Plant breeder Limagrain’s winter wheat LG Beowulf and 2-row winter barley LG Caravelle, are the highest yielding varieties to join the 2024/25 AHDB Recommended List.

LG Armada also takes lead position as the highest yielding oilseed rape variety on the Recommended List for the UK, whilst LG Adeline takes pole position for oilseed rape in the North.

In addition, high yielding maize variety Saxon tops the 2024 BSPB Forage Maize Descriptive List for ME yield (‘000s MJ/ha).

This means that LG now offer the highest yielding varieties in; winter wheat, 2 row winter barley, OSR and maize*.

“This is an exceptional achievement for any breeder,” explains Ron Granger, Limagrain’s arable technical manager.

“Last year saw our winter wheat and winter barley varieties take pole positions across the RL. We have built on this success for a second year running, producing higher yielding varieties, backed up with desirable agronomic characteristics, securing high yield performance on farm. What’s more, these varieties have proven to be robust and consistent performers across seasons and regions.”

Highest yielding winter wheat

Group 4 hard wheat LG Beowulf yields 106% across the UK and shows the same consistency of performance across all regions: east (106%), west (106%) and the north (107%) – an outstanding achievement for any variety.

LG Beowulf has produced these exceptionally high yields consistently in National List and RL trials over regions and seasons, in both the unusually dry summer of 2022 as well as the exceptionally wet summer of 2023. Alongside these yields, it offers a good grain quality, with a spec weight of 78.3 kg/hl.

“LG Beowulf is much like LG Skyscraper; it performs wherever you grow it,” he says. “It can be drilled early or late – providing growers with a wide drilling window, as a first or second wheat, on light or heavy land, and there are very few varieties that meet this criterion,” he says.

LG Beowulf yields are backed up by a set of strong agronomic characteristics, offering an excellent disease resistance profile with ratings of 9 for yellow rust, 6.7 for septoria, as well as orange wheat blossom midge (OWBM) resistance.

It has very stiff straw and is rated 8 for standing in untreated and PGR treated trials, which strongly contributes to its reliability on farm.

“In summary, LG Beowulf is a very high yielding, robust and versatile variety that comes at a time when growers are looking more than ever to maximise output, in order to maintain profit in times of increasing costs,” says Mr Granger.

Highest yielding winter barley

LG Caravelle is the highest yielding two-row winter barley for the second year running, since joining the Recommended List in 2023.

“Offering UK yields of 105.6%, LG Caravelle continues to dispel any misconception that two row barleys are lower yielding than hybrids. The variety certainly competes with the best yielding hybrid barleys, especially in the east,” says Mr Granger. “LG Caravelle is competitive in a black-grass situation, another characteristic that is normally associated with hybrids.”

“LG Caravelle’s high yields are backed up by an excellent disease profile, reflected in its superb untreated performance, it is early maturing with stiff straw and good brackling resistance.”

“LG Caravelle also offers an exceptionally high specific weight for a winter barley, of 71.4 kg/hl combined with low screenings %,” he adds.

“Indeed, LG Caravelle possesses all of the key characteristics for a winter barley.”

LG Capitol is a two-row winter barley that joins the Recommended List this year and is a sister variety to LG Caravelle, offering similar yields and consistency of performance over seasons and regions. Its yields sit just 0.1% behind that of LG Caravelle, at 105.5%.

LG Capitol also combines a high specific weight and ripening, similar to KWS Tardis, with a solid disease resistance profile and good straw attributes.

Highest yielding OSR

The top three highest yielding oilseed rape varieties on the 2024/25 AHDB Recommended List all come from the Limagrain stable, offering exceptional consistency over regions and seasons.

LG Armada tops the UK and E/W List at 107%, LG Academic follows 1% behind at 106%, with LG Adeline taking pole position on the Northern List with an outstanding yield of 108.3%.

LG Armada is one of the next generation of versatile high yielding oilseed rape varieties, improving on the characteristic trait loaded-hybrids that growers have come to expect from Limagrain.

“‘Ambassador-like’ in its growth habit, LG Armada has strong autumn vigour, is robust, with good adaptability to all regions of the UK,” says Limagrain’s oilseeds product manager, Liam Wilkinson.

“LG Armada is the first of our seventh generation of hybrids, bringing new maintainer and restorer lines to our OSR portfolio. This effectively means we are bringing varieties to market offering a stacked portfolio of much improved stem health attributes, alongside the standard pod shatter, TuYV and RLM7 resistance traits.”

“We know stem health is key to driving consistent oilseed rape yields across farms and with these seventh-generation hybrids, we are seeing bigger stems and better rooting which also results in higher oil content,” he says.

Highest yielding maize

Limagrain’s maize variety, Saxon was added to the BSPB 2023 Forage Maize Descriptive List and has made the top of the list for 2024 for its dry matter yields of 19.1 t/ha, making it ideal for all uses, including anaerobic digestion.

“On the Descriptive List, Saxon yields 105% of the average and additionally is quite an early variety with an FAO of 180,” says Tim Richmond, Limagrain’s product manager for maize.

“Saxon combines superb early vigour with good standing power, making it perfectly suited for all mainstream maize sites.”

“LGAN has long been the watchword for maize varieties that deliver what really counts – high yields of high-quality feeds that sustain excellent milk yields. Saxon is one of the latest examples of the benefit of breeding varieties that deliver in the clamp.”

To learn more about how any of these varieties could perform on your farm, click the links below;

LG Maize

LG Winter Wheat

LG Winter Barley

LG OSR

• * Data: 2024/25 AHDB RL / *2-row winter barley. 2024 BSPB NIAB Forage Maize Descriptive List – First choice varieties for favourable sites by ME yield of fresh plant at harvest (‘000s MJ/ha)

Betaseed’s unique seed treatment Ultipro is designed to help sugar beet growers maximise their yields and profitability by improving the health and performance of their crops.

By protecting the seed and promoting early plant development, Ultipro can help growers establish a strong, healthy stand of sugar beets that can withstand environmental stresses and produce a high-quality crop. Ultipro has been independently tested for 3 years and is approved for use in the UK. It is available on the varieties; BTS SMART 9485 and BTS 1915.

The Limagrain UK portfolio of Betaseed varieties continues to offer a diverse range of varieties for individual growers’ consideration on the new RL 2024.

Find out more about our sugar beet portfolio here

Download the Betaseed Sugar Beet Variety Guide

The Limagrain UK portfolio of Betaseed varieties are proven to deliver successful performance, in trials and more importantly, on-farm.

Even in the recent erratic, testing seasons of drought and virus, BTS varieties have shown consistently high performance – delivering growers security in genetics.

As you will see from the enclosed BBRO Sugar Beet Recommended List for 2024, Betaseed varieties offer genetic diversity for a successful harvest;

BTS 1915 – continues to be the highest yielding variety in both treated and untreated trials, showing a resilience better than any other RL sugar beet variety.

BTS SMART 9485 – the first ALS herbicide tolerance variety from Betaseed, offering the highest yield potential for SMART CONVISO varieties, combined with improved disease and bolting resistance.

BTS 3020 – is an outstanding variety for the earlier and normal drilling situation with the lowest ESB figures available. It offers good yield combined with the highest sugar content and excellent disease resistance.

BTS 3610 – is one of only a few varieties that have achieved a NSB count of 0 over the 3-year data set – critical if bolting is a key consideration on your farm and offering robustness for earlier drilling.

INTRODUCING ULTIPRO SEED TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY

Betaseed’s unique seed treatment Ultipro is designed to help sugar beet growers maximise their yields and profitability by improving the health and performance of their crops. By protecting the seed and promoting early plant development, Ultipro can help growers establish a strong, healthy stand of sugar beets that can withstand environmental stresses and produce a high-quality crop. Ultipro has been independently tested for 3 years and is approved for use in the UK. It is available on the varieties; BTS SMART 9485 and BTS 1915.

The Limagrain UK portfolio of Betaseed varieties continues to offer a diverse range of varieties for individual growers’ consideration on the new RL 2024.

Find out more about our sugar beet portfolio here

Download the Betaseed Sugar Beet Variety Guide

The Limagrain UK portfolio of Betaseed varieties continues to offer a diverse range of varieties for individual growers consideration on the new RL 2024.

Betaseed varieties are proven both in trials and more importantly, with consistent on farm performance and are now a recognised force in the UK sugar beet cropping sector.

Betaseed varieties have shown a consistency of performance over very erratic, testing seasons of drought and virus – delivering growers security in genetics.

On top of the unique varieties of Betaseed, we support your success with our newly approved proprietary seed treatment technology Ultipro. Ultipro has been independently tested for 3 years in comparison with the UK market standard. The portfolio offers a range of varieties suitable for the key demands of the individual farmers requirements – yield / sugar % / disease resistance / bolting tolerance and now ALS herbicide resistance. Betaseed´s Ultipro seed technology is available in all major sugar beet growing areas, securing productive sugar beet growing.

Betaseed’s unique Seed Treatment Ultipro is designed to help sugar beet growers maximise their yields and profitability by improving the health and performance of their crops. By protecting the seed and promoting early plant development, Ultipro can help growers establish a strong, healthy stand of sugar beets that can withstand environmental stresses and produce a high-quality crop.

Security in genetics

The graph below shows the yield as adjusted tonnes against rust ratings.

It shows that along with yield, Betaseed varieties deliver some of the best rust resistance available. The level of rust resistance is important in a variety especially for growers looking to minimise fungicide input, when a late lifting philosophy is adopted on farm to maximise full yield potential.

This attribute of good rust resistance combined with additional disease resistance for Powdery Mildew and Cercospora, high sugar content and bolting figures at both ESB and NSB will determine both variety drilling date and also lifting date, in many situations. Security in genetics is now a more recognised characteristic than just high yield for most arable crop production systems across the UK.

Find out more about our sugar beet portfolio here

Download the Betaseed Sugar Beet Variety Guide

BTS SMART 9485 is the first ALS herbicide tolerance variety from Betaseed, offering the highest yield potential for SMART CONVISO varieties, combined with improved disease and bolting resistance. Here’s all you need to know about BTS Smart varieties.

Key facts about BTS Smart varieties

BTS SMART sugar beet varieties have a genetic tolerance to work successfully together with the CONVISO® ONE herbicide.

CONVISO® ONE offers a combined efficacy against monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous weeds.

CONVISO® SMART sugar beets do not show yield loss caused by phytotoxicity when using CONVISO® ONE.

Effective elimination of conventional weed beets.

Sowing BTS Smart seed

Clean your seed drill thoroughly before sowing BTS SMART seed. Classic varieties sown in a CONVISO® SMART crop will not withstand the CONVISO® ONE herbicide.

Keep BTS SMART seed separate from classic sugar beet seed to avoid any mixing! CAUTION: It is extremely important not to mix BTS SMART seed with classic sugar beet seed at any time. Classic sugar beets will die off if treated with CONVISO® ONE.

TIPS FOR CLEANING THE SOWING MACHINE PROPERLY:

Use a vacuum cleaner to empty the planting unit

Rotate sowing disc until it is completely empty

WEED RESISTANCE MANAGEMENT

Use CONVISO® ONE according to the weed resistance management guidelines.

Use the recommended full dose rate.

Add an adjuvant to strengthen the efficacy if required.

Respect the appropriate recommended growth stage of weeds for application.

Sequence CONVISO® ONE application with non-ALS herbicides when required.

Consider a non-selective herbicide as a preceeding treatment after allowing emergence of weeds.

Always investigate the reasons for lower levels of efficacy control.

Make use of good agricultural practice to ensure good weed resistance management.

Use measures of integrated weed management(cultural, mechanical and chemical control).

Use cover crops if possible to reduce weed pressure.

Respect the crop rotation.

Rotate different herbicide mode of action in the crop rotation.

Use at least once in a 3-year crop rotation a pre-emergence / early post-emergence non-ALS
inhibiting herbicide.

If resistance is suspected, consult with a BASIS qualified advisor and use alternative herbicides.

For more info on Conviso® One, download our full guide brochure.

The Conviso Smart Brochure covers;

• Conviso® One key facts
• Timings
• Effective weed control
• Weed resistance situations
• Handling
• Sprayer preparation
• Visible effects, bolters, crop rotations
• Info for groundkeepers

Pre-harvest crop analyses, carried out by Limagrain on behalf of local maize growers, indicate that most stands of maize are on track to produce a promising crop, with the majority predicted to be ready for harvest in the next week to 10 days.

The pre-harvest tests (for dry matter, starch, non-digestible fibre, cell wall digestibility and metabolisable energy content) were carried out at a maize demonstration and testing day, hosted by Limagrain and Spunhill at Limagrain’s maize variety trial site on the outskirts of Wrexham.

The event was attended by more than 40 farm businesses from across the region who not only had their own crop samples tested for free, but were also given a tour of the Limagrain variety trial where the latest forage, grain and energy crop varieties are being assessed in an on-farm situation.

“The tests clearly indicated that whilst a minority of crops are already at the point of harvest, the majority are still a week or more away from being ready, with dry matter levels still a little on the low side,” describes Henry Louth, Key Account Manager, Forage Crops, Limagrain UK.

Henry Louth chatting to maize growers in Bangor on Dee

“For most maize growers, the start of this year’s harvest has been delayed by about a fortnight as a result of July’s dull and overcast conditions which saw sunshine hours at 81% of the average for the month. Most crops have caught up well since then, with a few notable ‘very early’ varieties including Dignity and Gema really standing out in terms of maturity. Those two varieties tested particularly well for dry matter, starch and ME content, and also recorded excellent results for cell wall digestibilty.

“If conditions in early October are favourable, we should see most growers taking their crops before the middle of the month, which will hopefully make for a clean and easy harvest and a good quality ensiled crop.”

The event was attended by by more than 40 farm businesses from across the region who had their maize crops tested for dry matter, starch and ME content, and cell wall digestibility.

The tests indicated that the majority of the region’s maize crops  should be ready to be harvested by the middle of October.

Limagrain UK is pleased to announce that the impending ban on maize seed treatments has been lifted following a successful lobbying campaign, with the granting of Emergency Authorisations allowing seed treated with three key seed treatments to be imported into and grown in the UK in 2024.

The future viability of maize being grown in the UK has been in question due to an impending ban on seed treatments not registered for use in the UK. These include Korit (ziram) bird deterrent, Redigo M (prothioconazole + metalaxyl) fungicide and Force 20 CS (tefluthrin) insecticide, with the use of all three products due to be banned from 31st December 2023. After this date it would have been illegal to import, sell or sow any seed which has been treated with any of these products, putting into doubt the future viability of maize grown for livestock forage or as a feedstock for anaerobic digestion (AD) plants.

Tim Richmond

“Without a suitable bird repellent, insecticide and fungicide, there’s a substantial risk that newly drilled crops could be completely wiped out by corvid grazing, or seriously hindered by insect damage and soil-borne pathogens,” explains Tim Richmond, Maize Manager for Limagrain Field Seeds in the UK and Ireland.

“To counter the ban, which has threatened the industry as a result of the UK’s departure from the EU, Limagrain set up and spearheaded an industry working group to lobby the Government into taking action. We can now announce that all three products have been granted an Emergency Authorisation, meaning that treated seed will be allowed to be imported into, and used in the UK next year.”

But the campaign doesn’t end here Mr Richmond continues. “Whilst the emergency use authorisations are a significant win for the industry, they are by no means a permanent solution. We are therefore continuing to lobby on behalf of all UK maize growers to secure a more sustainable solution in the form of a longer-term delay on the ban which will require a change in UK law, and will encourage the CRD (Chemicals Regulation Division) to ensure the next generation of maize seed treatments are approved at a regulatory level as quickly as possible.”

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR MAIZE VARIETIES HERE

Limagrain UK is optimistic that treated maize seed will still be available for the upcoming season as hope grows that the impending ban on seed treatments will be delayed following a successful lobbying campaign.

The future viability of maize being grown in the UK – either for use as livestock forage or as a feed source for AD (anaerobic digestion) plants – has been in question due to an impending ban on all seed treatments including Korit (ziram) bird deterrent, Redigo M (prothioconazole + metalaxyl) fungicide and Force 20 CS (tefluthrin) insecticide.

As it currently stands, from  31^st December 2023 it would be illegal to import, sell or sow any seed which has been treated with any of these products, leaving crops at significant risk of failure.

“Without a suitable bird repellent, insecticide and fungicide, there’s a substantial risk that newly drilled crops could be completely wiped out by corvid grazing, or seriously hindered by insect damage and soil-borne pathogens,” explains Tim Richmond, Maize Manager for Limagrain Field Seeds in the UK and Ireland.

“Corvids are highly intelligent birds, and quickly understand seed drilling patterns, with any attempt to drill seed deeper to prevent bird damage likely to exacerbate the risk of seedling blight, making the application of a fungicide seed treatment such as Redigo M even more critical.”

To counter the ban, which has threatened the industry as a result of the UK’s departure from the EU, an industry working group – spearheaded by Limagrain UK – has been set up to lobby the Government into taking action.

“Limagrain has taken a leading role in this sector-wide campaign which has also included the MGA, AIC and NFU,” Mr Richmond continues. “A number of emergency authorisation (EA) applications have been made to the regulators for the continued use of these treatments for sowing in spring 2024, with a decision on whether the ban will be withdrawn or delayed due imminently.”

The Expert Committee on Pesticides is scheduled to meet in September, with a final announcement are expected to be made before the end of the month.

“As things currently stand, we’re confident that our ongoing discussions with the Farming Minister, the Rt. Hon. Mark Spencer MP, will have a favourable outcome and that all three seed treatments will still be available for use in 2024 – either as a result of the Emergency Authorisations being granted, or because of a change in the law to delay the withdrawal date.”

Despite the imminent announcement there remains significant uncertainty amongst UK maize growers, with some already suggesting they are preparing to sow an alternative crop such as wholecrop winter wheat.

“We appreciate that the clock is ticking and that for some growers any announcement might come too late,” Mr Richmond adds. “But until a concrete decision has been made, we’d urge growers not to rush into making any changes to next year’s rotation.

“We will know more in a relatively short timeframe and will announce the Committee’s decision as soon as it has been made known to us. In the meantime, we are continuing to lobby for the new generation of maize seed treatments to be registered with the CRD as quickly as possible to ensure maize remains a viable crop in the UK in the long-term.”

Limagrain UK will be exhibiting at the UK Dairy Day in Telford on Wednesday 13^th September. Please feel free to visit stand H120 to discuss the latest situation with a member of the LG team.

Three new forage maize varieties from Limagrain have been added to the 2023-24 BSPB/NIAB Descriptive List, with two very early maturing varieties sitting atop the new list of first choice varieties for favourable sites, and the third, a later maturing option, topping the list for very favourable sites.

Skipper and Foxtrot are ranked numbers one and two respectively as first choice varieties for starch yield on favourable sites, while LG31.207 tops the chart for ME yield for varieties suited to very favourable sites.

“With an early FAO of 160, an ME yield of 221,175 MJ/ha and the highest starch yield (6.74 t/ha) on this year’s favourable site list, Skipper is ideal for farmers who want to fill their clamps with a very early maturing crop of exceptionally energy-rich and starch-filled maize,” explains Tim Richmond, Maize Manager for Limagrain in the UK and Ireland.

“Skipper also performs well on marginal sites, where its good early vigour (6.9), excellent standing power (7.6) and early ripening cobs deliver an easy to harvest crop that gives exceptional dry matter and energy yields.”

Foxtrot is also classified as a very early maturing variety (FAO 170) and is second only to Skipper in terms of starch yield (6.54 t/ha). Foxtrot also sits towards the top of the rankings for ME yield (222,363 MJ/ha) and DM yield (18.7 t/ha) and also shows good early vigour (7.2). “And with a Cell Wall Digestibility of 59.4%, Foxtrot is ideal for dairy and beef farmers who are looking for a bulky and very early maturing variety that will improve the feed conversion efficiency of their herd’s ration,” Mr Richmond adds.

The third new Limagrain variety to be added to this year’s Descriptive List is LG31.207: with an FAO of 210, this intermediate to late-maturing variety is one of the best options for very favourable sites.

“LG31.207 is impressive on paper and in the field, and is the perfect choice for those growers looking to maximise their return on investment with a variety that poses minimal risk,” Mr Richmond describes.

“LG31.207 tops the Descriptive List for very favourable sites with an ME yield of 217,115 MJ/ha and dry matter yield of 18.7 t/ha ,” Mr Richmond continues. “And with excellent agronomic traits that include good standing power (8.0) , excellent early vigour (8.2) and an eyespot resistance rating of 7.5, LG31.207 is a really safe choice for growers looking for an energy-rich, easy to grow variety for AD purposes.”

Source: BSPB/NIAB Forage Maize Descriptive List 2023-24.

Orange highlight: favourable sites. Blue highlight: very favourable sites.

* Limagrain estimate.

The 2024 Maize Variety Selection Guide is available now, it includes all the BSPB/NIAB data for Favourable, Less Favourable and Very Favourable sites, as well as additional LG data, giving you stacks of information to get stuck into, making your buying decision easier than ever before. 

To download, click here!

A longer growing season, better quality grass and improved pest control support overall forage production, and they are all advantages of following regenerative agriculture principles.

“One key pillar of regenerative agriculture is greater plant diversity,” says Limagrain’s forage crop manager John Spence. “And it’s an area where grassland farmers can reap the benefits by growing mixtures with more species that widen the growing period and help to combat more variable climate conditions.

“For example, clovers continue to grow in mid-summer when ryegrass varieties slow up. This increases the growing season. Clover also offers nitrogen-fixing benefits.”

Likewise, deeper rooted plants included in multi-species mixtures, such as chicory and plantain, will be more productive in drought conditions whilst also improving soil structure and health.

Improve ground cover

Keeping soil covered is another regenerative pillar – and one to focus on for improved grassland productivity. “Mixtures with improved ground cover, dense swards and few bare patches are less prone to poaching in winter on wet land,” he adds. “Including clovers and herbs alongside highly productive ryegrass varieties ensures mixtures are more robust in dry summers with good ground cover, as well as increased forage output and quality.

He encourages grassland farmers to avoid leaving swards fallow between reseeds. “We recommend that farmers avoid following grass with grass immediately, particularly if there’s a pest problem, and a six-month break is good. Instead, a winter forage crop such a stubble turnips and forage rape will maintain ground cover, help to break the pest cycle, and provide extra much-needed forage for livestock.”

One of the main regenerative agriculture pillars is avoiding soil disturbance. “For grassland farmers this means direct drilling of new leys, minimum soil cultivation, and avoiding ploughing where possible. Overseeding is a good way of increasing productivity without cultivation”.

“Mixtures with tetraploid ryegrasses are good here as they complete well with existing grasses.”

Grassland farmers are already following many of the regenerative farming principles, but there’s more to be gained – specialist mixtures, forage break crops and improved practices will both support soil health and add to grassland productivity.

Financial support?

And there’s the added support from new SFI rules that could offer cash payments for making certain improvements, such as “NUM2: Legumes on improved grassland,” which offers £102/ha for introducing legumes such as white clover into existing temporary grass swards.

“It’s a win-win for many grassland farmers – more output from grassland and increased support for regenerative principles will support their businesses’ longer-term sustainability.”

Find out more about our grass mixtures here

The oilseed rape drilling window is far wider than often thought. Although most crops are drilled in the first two weeks of August, it is possible to drill into September and still get a good crop established, says leading plant breeders Limagrain UK. 

“With this year’s later harvest comes the reminder that there is no need to panic and rush to get the rape crop in before mid-August. Many farms now have drills that cover large areas quickly, so it is possible to get drilling done in a shorter time frame than may have been the case several years ago,” says Liam Wilkinson, Limagrain’s oilseed rape product manager. 

“The last few years we have seen milder autumns so soils are warmer, and as long as there is sufficient moisture, we have seen crops do well on farm when drilled at this later period.”  

“Most breeder and Recommended List trials are drilled later than they would ‘on-farm’ -which could be  anytime from the August bank holiday – as the seed becomes available. What we see the following year in trials plots, are often slightly later drilled crops.” 

Mr Wilkinsons refers to work done by Dr Sacha White at ADAS where later drilled crops tend to be at less risk from CSFB larvae as there is less time for the adults to lay their eggs in the autumn crop. 

“So if you can get the crop up and away from the adults as quickly as possible, the crop has a fighting chance against the pest.”  

“Drilling later can also help with black-grass control as  it gives you enough time to create a stale seed bed.”  

“We find ourselves now in a position where there are fewer active ingredients to control the most difficult weeds in the whole rotation, particularly this year with the loss of Carbetamide.” 

He adds: “The pressure on these herbicides increases further considering the growing number of early drilled crops (if soil moisture allows), which can mean potentially bigger weeds under the canopy, as they’ll have more time to grow before being sprayed.” 

“By drilling later, the smaller crop can also make better use of autumn nitrogen, as opposed to a plant established in mid-August that is much larger and has to spread the nitrogen out.” 

“For those in Clubroot infected areas, delayed drilling also reduces the risk of infection.” 

Neil Watson, Hutchinsons southern technical manager agrees by drilling oilseed rape later it is possible to avoid the peak migration of the adult CSFB, and there reduce subsequent impact from larvae. 

“The French drill later than we do and still manage to get to 8 leaves before the cessation of autumn growth,” he says. 

He also recognises however that there is risk involved with drilling later and that yield potential may be compromised should the plant not reach the critical 8 leaf stage – hence the value of picking a vigorous variety that will grow away quickly enough to be well established before the winter closes in- and this is critical. 

“A backward crop coming into the spring has insufficient leaves and branching sites to fulfil yield potential. It also leaves little time for leaf area expansion before initiating floral development from the vegetative stage leaving a suboptimal canopy size to intercept light.” 

He refers to data which suggests needing a 400-600 day degree (80dd per leaf) from emergence to get to this magical 8 leaf stage. “A vigorous crop emerging end of August through to mid-September has a good chance of achieving this, assuming sowing date being 2 weeks earlier roughly. Beyond this drilling window, however you are compromising yield.” 

Mr Wilkinson adds for success when drilling in this later slot, it is key to choose a variety with rapid autumn dynamic growth and the traits needed to establish and grow away quickly into the autumn – so a vigorous, trait-loaded hybrid fits the situation well. 

Liam Wilkinson

So what is vigour and how can it be measured? 

“Industry wide there is much debate about the value of vigour in oilseed rape varieties. But with no standardised measurement for vigour, it’s very subjective,” says Liam Wilkinson. 

“Vigour is not a point in time measurement, it is a reflection of the plant’s dynamic growth through the autumn and reflects the speed of growth and ability of the plant to accumulate biomass.” 

“Understanding how a particular variety develops and being able to create vigour values related to these, means that as breeders we are very well informed to provide advice on where a variety should be drilled,” he says. 

 “The very high yielding hybrid LG Aviron is one of one of the most vigorous varieties, it establishes speedily in the autumn and puts on biomass very quickly, even under testing or challenging situations, and copes well with being drilled later. Ambassador also performs well in this drilling slot, as do our national listed candidates Armada and Academic.” 

However he points out, if the decision to drill later or circumstances push into a later drilling than normal, it is key to commit to the crop fully to give it as much chance to succeed. 

“There’s no point in putting the crop in the ground and then hanging back on nitrogen or weed control. The crop will need all the help it can get so it’s up and away as quickly as possible.” 

Drilling oilseed rape in mid-September is nothing new for Northumberland grower, Richard Brewis of Woodhouse Farm, who has been drilling rape in September for the last twenty years and does not believe this impacts yields. 

“OSR is an integral part of our rotation, and we would normally have around 60ha’s in the ground. We had always done what everyone else did and drilled oilseed rape after winter barley, so mid-August.”  

“However, our heavy wet soils didn’t suit winter barley, so about twenty years ago, we made the decision drop the barley and drill oilseed rape after wheat which would obviously mean drilling later, and we have never looked back,” he says. 

“Now we aim to start drilling the rape by the 6/7^th September and just keep going until it is all in.”  

He points out this is of course weather dependent, and he must work around that. “But even when a crop was drilled as late as the 20^th September it was still decent, although this is slightly later than we would choose to go, but it does show that yield is affected by other factors other than just drilling date.” 

Growing hybrids is essential for our approach, he says. “We have grown Limagrain’s hybrid Aurelia for the last three years and have been very pleased with that, it copes well with this drilling slot, producing an even crop and very pleasing yields. Last year we also trialled some LG Wagner and plan to have a mix of each variety in the ground this year. 

Rape at Woodhouse Farm is established using a Simba subsoiler followed with a power harrow drill and Cambridge roll, if weather conditions allow. 

“We aim for a rosette pan structure of about 7-8 leaves rather than height, going into the winter, although we have had fewer leaves and still managed to keep the crop.” 

Generally CSFB is not an issue, and Mr Brewis puts this down to the later drilling window. “Last year’s early harvest meant that we drilled our rape slightly earlier than normal, in the third week of August and lo and behold, we found patches of damage that we had not seen before.” 

He believes there is a zone when adults CSFB inflight is reducing in his area – and this is the second and third weeks of September and by catching this, risk is much reduced for adult infection which then relates to very little spring larval damage. 

“We do get some winter rape weevil, and treat this, so perhaps that also has an effect on the CSFB,” he suggests. 

“Our main challenge is keeping pigeons off the crop, particularly as the crop is smaller, for which we use a range of methods from gas guns and visual deterrents to calcium chloride to make the crop more bitter. We must also take great care with slugs.”  

However, some damage is inevitable, but Mr Brewis does not give up on poorer or damaged areas, and whilst they may never be as good as the rest of the crop, he says they will reach about 75% of the full potential. 

He recognises there are pressure points in crop management when choosing to drill in September, and that it is not suitable for everyone. “As we don’t have issues with black-grass, we can start drilling wheat in the second week of September, so that can clash with drilling rape. We also have less time to get the wheat straw off.”  

“Yes, there are risks to our approach – we only get one shot at getting the crop into the ground but so far there has been only one year back in 2012 when it rained continuously after harvest when we didn’t get the crop that we wanted.” 

A post-harvest catch crop can be a win-win for sheep producers. Crops such as stubble turnips, forage rape, forage rye and brassica mixtures produce high quality autumn and winter feed cost-effectively.

“Stubble turnips, forage rape and rape/ kale hybrids can be sown up until the end of August,” says Limagrain UK’s Martin Titley. “They’re quick to establish and some varieties can be ready for grazing within 12 weeks of sowing. Hardier varieties can be left for grazing over winter.

Rape/kale hybrids like Interval is an example of a fast-growing catch crop. “In our recent trials, it has produced yields 16% above the control. It’s an ideal crop for finishing lambs or for maintenance from late summer onwards,” he adds.

Limagrain quotes growing costs of forage rape of £408 per hectare with dry matter yields between 3.5 and four tonnes per hectare.

Stubble turnips cost £305 per hectare to grow with dry matter yields per hectare between 4 and 5.5 tonnes. “This crop makes an ideal feed in the autumn with hardy, mildew resistant varieties ideally suited to grazing through winter.”

And he suggests looking at brassica mixtures too.  “Sheep producers can make things easier with these mixtures. Autumn Keep and Meat Maker, for example combine a high protein forage rape with kale, blended with a high-energy stubble turnip to provide a balanced autumn and winter keep with minimal effort. Advantages such as disease resistance, winter hardiness and early establishment have been ‘built-in’ too.

“And it is worth spending some time looking at the varieties on offer. Our annual trials compare yield and disease resistance of varieties of catch crops and the results can highlight significant differences.

“For example, there is a 20% yield difference between some stubble turnip varieties and this equates to more than one tonne of dry matter per hectare. Samson is one of the top yielding varieties in the trial with a dry matter yield of 5.76 tonnes per hectare and, as a bonus, this variety is preferentially grazed by sheep in grazing trials.”

A catch crop will also mop up any available nutrients, returning them to the soil via the manure of grazing animals. This helps to improve soil organic matter and structure.

“Catch crops bring many advantages to the mixed farm in providing a valuable feed and added benefits to the soil. They make an excellent break crop and a perfect entry back to a grass reseed in the spring.”

More information

Learn more about these catch crop options here or contact your usual seed merchant for availability

Download the LG Essential Guide to Forage Crops below