“In a year when oilseed rape plantings are up by well over
5%, our oilseed rape variety Sesame - which is the highest-yielding conventional
variety in HGCA recommended list trials - has taken up over 10% of the
acreage this autumn,” said Theo Labuda, LSPB’s managing director. “We have also had
success with our varieties Cracker and Palace, and all three will be
considered for addition to the HGCA Recommended List later this month.”

Paul Nickerson of Ebbage Seeds, who are working with breeders LSPB on the
marketing of the variety, commented: “Our clubroot-resistant hybrid Cracker has all-
but replaced the previous leading clubroot-resistant variety, Mendel, in Scotland
where this disease is a key factor in choice of variety.

“Also our hybrid variety Palace, which is the third LSPB oilseed rape being considered
for recommendation, has outstanding resistance to light leaf spot – a disease that is
becoming an increasing threat to the crop as this yield-robbing disease spreads
southwards.”

Mr Labuda added that LSPB has a number of promising varieties in the pipeline:
“For example, we have a semi-dwarf variety, Thorin, which has completed two years
of National List trials. Looking further into the future, we have an interesting IMI-
tolerant (imazamox herbicide) variety in National List trials.”