| Arable
LG’s oilseed rape varieties claim top 6 positions on 2020 -2021 AHDB Recommended List It’s the top 6 positions for breeder Limagrain UK’s oilseed rape varieties on the 2020-2021 AHDB Recommended List. In pole position sits conventional variety Acacia at 109.4% of controls, this is closely followed in by hybrids; LG Ambassador (108%), LG Aurelia (107.5%) and LG Artemis (106.6%) with conventionals Aspire (105.8%) and Aardvark (105.3%) completing the top line up. t’s certainly an exciting time for the Limagrain OSR breeding programme as this is the first time that any breeder has achieved this leading position with this many varieties, and is a reflection of our focus on breeding high yielding, trait-loaded varieties aimed specifically for the UK farmer,” points out Vasilis Gegas, Limagrain’s OSR European Portfolio Manager. Acacia is the highest gross output conventional variety for the east/west and north regions, with a gross output of 109.5% and 107.6%, respectively. “The variety is very vigorous in both the autumn and spring, combined with good disease resistance and short and stiff straw,” says Dr Gegas. “Acacia is suited to the main OSR drilling window but is also useful in a late sown slot.” “LG Ambassador is the first of Limagrain’s fully loaded hybrids on the AHDB Recommended List to really show the benefits of our breeding strategy,” he continues. “This highest yielding hybrid for the east/west (Gross Output 108.4% of control) has shown itself to perform across the UK and Europe, showing
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the variety is resilient across a wide geographical area.” LG Ambassador offers an outstanding package of traits associated with Limagrain’s hybrids including; TuYV resistance, pod shatter resistance and RLM7 giving the variety strong protection against stem canker resulting in a resistance rating of 8, which along with a Light Leaf Spot resistance rating of 7, ensures growers shouldn’t lose yield in unfavourable conditions. “LG Aurelia is another of Limagrain’s fully loaded hybrids, setting a new benchmark for hybrid performance in the UK.” Not only does LG Aurelia offer an extremely high gross output, 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 Artemis is another high yielding hybrid for the east/west (106.6%) and north (106%) that once again comes with Limagrain’standard combination of TuYV resistance, pod shatter resistance. Combined with outstanding early
vigour, stiff straw, early maturity and a high oil content Artemis is certainly an interesting prospect for growers for next season. Aspire is a conventional variety, recommended last year and offers very high gross output for the east/west and north regions - as was proven in harvest 2019 with a gross output of 105.8%. Add to this, its TuYV resistance, a strong disease profile, the opportunity to early drill, as well as short and stiff straw, and it’s clear to see that Aspire is truly a farmer friendly variety that makes for an easier harvest, with the potential to increase gross margins. Finally, of Limagrain’s top 6 varieties on the 20202021 AHDB Recommended List, Aardvark is a conventional variety that thinks it is a hybrid, offering high gross output potential across all regions of the UK, with a UK gross output of 105.3% over control. It is very vigorous in both the autumn and spring, competing with hybrids. It has short and stiff straw, as well as good disease resistance. “This excellent agronomic package makes the variety suitable for the early and main drilling window.”
CF CropTec focus on encouraging greater understanding of fertiliser use efficiency (NfUE) and soil testing Helping growers understand more about Nitrogen Fertiliser Use Efficiency (NfUE) and the critical role of accurate soil testing in optimising N applications was the main focus of the CF stand at CropTec 2019. n 2019 farm trials, the combined approach has delivered increases in margin over fertiliser costs (MOFC) of £280/ha in some crops whilst in others 10% higher yields have been seen from 15% less N, says the company’s arable agronomist Allison Grundy. “Whether you look at it from a production efficiency or environmental point of view, getting the most out of bought-in fertilisers will be one of the most important management areas UK growers will face in the coming years. “Keeping N applications to the economic optimum required to deliver yield and quality whilst achieving the maximum return on investment is a key objective for all growers and understanding NfUE and the importance of soil N supply is absolutely fundamental to this.” In simple terms, NfUE is a measure of Nitrogen fertiliser recovered by the crop, she explains “NfUE gives growers a valuable picture of how much Nitrogen fertiliser is actually used by the crop and an insight into the impact their fertiliser choices are having on their production efficiency.
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“It can also highlight where potential environmental concerns might lie which is an increasingly important factor in modern production.” Trials have shown ammonium nitrate (AN) convincingly outperforms straight urea in wheat production in terms of NfUE with an average value for Nitram (34.5%N) of 74% compared to just 66% for urea, she says. “This difference of 8% NfUE is the equivalent of an additional 16% total loss of Nitrogen from urea and in crops with an application rate of 200kg/ha N this would be equivalent to a loss of 32kg/ha N. “In other words, simply using Nitram resulted in crops recovering an extra 16% or 32kg/ha N than they would have done with the same application rate of urea.” As well as making the correct fertiliser choice to maximise NfUE, understanding the contribution soil N is making to crops is also critical, Allison Grundy adds. “Unlike conventional soil N tests, CF N-Min measures not only the Soil Mineral Nitrogen (SMN), the amount of Nitrogen in the soil at the time of testing, but also accurately predicts
Additionally Available Nitrogen (AAN) which is what will become available to the crop between the spring and harvest. “Adding these to an estimate of N already contained in the crop gives a true picture of Soil Nitrogen Supply (SNS). “This can then be used with CF N-Calc to produce fertiliser recommendations based on yield and quality aspirations whilst minimising the potential environmental impact and ensuring the investment in Nitrogen is made full use of.” Combining the commitment to improve NfUE with N-Min can have a significant effect on margins too, she says. “In 2019 trials alone, we’ve seen this approach increasing margin over fertiliser costs by £280/ha in oilseed rape and adding 1.0t/ha to wheat yields. “In Spring barley we’ve seen a 10% lift in yields combined with a corresponding 15% drop in N requirement. “It’s a relatively simple way for growers to increase their own production efficiency and help industry meet future environment objectives.”
December 2019 | Farming Monthly | 13
