12th September 2022

New varieties challenge yield thresholds and offer valuable on-farm agronomic characters

Nikita is a conventional oilseed rape candidate variety, with a gross output of 110% on the east –west HGCA Recommended List putting it in joint highest position, 10% above DK Cabernet and 12% over Excalibur. Whilst in the north it achieves 114% gross output, making it the second best performing variety.

Nikita offers a glimmer of hope in the battle against Light Leaf Spot as it has a LLS rating of 8, which would make it the highest on the HGCA Recommended List. Dr Vasilis Gegas, senior oilseed rape breeder with Limagrain UK, notes that in years when LLS pressure is high and widely spread, such as in 2015, resistance ratings may come under pressure and therefore there’s a distinct advantage in starting with the highest rating possible.

“Additionally it has the short stiff stems that growers prefer for ease of harvest, and very good lodging resistance. Nikita is also medium to flower and mature.”

Britannia which was fully recommended in 2014,is a high yielding Group 3 biscuit wheat producing yields comparable to the feed wheats. Limagrain’s Ron Granger notes that Britannia, rated 104 across the UK and two points higher than stable-mate Zulu, is the highest yielding variety in the biscuit wheat category. “It sets a bench mark yield that elevates it above the rest of the pack.”

Similar in height to Invicta and JB Diego, the variety is moderately stiff strawed, and is similar in ripening maturity to Scout. Britannia also offers a very good disease resistance profile, with an 8 for yellow rust and a 6 for septoria tritici combined with good grain quality attributes.

Added to the PGRO Recommended List in 2014 as the highest yielding winter bean, Tundra is an exciting new variety with a pale skinned and a pale hilum colour, potentially suitable for the premium export market for human consumption.

Offering a 9% yield advantage over long-time market leader Wizard at 106%, Tundra has good agronomic attributes, being a moderately short strawed variety with good standing ability. Tundra is also relatively early to mature.

Breeders from across the arable portfolio and Limagrain representatives will be on hand to provide information on all Limagrain varieties, such as high yielding wheats; Evolution and Zulu and oilseed rape, Amalie.

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