VALUE-ADDED traits is the main reason for breeding house, Limagrain’s success in both the oilseed rape and spring barley lists, it said this week.

It has a new oilseed rape and two spring barleys added to the AHDB Recommended List.

Of its new spring barleys, LG Diablo, got its reward as the highest yielding spring barley variety in the north and east; while LG Tomahawk again offers high yields in the same areas. Both are undergoing malting evaluation for, Diablo for brewing and distilling and Tomahawk for distilling only.

Its new 'special OSR category' Listing – the turnip yellows virus (TuYV) resistant Architect – is an interesting prospect in the UK, where it produces a gross output 102% over control.

This yield is comparable with non-TuYV resistant varieties and gross output in the east/west is at 102%, though in the north gross output is slightly lower at 99%.

This high gross output and yield potential has been reproduced in Limagrain’s own trials across the UK and Europe, showing just how resilient the variety is across a wide geographic area.

“This is a significant step-up in yields since the launch of our first turnip yellows virus (TuYV) resistant variety, Amalie, in 2015, and shows the success of our breeding approach which aims to maximise yield potential while ensuring yield stability," said Dr Vasilis Gegas, senior oilseed rape breeder for Limagrain.

“We have worked on reducing yield instability and protecting yield potential, by building traits into our varieties that help to mitigate the impact of environmental and other stresses.

"In trials carried out in 2015 and 2016 by Limagrain across Europe, we have been able to show that when compared with non-resistant control varieties, the yield of Architect increases as the TuYV infection levels rise, giving an 11% yield advantage at very high infection level sites.

"So, Architect offers a range of agronomic characters that will make it a firm favourite on farm such as good resistance to light leaf spot (6), stiff straw (8) and early maturity (6). It also has pod shatter resistance and handles frost very well," he added.