, it’s to encourage crops to branch out more.”

LG Avenger’s pod shatter resistance is another trait Mr Bristow values, especially as the tractor and trailed sprayer used for pre-harvest desiccation lack the ground clearance of self-propelled machines. “Given the pod shatter resistance, we probably won’t use a pod sticker this season.”

Mr Bristow concludes; “The crop’s looked really strong throughout this season so far, with lots of pods forming during flowering, so if it carries all of those through to harvest, I hope it will do very well. We’d like to get at least 4-4.5 t/ha, maybe more ideally.

“I’m confident that we’ll be growing LG Avenger again next season, with a slightly larger area of 59 ha planned.”

LG Avenger

• High yielding hybrid with CSFB resilience characteristics
• High oil content (46.5%)
• Pod shatter resistance
• Turnip Yellows Virus resistance
• Strong disease package, including a light leaf spot rating of 7 and sclerotinia tolerance

CSFB Resilience explained

Florentina Petrescu, Oilseed Rape Product Manager

LG CSFB Resilience is “a novel genetic approach that tackles CSFB at key crop stages, as part of an effective integrated pest management strategy on farm”, explains Florentina Petrescu, Limagrain UK OSR Product Manager.

Resilient varieties feature a series of characteristics that make them better adapted to escaping damage during two crucial periods in the autumn and spring, so it is not just about a single genetic trait, she says. These characteristics include:

1. Strong autumn dynamic growth to help developing crops escape the early “shot holing” damage caused by adult flea beetles feeding on cotyledons and first leaves, which can result in significant leaf loss and complete crop failure in extreme cases
2. Rapid stem elongation in the spring to improve the plant’s resilience to damage caused by larvae mining into petioles and stems
3. A capacity in some varieties (e.g. LG Avenger) to limit the number of larvae that develop within the stems – the exact reasons for this are still being identified
4. Reduced CSFB larvae damage severity – e.g. stunted, bushy plants.

New evidence highlights how rumen performance, not just yield, is the key metric for dairy maize selection.

As dairy producers face mounting pressure to reduce input costs and improve environmental performance, it is key to reassess how maize silage is evaluated — shifting the focus from field output to rumen efficiency, with fibre digestibility emerging as the critical performance driver.

The message comes from Benoît Delord, animal nutrition product manager at Limagrain Field Seeds France, who argues that traditional measures of maize value — tonnes per hectare, starch percentage, or dry matter yield — are no longer sufficient benchmarks for a sector under pressure to do more with less.

“The first effect of fibre digestibility is on dry matter intake,” says Benoît. “The second is that you improve the energy content of each kilogramme of silage. So you have a double effect.”

A Dual Mechanism for Performance Gains

At the heart of the case for fibre digestibility is its impact on two interconnected processes in the rumen. Improved neutral detergent fibre digestibility (NDFD) reduces rumen fill constraints, enabling cows to consume greater quantities of forage dry matter. Simultaneously, it increases the extent of fibre degradation, driving higher production of volatile fatty acids — particularly acetate and propionate — which are the primary energy source for the dairy cow.

Research indicates that a 1% improvement in NDFD is associated with an increase in dry matter intake of approximately 0.15–0.25 kg per cow per day, alongside measurable gains in milk yield. Across high-yielding herds, these incremental improvements compound rapidly.

Where NDFD values move from 55% to 65%, the energy contribution from the fibre fraction can be equivalent to several kilogrammes of additional concentrate on an energy basis — a significant commercial consideration given current input costs.

Reducing Reliance on Purchased Feed

One of the most immediate practical implications of improved maize quality is its effect on concentrate use. Higher-quality forage allows producers to increase the forage proportion of the ration and reduce purchased concentrate inclusion — a shift that directly improves the economics of milk production.

“In reality, you don’t reduce feed — you change the balance,” says Benoît. “You increase the forage part and decrease the concentrate part.”

In practice, improvements in forage quality can reduce concentrate requirements by 1–3 kg per cow per day, depending on system intensity and baseline forage performance. In grass silage-based systems — where starch levels are typically below 5% — the substitution of high-quality maize silage containing 30–35% starch alongside digestible fibre can substantially reduce the need for bought-in energy. The result is both a reduction in feed costs and greater control over ration consistency.

Improving Feed Conversion and Reducing Methane

The efficiency gains extend beyond intake and energy supply. Improved fibre digestibility has a direct effect on the conversion of consumed nutrients into milk, reducing losses through methane production — which typically accounts for 6–10% of gross energy intake in ruminants.

Benoît Delord, Animal Nutrition Product Manager at Limagrain Field Seeds France

“Methane is a loss for the animal,” explains Benoît. “It’s carbon that is not used, but when you improve digestibility, you reduce this loss.”

From a biochemical perspective, improved fibre degradation shifts rumen fermentation towards propionate production at the expense of methane. European research indicates that improvements in forage digestibility can reduce methane intensity — measured as grams of methane per litre of milk — by up to 5–10%, depending on ration structure and baseline efficiency. Combined with higher milk output, the per-litre emissions benefit is amplified further.

Rumen Stability at Higher Inclusion Rates

As maize inclusion in dairy rations increases — often reaching 40–50% of forage dry matter in high-performing herds — the risk of sub-acute ruminal acidosis rises, particularly where total dietary starch exceeds 25–28% of dry matter. Improving the digestibility of the fibre fraction allows maize to contribute more to total energy supply without further increasing starch load, supporting rumen pH stability and cud chewing activity.

“It’s about producing more milk per cow, but under safe conditions,” says Benoît. “You need rumen comfort.”

The LGAN Response

These shifting priorities are reflected in Limagrain’s LGAN classification — a selection framework for maize hybrids evaluated specifically on feeding value, with fibre digestibility and overall energy availability as core criteria. LGAN varieties are assessed across eight parameters using a robust dataset combining official BSPB/NIAB trial data with five years of Limagrain data from 12 sites across the UK.

Across multiple European datasets, LGAN varieties have delivered improvements of 0.4–3 kg of milk per cow per day compared with standard comparators, frequently alongside reductions in concentrate use.

“First, you produce more biomass in the field. Then you improve the efficiency of converting that into milk,” says Benoît. “Fibre digestibility is key for that.”

Limagrain advises that variety selection should consider feed quality characteristics — particularly NDFD — alongside agronomic performance, and that ration formulation should reflect the full energy contribution of silage where forage quality allows.

The launch of two new winter wheat varieties from Limagrain Field Seeds gives growers more options to achieve consistently high yields amidst an increasingly unpredictable climatic and economic situation.

LG Defiance and LG Challenger are both Group 4 hard wheats that have shown consistently high yield potential across different regions, seasons, soil types, and rotational positions, alongside good agronomic characteristics to reliably deliver strong returns.

“LG Defiance has the highest untreated yield on the 2026/27 AHDB Recommended List (95%), which is very rare for a hard feed wheat,” says Limagrain’s Arable Technical Manager, Ron Granger. “LG Challenger is third-best untreated yield on the list, illustrating the strength of genetics underpinning both varieties. Both contain good pedigrees, but the key is what we as breeders can get out of that parent material to deliver on-farm.”

Ron Granger, Arable Technical Manager, Limagrain UK

Both varieties are close to the best in terms of UK treated yield, at 109 for LG Defiance and 107 for LG Challenger.

Crucially, LG Defiance pairs this with solid disease scores for yellow rust (rated 8) and a 6 rating for Septoria, while LG Challenger is rated 7 and 6 respectively.

“With the changes to Yr15 resistance we’ve seen, selecting a variety with better yellow rust resistance, supported by an appropriate fungicide programme, is becoming an increasing priority,” notes Mr Granger. “Although everyone is talking about yellow rust, we can’t forget that Septoria is still the biggest yield-robber on most farms.”

Risk management

Frontier’s National Technical Manager, Seeds, Dr Kirsty Richards, says that with rising costs, unpredictable weather patterns, and evolving disease pressures, selecting good genetics to reduce risk and build resilience across the rotation is crucial.

“Yield is a big attraction of LG Defiance and LG Challenger, but it cannot be at any cost. Remember that 80% of crop potential is harnessed by putting the right variety in the right place, at the right time, for your situation.”

For LG Defiance, she believes its agronomic characteristics make it a particularly good choice for later drilling or second wheat situations, while LG Challenger’s growth habit and straw strength better suits earlier sowing. Mr Granger agrees, but adds that both varieties have shown excellent yield potential when sown during the main October drilling window.

“LG Defiance is a taller variety that will require a good split PGR programme. Limagrain trials support the fact that it responds well to PGRs and the reduced height has no impact on final yield potential, similar to varieties such as LG Skyscraper and LG Redwald.”

A further characteristic that builds resilience and helps meet market requirements under tough conditions is the excellent grain quality of both varieties, particularly their high specific weights at 77 kg/hl and 78.6 kg/hl respectively, notes Dr Richards.

Best crop on the farm

Staffordshire farmer Rob Atkin is growing a small area of LG Defiance this season to test whether the variety suits his farm, and so far he says it is the “cleanest and best looking crop on the farm”.

So far, LG Defiance is the cleanest and best-looking crop on the farm,” says Staffordshire farmer Rob Atkin

“In the past, we grew a lot of KWS Extase and Gleam, so when we saw these were in the parentage of LG Defiance, we thought it made sense to give it a try. We like to trial new varieties every year to see what works. So far, LG Defiance looks really good, but the real proof will come at harvest.”

Yield is a big consideration when choosing varieties, but Mr Atkin says robustness to diseases like Septoria and yellow rust is perhaps more important. “I want a variety that’s robust enough to stay clean and potentially give us the opportunity to reduce input costs while still maximising yield.”

Mr Atkin will be hosting an open day on 22 June, allowing growers to see first-hand the range of varieties he is growing this season. Learn more about the Staffordshire Demo Day.

High yields make financial and environmental sense

While recent rises in fuel and fertiliser prices may prompt some growers to consider cutting inputs, ADAS Senior Crop Research Scientist Christina Baxter insists productivity should remain the focus — yield is still ‘king’.

Analysis of results from more than 1,200 Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) wheat crops between 2013 and 2022 shows a “very convincing” relationship between gross margin and yield, dispelling any suggestion that high yields cost more to produce.

“On a per tonne basis, variable costs decline as yield increases, as does the carbon footprint. There’s often a criticism that high-yielding crops cost too much, are too risky, and are bad for the environment. But YEN data proves that’s not the case.”

There are many building blocks to a high-yielding crop, not least the weather and husbandry, but a key starting point is understanding the potential of individual fields and selecting a variety with the genetic profile that can deliver most in that situation.

The general approach to high yields has been to grow a crop that stays green for as long as possible. To support canopy longevity, you need to keep leaves clean so the crop gets maximum benefit from that leaf area and captures the most sunlight — in addition to ensuring sufficient rooting depth for late-season water uptake.

“Attention to detail, effective management, and good varieties all support strong productivity.”

Learn more about LG Defiance, LG Challenger, and the full range of Limagrain Field Seeds varieties at lgseeds.co.uk

Download your essential guide to oilseeds, winter wheat and winter barley – this year’s guide is jam packed with brand new market-leading varieties, plus a wealth of technical articles from our team!

This brochure covers the key agronomic attributes of individual varieties for securing yield potential. The data is taken from the AHDB RL with additional Limagrain data sets, offering you added insight when it comes to selecting the best variety for your farming system.

This latest guide includes articles from our technical team – Ron Granger and Liam Wilkinson on variety suitability on farm, and also a handy ‘6 tips for barley grain and straw yield’, something which could be really important this year.

We’ve also included articles from the OSR team – Product Manager Florentina Petrescu writes about how OSR has made a fantastic comeback this year, and highlights some stand-out varieties from the LG breeding programme.

As always, if there is anything else you would like to know, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

There is now more positivity than ever for oilseed rape as a crop around the UK, as 2025 was a much stronger year for it.

Harvest results indicate average yields have increased to 3.76 t/ha for 2025 harvest – a significant increase on the 2.8 t/ha recorded in 2024.

Florentina Petrescu, Oilseed Rape Product Manager

The recovery comes along with new confidence in the crop and improved establishment across much of the country, with 2026 crops looking very promising.

Market conditions have also provided a welcome boost. Commodity prices were on average £20-£40/tonne ahead of last year, and are holding strong currently, helping farmers restore margins and strengthen the crop’s position in rotations.

Area figures confirm this trend, with an average of 14% increase on last year’s grown area.

Seed market dynamics also underline the crop’s renewed strength. Despite heavy competition, LG varieties have maintained good market share, keeping LG firmly in the number 1 position for this crop group. This has been boosted by the introduction of LG Adapt – the highest yielding variety with pod shatter resistance, and the only cabbage stem flea beetle resilient variety in the market – LG Avenger.

2025 harvest has also made a first for LG oilseed rape varieties, as Lincolnshire farmer, Tim Lamyman, has broken the world record for oilseed rape with LG Avenger, achieving a massive 7.52 t/ha crop.

LG Adapt is making headlines of its own, with it leading the field for oil content in the UK in 2025, having the highest oil yield out of over 35 varieties tested – giving farmers an advantage for higher oil bonuses.

Varieties like LG Armada, LG Academic and LG Adeline, are holding strong, with good performance on the AHDB 26/27 RL, showing consistency of the varieties across regions and seasons. This year’s list also marks the introduction of LG Calvin CL – the highest yielding Clearfield® variety on the RL.

Overall, the data suggests that oilseed rape is regaining ground. With improved genetics, stronger industry collaboration and a more favourable market, the crop is once again demonstrating its value as a resilient and profitable break crop for UK farmers.

Florentina Petrescu

Oilseed Rape Product Manager, Limagrain UK

 Book onto our Demo Days!

Suffolk Summer Demo Day – Thursday 4th June 2026

Staffordshire Summer Demo Day – Monday 22nd June 2026

Limagrain Field Seeds is taking variety trials beyond the plot with the launch of a new UK farmer-led Demonstration Farm network.

The initiative is designed to give growers a clearer, more practical view of how varieties perform in real farming systems, moving away from purely small-plot data and into field-scale reality. Instead of relying solely on trial sites and headline figures, the network will showcase Limagrain genetics under the pressures that shape day-to-day farm decisions, including soil type, rotation, cultivation and input strategy.

Nicolle Hamilton, marketing director at Limagrain, says the aim is to give growers a different perspective. “We want to offer growers a more meaningful way of looking at our varieties, through a farmer lens,” she says. “That means taking them out of controlled conditions and putting them into real farming systems, managed by farmers making commercial decisions every day. While she stresses that formal trials and the AHDB Recommended List remain important benchmarks, she says they do not always reflect the realities of commercial farming.

“This is not about replacing trials, it’s about adding another layer,” she says. “Farmers want to know how varieties establish, how they cope with different soils and how they perform under lower inputs or after cover crops. That is where this approach adds value.”

“It’s about working with farmers, listening to them and learning from them.”

Heather Oldfield, Limagrain cereals product manager, says the strength of the network lies in its farmer-led approach. “This is about genuine collaboration,” she says. She adds the focus is not on identifying a single standout variety, but on understanding where different genetics fit. “There is no perfect variety,” she says.

“Success comes from putting the right variety in the right place. What works on one farm may not work on another. These Demo Farms help us show those differences in a way that is much more relevant to growers.”

The Farmers

The first two farms in the network are based in Suffolk and Staffordshire, offering two contrasting systems. Ryan McCormack hosts the East Anglian site at Dennington Hall Farms, while Rob Atkin farms over in Staffordshire. Together, they provide a broad snapshot of how varieties perform across different soils, climates and management approaches.

Ryan McCormack is testing Limagrain varieties in systems that include reduced tillage, cover crops, and livestock to understand what works best under these conditions

At Dennington Hall Farms, Ryan McCormack is running a highly integrated system combining arable, livestock and environmental management. The farm operates a 12-year rotation and places strong emphasis on soil health, with cover cropping, minimal cultivation and livestock grazing all playing a role. “I’m farming for margin, but also for my soils,” he says. “That means I need varieties that can cope with reduced tillage, cover crops and lower inputs. The only way to understand that is to test them in those conditions.” His trials include comparing multiple varieties under different establishment systems within the same field, giving a clear view of how genetics respond to management.

In contrast, Rob Atkin’s Staffordshire farm operates across a wide range of soil types, from heavy clay to high-organic-matter silt. The mixed farm includes combinable crops alongside beef and sheep, with a growing focus on soil health and cost control. “I still need yield to pay the bills,” he says. “But I want varieties that work on farm, not just in perfect plots. I want to know how they perform under pressure.” For Mr Atkin, the value of the network lies in its honesty. “It’s about seeing what works, what doesn’t and why, that’s far more useful than just looking at figures.”

Rob Atkin believes that seeing varieties in real situations helps him make better decisions

To help growers follow crops through the season, Limagrain Field Seeds is supporting the Demo Farm initiative with on‑farm demonstration days. These demonstration days offer the opportunity to see varieties in the field, discuss results with farmers and Limagrain experts, and gain practical insight into real‑world performance.

With many winter wheat crops carrying excellent yield potential into this spring, extra care is needed to manage the large biomass and retain strong tillers through to harvest.

That is the view of Limagrain Field Seeds UK arable technical manager, Ron Granger, who says close monitoring of crop growth stages and well-timed plant growth regulator applications are key to success, alongside careful nitrogen management and disease control.

“Because many farms drilled several weeks earlier last autumn, with a relatively kind establishment period and winter, this season is looking very different to previous years, with huge biomass and yield potential in a lot of crops.”

Taller, high biomass crops can inevitably be at greater risk of lodging though, so growers need to adapt how they manage them, focusing on manipulating growth to strengthen stems, retain high tiller number, and drive maximum yield, he says.

“Farmers need to get their PGR strategy right, otherwise it could be very easy to get caught out by the situation we’re facing this season.”

Timing is everything

The aim of a good PGR programme is to shorten the distance between internodes; keeping the first node tight to the basal node and then keeping the second node close to the first, which increases straw stiffness, Mr Granger says.

To achieve this, it generally requires a split PGR programme consisting of two carefully timed PGR applications; one just before the start of stem extension, usually around growth stage 29-30, when plants start to sit upright; followed by a second at the first node detectable stage, just prior to the second node moving (GS 31-32).

“In all the years I’ve been doing PGR trials, across thousands of variety plots, a split treatment has always been the approach that’s kept crops standing. On-farm, you can be more targeted to just a single variety, so growers can sometimes get away with a well-timed single application, but I still question whether many are getting the timing right.”

The best way to ensure accurate timing, is by looking at the primordia ear development, however he recognises that time is of value, so suggests using careful plant dissection to determine when individual nodes are moving, both off the base of the plant, and between differing nodes of interest. “Crops have been drilled earlier, and will move quickly, especially once nitrogen is applied, so be vigilant and proactive, don’t rely on calendar dates.”

Should conditions remain wet, growers may have no option but to apply a full rate single PGR programme, which Mr Granger says should be targeted around the first node detectable stage (GS 31).

If conditions turn very dry in late March into April, care needs to be taken with later PGR applications, as experience shows PGR products should not be applied to stressed crops, he adds. “We have seen from previous seasons of drought, that when plants are compromised in a drought situation, you can reduce yield by applying a PGR to the crop.

“It’s best to apply PGRs early, whilst crops are nice and healthy, there’s plenty of water available, and they’re growing strongly.”

Options to consider

Mr Granger says that there is a good range of products to choose from, and most PGRs are very cost-effective, especially once weighed against the potential risks to yield and quality from lodging.

His favoured options are based on chlormequat to restrict the internodal distance, plus trinexapac-ethyl to thicken stem walls. “This is my go-to PGR programme, whether used as a split or single application. If earlier treatment windows are missed, then mepiquat + prohexadione-calcium is another product to consider, as I feel it is a kinder product, which can be applied at later growth stages, allowing you greater flexibility.”

In high lodging risk situations, such as very high-yielding crops on fertile soil in coastal areas, the addition of ethephon + mepiquat at GS 37-39, could also be considered to shorten and stiffen the upper internodes, he adds. “But for me, this would be a last resort if a well-timed split PGR programme has not been implemented initially.”

Protecting grain and straw yield

Straw presently is of value, so whilst some growers planning to bale straw may worry that using PGRs will reduce straw height and therefore yield, Mr Granger dismisses this.

“The reality is that you can maintain both grain and straw yield by using PGRs. They help to retain tiller number, which in turn delivers higher yield and gives more straw, and ensures that those tillers keep standing, allowing you to harvest the crop in good condition. Lodged, dirty, or mouldy straw is of no value to anybody.”

Equally, Limagrain trials at Rothwell, Lincolnshire in 2024 (the last wet season), showed no detrimental effect on grain yield, from using PGRs under two different nitrogen regimes (see chart 1). The work compared an untreated (no PGR), a split PGR of chlormequat + trinexapac-ethyl, and a single PGR (chlormequat + trinexapac-ethyl) approach in a crop of LG Beowulf (see chart 2), at a standard nitrogen rate of 180 kg N/ha, and a higher rate of 225 kg N/ha, which was implemented to increase lodging pressure in the trials.

Chart 2

Chart 1

“There was no significant difference regarding the effect of PGRs on yield in either nitrogen regime, but there were differences in crop height, which is all positive in terms of the management of those crops, especially if growers are looking to use higher nitrogen rates to drive yield.

“As long as you get the PGR on correctly, you can then apply nitrogen rates applicable for high yield potential for your individual farm situation. The last thing you want is a flat crop at harvest. At present, crops are coming into spring with higher-than-normal biomass, so growers have an opportunity, with good agronomic input, to drive for high yield potential.”

Welcome to your LG Conservation & Gamecover Crops Brochure

Download the new guide now!

In this catalogue, you’ll find a comprehensive range of mixtures designed for soil health and nutrient management, such as herbal leys and legume fallows, crops for integrated pest management,
such as flower rich margins and companion crops, crops for farmland wildlife, such as winter bird food mixtures, and crops for field margins and buffer strips.

We hope you find this brochure a valuable resource, as you identify the options and crops that best suit your business needs. If you’d like further guidance, our team is always available to help you choose mixtures that will work best for your farm.

Take a look at our Essential Guide to Conservation & Gamecover Crops today.

Spring management key for forward oilseed rape crops

A mild autumn delivered excellent establishment conditions for oilseed rape (OSR) crops across much of the UK. While many crops are entering spring with large, forward canopies, careful management will be essential to ensure this strong start is converted into yield rather than lost through lodging or inefficient canopy structure.

Liam Wilkinson, head of technical at Limagrain Field Seeds UK, says that although big crops look encouraging, they can be counter-productive if not actively managed.

“From our own work, we know that the optimal OSR plant population is around 25–40 plants/m²,” he explains. “In previous seasons, growers often compensated for establishment losses by increasing seed rates. This year, however, losses have been far lower, meaning many crops are carrying plant populations well above the optimum.”

Without intervention, these dense, forward canopies can limit light interception, increase competition between plants and raise the risk of lodging, ultimately capping yield potential.

Tailoring spring management

Mr Wilkinson stresses that large crops require a different approach to thinner stands seen in recent years. “These crops need to be managed to control canopy size and structure, reduce lodging risk and maximise light penetration to the lower branches – which are the most productive in terms of pod set,” he says.

Varietal growth habit should also be considered when prioritising treatments: “Some varieties, such as LG Avenger, have faster stem extension and are more likely to benefit from early canopy management. “Others, like LG Adapt, extend later and may be less of a priority in early spring. Soil temperature is another factor – where soils are warmer, the urgency for early treatment is reduced.”

Nitrogen management: measure before you apply

Work from AHDB project PR447 has shown that adjusting nitrogen (N) applications according to canopy size can increase yields by up to 0.36 t/ha in crops that would otherwise have lodged under traditional management.

“The key message is that OSR canopies already contain significant amounts of nitrogen, which can be remobilised by the plant,” says Mr Wilkinson.

“Ignoring this risks over-application early in the season, driving excessive stem elongation and canopy shading.”

To help growers get the most from forward crops this spring, Limagrain highlights five key management principles:

1. Measure and quantify the canopy
You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Tools such as GAI apps or satellite imagery can be used, where 1 GAI equates to around 50 kg N/ha in the canopy. Alternatively, cutting and weighing 1 m² of above-ground biomass can provide a guide – 1 kg fresh weight is approximately equivalent to 55 kg N/ha.

2. Reduce the first split of nitrogen
High early N rates encourage rapid stem extension, increasing shading and plant competition. This often leads to the loss of lower branches, which have the greatest yield potential. Early assessment of biomass variation also allows nitrogen rates to be reduced in thicker areas and increased where crops are thinner.

3. Target a GAI of 3.5 at flowering
This equates to around 175 kg N/ha in the canopy. Knowing how much nitrogen is already present can help avoid unnecessary inputs. AHDB PR447 suggests that only around 60% of spring-applied nitrogen is taken up by the crop, so application rates should be adjusted accordingly.

4. Ensure timely sulphur supply
Reducing nitrogen rates also reduces sulphur when using combined products such as double top. Sulphur deficiency can limit yield by slowing leaf and tissue development, reducing nitrogen use efficiency, lowering stress tolerance and decreasing oil content. Choose a product supplying around 40–75 kg/ha of SO₃.

5. Apply micronutrients early
Boron is particularly important in forward crops. Deficiency during rapid spring growth can lead to stem splitting, increasing disease risk. Boron also plays a key role in pollination and stress tolerance, supporting yield and crop resilience.

“With the right approach, these forward crops offer a real opportunity,” concludes Mr Wilkinson. “By measuring canopies and tailoring inputs, growers can manage risk, improve efficiency and make the most of the strong establishment we’ve seen this season.”

Maize has been grown for grain at Cross Hill Farm, near Goole in Yorkshire, for over fifteen years, delivering multiple benefits for the Welburn family’s arable and cattle enterprises.

It is a valuable break crop, particularly complementing winter wheat, and – crimped and clamped – provides an ideal high energy feed for the farm’s 400-head beef finishing enterprise. Crimped maize is also sold off the farm, adding a further revenue stream, and in recent years the crop has also been ensiled for forage.

In total, Chris Welburn and his father Neil farm up to 600ha of rented or contract farmed land, with soil types varying from wind blow sand through to heavy clay. Winter wheat is their main crop, but on some of the neighbouring contract farmed land, where flooding is a common issue, spring cropping predominates, with maize proving to be a reliable and valuable option over many years.

“We’ve grown maize since around 2009, and have always combined it,” says Chris. “On the lighter land, we’ll grow it several years in a row, then swapping in alternative spring crops like sugar beet, carrots or potatoes, whilst on the heavier land it will be part of a more conventional arable rotation, with winter wheat.

“Across all the land we’re farming, we’re growing around 150ha of maize. Over and above the value of the crimped grain, we find it puts quite a bit back into the farm, both in terms of soil fertility and also wider weed control.

“Growing it for grain means a lot of crop residue is going back into the soil, whilst we always precede a maize crop with good applications of cattle manure, which is another good source of organic matter and soil nutrients.  

“Weed control for maize uses different herbicide chemistry, and we find that is helping with the control of blackgrass and other grass weeds in the wheat.”

Variety choice is important, particularly when growing a crop for grain, and Chris’s current ‘banker’ is Limagrain’s Conclusion, a high yielding, high starch option with exceptional cell wall digestibility. He’s also growing the earlier maturing Duke, which alongside high dry matter yields has very low cob moisture content making it particularly well suited for grain. LG 31.205, known for high starch and well-developed cobs, is another variety favoured at Cross Hill Farm in recent seasons, whilst the latest high performance specialist grain option LG 31.160 is set to be included going forward. 

“Our Conclusion crops produced over 11t/ha of grain maize in 2025, and it wasn’t a particularly good year given the drought conditions,” adds Chris. “The other important point about Conclusion, and other Limagrain varieties, like Duke and Ambition, is that they crimp really nicely. It’s important, because it affects how long the crimping takes as well as the quality of the crimped grain.”

Chris has found crimped and clamped grain maize form the foundation of the farm’s feeding system

The aim is to have the cobs at 65-68% dry matter for grain maize, with the harvest at Cross Hill Farm taking place anywhere between October and early December, depending on the season. The Welburns have their own maize header for their New Holland combine, simply changing the concave to adapt for grain maize. The aim is to crimp the crop straight off the combine.

“When we’re combining grain maize, most of the crop residue goes under the header, so it creates a carpet for the combine to travel on, minimising soil damage,” say Chris. “We can crimp up to 25 tonnes/hour, adding an inoculant as we go, and clamp everything we need for the cattle. The rest we sell, for clamping off the farm, usually for a little below the price of wheat.”

The crimped maize goes into the farm’s beef finishing ration, typically fed in equal proportions with barley. It’s a feed that Chris believes contributes significantly to the performance of the cattle enterprise, which buys in pure dairy and dairy-cross calves at a week to ten days old and takes everything through to finish at 500-600kg, averaging an impressive 1.3kg/day liveweight gain.

Chris Welburn feeding crimped maize to his cattle, a core ingredient in the farm’s rotation

“Our aim to grow as much of the cattle ration ourselves as we possibly can and crimped maize is an integral part of the finishing ration, fed from around 12 months,” he adds. “It’s pure energy, but can be fed at high levels without the risk of acidosis.

“In recent years, we’ve also starting taking some of the maize as forage, for inclusion in the TMR for the growing cattle.”

The main strategy around growing maize at Cross Hill Farm is to do so as economically as possible, so full use is made of cattle manure to boost soil fertility. The ground is always ploughed when maize is grown after maize, to minimise disease risks, whereas minimum tillage and sub-soiling may be sufficient following sugar beet, for example.

Drilling is typically carried out in the last week of April and into early May, with a liquid fertiliser (16:0:8 NPK), applied down the spout at 200l/ha, and a granular fertiliser spread before the end of May.

“We’re also applying a molasses-based foliar fertiliser whilst the crop is just still sprayable, towards the end of July, as it is a very efficient way of using nitrogen,” says Chris. “We’re always trying different things, in order to grow maize in the best way possible. For example, we’ve tried sowing westerwolds ryegrass after winter wheat, and then taking a crop in April before spraying it off. We’ve then minimised the cultivations by doing low disturbance sub-soiling and using a strip tiller ahead of the maize drill.

“It’s important to keep trying to move forward, to grow the crop more efficiently and with less impact on the environment.”

Amongst all the uncertainty in farming, growing maize brings a degree of consistency and reliability on this North Yorkshire farm. It provides undoubted rotational benefits, will outperform wheat in a drought, underpins the performance in the beef enterprise, and offers the option of a saleable cash crop. With new improved varieties coming through every year, there’s little doubt that it will remain central to plans at Cross Hill Farm for many years to come.

Across the UK, growers are under mounting pressure to drive crop productivity whilst reducing reliance on synthetic nitrogen. Fertiliser prices have surged, environmental scrutiny has tightened, and quality specifications in premium cereals markets have never been more challenging. For many farmers, this creates a tightrope between agronomic need, economic reality and environmental responsibility.

The Roots of Change (ROC) project steps directly into this challenge. Led by farmers and backed by NIAB and Limagrain, the initiative aims to understand how legume-based cover crops and companion cropping, can support nitrogen efficient cereals production, without compromising yield, grain quality or marketability.

Thomas Todd, ROC farmer, from Cornhill-on-Tweed, Northumberland commented, “This project will confirm with soil and tissue samples and nutrition tests, the true value of cover cropping, and this will then aid with farm development.

“The addition of legumes as a companion crop in the winter wheat trials, along with the cover crop, will be monitored for both nutrient and environmental benefits, and the information gathered will then be put to future use.

“We are keen to be involved with this type of research because it is good for the industry to be at the forefront and not just sitting still, and as a farming business, we are keen to embrace new technologies; from both a cultural and technical perspective.”

Limagrain’s involvement centres on one key question: ‘Why should growers trust legumes and new agronomic systems, to deliver the right nitrogen, in the right place, at the right time?’

Why Change? Fertiliser Volatility, Soil Health Decline and Tightening Specs

Over the past decade, inorganic nitrogen prices have risen sharply whilst remaining highly volatile. For many cereals growers, nitrogen costs now represent a significant portion of production expenses. At the same time, soils long reliant on tight rotations, inversion tillage and high fertiliser inputs, show signs of declining organic matter and reduced resilience.

For malting barley and quality wheat, where processor specifications are demanding, growers face real annual uncertainty around nitrogen availability and grain quality.

Why Legumes? The Case for Biological Nitrogen Fixation

Leguminous species; peas, beans, clovers, all fix atmospheric nitrogen, reducing the need for synthetic inputs. ROC compares legume and non-legume cover crops, companion crops, different establishment systems, termination methods, and new cereal varieties bred for improved nitrogen use efficiency.

Why Limagrain? Adding Expertise Beyond the Field

Limagrain provides new barley and wheat genetics, selected for efficient nitrogen use and to meet quality markets.

Economic and Carbon‑Footprint Modelling

Limagrain leads ROC’s analysis of profitability and carbon impacts, helping farmers quantify real world benefits.

Practical, Farmer Facing Guidance

Limagrain will support ROC’s outreach programme with demonstrations, digital resources, workshops and grower guides.

Why Now? Aligning Farmer Reality with Environmental Outcomes

With fertiliser costs high, and pressure increasing to reach net‑zero, ROC aims to show that integrating legumes can support nitrogen supply, improve soil health and reduce input costs.

The Bottom Line

Roots of Change will deliver nitrogen buffering guidelines, crop specific recommendations, economic comparisons and carbon‑footprint assessments – giving UK growers clearer, evidence-backed pathways for sustainable nitrogen management.

Maize now has the potential to outperform many alternative break crops in gross margin terms whilst offering arable farmers significant rotational benefits such as improved grass weed control, according to experts taking part in a recent Limagrain Field Seeds webinar, attended by farmers from across the UK.

Speakers pointed to the growing demand for anaerobic digester (AD) feedstocks and the high value of grain maize as evidence of market-led opportunities for growers.

They also highlighted the accelerated plant breeding progress that is allowing increased yields of a higher quality crop within a shorter growing window, which is giving more farmers the opportunity to follow maize successfully with winter wheat, for example.

“Potential returns for arable farmers in many parts of England are attractive, with maize offering around two or three times the gross margin of spring oats or spring beans,” said James Webster-Rusk, Senior Agribusiness Analysist for The Anderson Centre.

James Webster Rusk is confident that maize will deliver stronger margins than other spring crops

“The market is there, with growing demand for AD feedstocks and many plants looking to replenish depleted stocks in 2026. With regards to grain maize, we currently import 2.5 million tonnes a year, so there are opportunities to replace at least some of this with homegrown crops, and also to grow maize on contract for crimping, wholecrop or forage.

“In terms of rotational benefits, the different herbicide chemistry used for maize tends to help with the control of grass weeds, including blackgrass, and – being a spring drilled crop with a relatively late harvest – it offers a helpful spread in workloads.”

Whilst maize has historically been associated in some areas with difficult harvesting conditions and the risk of soil damage, speakers agreed on the modern-day potential for the crop to be environmentally beneficial.

“Breeding advances within the last ten years now mean we are growing high yielding crops of maize that mature in a much shorter growing window,” said Limagrain’s Richard Camplin.

“Earlier harvests are most certainly desirable in terms of soil health, not only avoiding structural damage but also allowing the establishment of a following crop that will use up surplus nutrients and prevent soil erosion.

“With the emergence of specialist grain maize options like LG 31.160 and very early maturity high yielders such as Harmony, breeding programmes are delivering varieties that work well within rotations and are suited to helping arable farmers respond to the market opportunities.”

Maize in Practice

Leicestershire arable and poultry farmer Will Oliver said, as part of his practical overview, that grain maize grown within his arable rotation now rivals winter wheat as the main crop. “We have a ready market for grain maize, selling to local poultry units, and it’s a crop that we find fits well into the rotation,” he said. “There’s a positive for soil health, because of the organic matter that’s being incorporated and reduced traffic when growing it, and it fits well within our SFI agreements. “Winter wheat usually performs well enough following maize, but I’d accept a lower margin in return for the wider benefits that it brings to the rotation. “It’s important to factor in drying costs when growing grain maize, but earlier maturing varieties are helping to ensure more of the moisture is lost in the field.”

Leicestershire farmer Will Oliver explains why grain maize has become a key crop on his farm

In their summing up, speakers reiterated the opportunities for maize as a break crop in the arable rotation, but reinforced the importance of seeking out markets in advance and growing varieties from the latest BSPB/NIAB Descriptive List best suited to specific farm conditions and the planned end use.