Two exciting new high reliability, high output winter oilseed rapes were launched by Dekalb at Cereals 2012 last week (Wednesday June 13) to significantly extend the country’s market-leading variety line-up.

Currently in National List trials, DK Extrovert and DK Explicit take all-round OSR performance to a new level. Together with current RL candidates, DK Excellium and DK ExStorm, they offer best-ever levels of durable stem canker resistance, pod shatter resistance and vigour, amongst other traits synonymous with Dekalb breeding. And they do this at extremely high levels of gross output from very high seed yields and oil contents.

“DK Extrovert is typical of the excellence our next generation hybrid breeding programme is producing,” explains Dekalb’s Will Miller.

“One of the highest yielding varieties in NL1 trials, it’s of medium height and has an earlier than average maturity. What’s more, it sets new standards in disease resistance with a stem canker rating of 9 and light leaf spot rating of 7. Good standing power further minimises agronomic risk.

“With this complete agronomic package and such a high gross output, it’s not surprising the variety is delivering truly outstanding performance in both the replicated plot and large scale strip field testing programmes we run on farms across the country. This underlines that DK Extrovert really has what it takes to shine on farm, beyond the extended rotation, intensive input regime of official trials.

“DK Explicit carries even greater output potential,” Will Miller adds. “Currently in NL1, it topped our own untreated UK trials last year with a phenomenal gross output based on exceptional yields and an oil content of over 48%.

“What’s more, the variety is showing great promise in wider field-scale testing across mainland Europe and the UK. Taller than DK Extrovert and slightly later maturing, it will provide particular rewards for good management.”

Dekalb sees DK Extrovert and DK Explicit as worthy additions to a hybrid portfolio that stands out for farm performance growers can rely at a time when new varieties that shine in official trials frequently disappoint in broad acre practice.

The breeder’s confidence in the new varieties’ ability to consistently deliver on-farm stems from three key factors. First, the superior parent lines from which they are bred. Second, the excellent results they’ve already delivered across the wide range of European conditions under which they’ve been tested as emerging varieties. And, third the impressive performance being recorded in the extensive on farm trials run with commercial growers in parallel to official UK testing.