For the second year running, Limagrain UK’s oilseed rape varieties dominate the upper end of the AHDB Recommended List (RL).
For 2021-22, all six top yielding varieties come from the breeder’s stable, reinforcing the success of its “trait loading” approach in providing UK growers with varieties that are robust and deliver consistently across seasons and regions.
Two new varieties join these top six on the RL for the first time, LG Aviron and LG Antigua. Hybrid LG Aviron gains UK wide recommendation with an extremely high gross output of 108 per cent over control. It shares this top position with stable mate Ambassador, which has held onto its very high yields for the second season in a row.
“Trait loading of our varieties means that LG Aviron offers the N-Flex trait unique to Limagrain’s oilseed rape varieties, as well as resistance to pod shatter, TuYV and RLM 7,” Limagrain’s oilseed rape product manager, Will Charlton, said. “The N-Flex trait is a relatively new trait launched in our hybrids last year offering a step forward in the way that oilseed rape varieties minimise yield loses in sub-optimal N conditions.
“Ambassador and LG Aviron, the two highest yielding varieties on the RL, possess this trait; and have demonstrated their robustness and resilience in what was a challenging season for oilseed rape.
“LG Aviron has proven itself to be a very vigorous hybrid, that can establish well in challenging seedbeds.”
Gaining recommendation for the East/West with an extremely high gross output of 109 per cent of control and 108 per cent, LG Antigua is the second of Limagrain’s fully loaded hybrids to join the top six on the RL this autumn.
“LG Antigua offers a comprehensive genetic traits package: combining TuYV, pod shatter and RLM7 resistance and good disease resistance,” Mr Charlton said. “The variety has excellent plant vigour characteristics in both the autumn and spring, and offers the earliest maturity available on the RL, which is a valuable trait on farm.”
2021-2022 AHDB Oilseed Rape Recommended List data
| LG Aviron | LG Antigua | |
| Gross output UK (% controls) | 108 | 108 |
| East/West | 109 | 109 |
| North | 105 | 102 |
| Oil content, fungicide treated (%) | 44.50% | 45.60% |
| Glucosinolate (µmoles/g of seed) | 11.2 | 11.5 |
| Resistance to lodging | (7) | (8) |
| Stem stiffness | 6 | 8 |
| Shortness of stem | 6 | 6 |
| Plant height | 161 | 162 |
| Earliness of flowering | 8 | 7 |
| Earliness of maturity | 6 | 6 |
| Light leaf spot | 7 | 6 |
| Stem canker | 7 | 7 |
These two new recommendations join Limagrain’s other recommended and proven varieties, all of which offer characteristics suitable for certain situations or market requirements, and proved themselves in last season’s challenging conditions.
Ambassador is the joint highest yielding variety on the 2021/22 RL and is the outright highest yielding variety in the East/West region. Ambassador is a fully loaded hybrid and with proven performance both in trial and on farm.
Aurelia is a very high-yielding hybrid offering high yields across all regions of the UK and is the top-yielding variety in the North at 106 per cent of control. A fully loaded hybrid combining genetic TuYV, pod shatter and RLM7 phoma resistance, Aurelia also offers the highest Light Leaf Spot rating (7) available on the RL.
Acacia is the highest yielding conventional variety on the RL and in its second year of recommendation has proven on-farm and trial performance at 107 per cent of control. Acacia offers key agronomic characteristics of strong autumn and spring vigour, solid disease resistance and short, stiff straw, combined with a high oil content.
Artemis is a consistently high-yielding fully loaded hybrid variety with excellent autumn and spring vigour at 106 per cent of control. Artemis offers a comprehensive trait package with TuYV resistance, RLM7 and pod shatter. It’s one of the tallest hybrids on the RL, but with very good straw strength attributes for securing yield potential in dry conditions.
Aspire is the only recommended conventional variety with the all important TuYV resistance. It’s a short robust plant type with very good straw characteristics. A solid disease and TuYV resistance means Aspire fits the early drilling option perfectly with its slower speed of development.
Aardvark is a conventional variety with early-flowering and high vigour, and the best disease package out of the recommended conventional varieties. The variety has demonstrated a strong performance across all regions of the UK and has a strong agronomic package including excellent straw strength and solid disease resistance.
For more information visit: www.lgseeds.co.uk.
