Seven years on from its launch, the milling wheat, Crusoe, is reported to have had ‘one of its best performing seasons’. As a result, it’s sitting at the top of the AHDB Recommended List 2019 harvest results for fully recommended Group 1’s.
“This really shows how robust Crusoe is in a high disease pressure, challenging year,“ said Ron Granger, arable technical manager with Limagrain UK.
“With no issues around any of its physical qualities, Crusoe has become universally accepted by its growers and the millers as being a solid Group 1 which also meets export specifications, and this year’s harvest results confirm its position as one of the most consistently performing Group 1 varieties.“
Adding that Crusoe has stood out over a wide range of different seasons and challenges because of its robust and consistent disease resistance, good standing ability and agronomics, he also said: “Septoria and yellow rust are by far the biggest threats in any season and Crusoe continues to show good resistance to both.”
While acknowledging the variety’s inherent weakness to brown rust, Mr Granger said this is relatively easy to control providing growers are observant and act early if pressure is high.
“Medium maturity helps with an orderly harvest especially for larger growers, and this has helped with this year’s stop-start harvest,” he said. “Crusoe’s bright green colouration is retained longer than most other varieties mainly due to excellent resistance to mildew, yellow rust and Septoria tritici.
“Feedback from the field has sometimes alluded to the fact that the variety can be difficult to thrash out due to its tight glumes, but when the weather causes serious delays, such as this year, this characteristic ensures both yield and quality do not deteriorate, when other varieties have suffered.”
