Top oilseed rape varieties on deferred payment offer from Hutchinsons

Crop production specialists Hutchinsons are offering growers the opportunity to defer payment on seed purchased before 31 March 2020 for leading oilseed rape varieties LG Aurelia and Acacia.

“Seed for these varieties purchased before the end of March this year will not have to be paid for until June 2021,”explains David Bouch, Hutchinsons seed manager.

“We have launched this offer to help spread the cost of seed on the very best oilseed rape varieties, as we recognise the challenges that the wet autumn has thrown at many growers in terms of managing their budgets over the next eighteen months.”

“By signing up to this offer, growers will have access to varieties with the highest gross output (GO) and the very best technical attributes on the 2020/21 AHDB Recommended List, giving them the greatest chance at growing a profitable oilseed rape crop.”

“Both varieties are bred by Limagrain UK and their success is a reflection of the company’s focus on breeding high yielding, trait-loaded varieties suitable for the UK farmer, “explains Vasilis Gegas, Limagrain’s OSR European Portfolio Manager.

Conventional Acacia set a new benchmark as the highest yielding variety when it took poll position on the AHDB Recommended List for 2020/21.

Acacia’s GO for the UK is 109% of treated control, 110% for east/west and 108% for the north, showing how versatile the variety is in producing consistent high yields and oil content in very different situations and seasons.

An Anastasia cross, Acacia demonstrates its parent characteristics of strong autumn and spring vigour, solid disease resistance and short, stiff straw, combined with high oil content.

“Being vigorous in the spring is an important attribute for the establishment of winter oilseed rape, especially when the crop is under stress from pests and disease – which as we know is the biggest threat to the success of an oilseed rape crop currently,” says Mr Bouch.

“Acacia also has good disease resistance to light leaf spot and stem canker.”

“Being medium to early to flower with medium-late maturity, Acacia has a longer grain fill period. It’s a short variety with very stiff stems and very good lodging resistance, so it makes for an easier and quicker harvest.”

“Acacia is suited to the main OSR drilling window but is also useful in a late sown slot.”

The second variety on our deferred payment offer is hybrid LG Aurelia, says Mr Bouch.

“LG Aurelia is another of breeder Limagrain’s fully loaded hybrids, setting a new benchmark for hybrid performance in the UK.”

LG Aurelia has shown consistently high yield performance in some very challenging seasons giving growers security in a variety that show robustness for on-farm performance.

“This is in large part down to its very good autumn and spring vigour, allowing it the best chance to establish and grow away for early pest and disease pressure.”

“Not only does LG Aurelia offer an extremely high gross output at 108% of treated control, and the Limagrain full compliment of traits such as TuYV resistance, pod shatter resistance and RLM7 against stem canker, it also offers the most robust disease resistance ratings of any variety on the AHDB Recommended List with a rating of 8 for both stem canker and Light Leaf Spot resistance.”

“LG Aurelia is medium-early to flower and medium for maturity, ensuring less damage from any late frosts, as well as allowing maximum green leaf canopy duration for maximum yield potential.

The variety is medium in height with ratings of 8 for stem stiffness and lodging resistance.”

Acacia strengths