The recommended list for oilseed rape was published by the Department of Agriculture on Monday (July 30). Four varieties made the cut this season, including: Anastasia; DK Extrovert; PX113; and SY Harnas.
All four varieties were first recommended in 2017. Just one is a conventional variety – Anastasia – while the remaining three are hybrids. A total of 25 varieties went through national list trials this year.
Yield
Anastasia scores highest for relative yield at 103. This is followed by SY Harnas (100), DK Extrovert (98) and PX113 (97). DK Extrovert has the highest rating for oil content at 101. The three remaining varieties have a rating of 99.
Plant height
Plant height is an important characteristic and PX113, which is a semi-dwarf variety, has a height of just 115cm. This is in comparison to Anastasia – the tallest variety -with a height of 138cm. However, Anastasia has the same rating for lodging resistance as PX113, with a score of eight.
Maturity
DK Extrovert rates highly for earliness of flowering and maturity, with scores of eight and six respectively. Other varieties on the list rate between five and six for both characteristics.
Disease resistance
Light leaf spot is the main cause for concern in oilseed rape plants. DK Extrovert tops the list with a score of seven, while the three remaining varieties have a score of six. Click here to view the full list