As the UK’s oilseed rape growers make their winter variety choices, getting plants established as quickly as possible will be a clear objective.

Every farm will have its own strategy but the goal for all will be to go into the winter with strong, resilient crops by mitigating the threat posed by pests and disease.

For an increasing number, that will involve using proven seed-applied technologies.

Anticipating this need for the 2020 planting season Pioneer seed from Corteva Agriscience will be available with two different seed treatment options.

Lumigen Standard provides growers with a proven fungicide and growth promoter combination treatment. Lumigen Insecticide includes the same but also with the addition of the unique insecticide Lumiposa.  

It is Lumiposa that will attract oilseed rape growers who are fighting a battle with key autumn pests as it can strengthen a planned, integrated approach to crop establishment and make an extra contribution to establishment success.   

The systemic insecticide – with the active ingredient cyantraniliprole – has been developed to protect young oilseed rape seedlings from a broad range of pests including flea beetles, cabbage root fly and turnip sawfly.

The insecticide helps plants withstand feeding damage and allows them to grow with more vigour during the key early growth stage after germination.

A strong establishment at the beginning of the crop’s growth can deliver better yields and higher quality at harvest

Pioneer Seeds and Inoculants Manager, Andy Stainthorpe, said: “Whatever your oilseed rape strategy is for the autumn, getting good establishment is fundamental. Every farmer must aim for the strongest integrated approach to increase the chances of achieving the desired plant population entering the winter.  

“Protecting plants from pests is one of the tools that will help achieve fitter crops with the most vigorous early growth.”

UK farmers have been able to use Lumiposa-treated seed for two years, and data from 250 Pioneer large strip farm trials across Europe has shown that the protection it offers young plants transfers to yield increases.

The results show an average yield uplift of 8.6% compared to crops that didn’t use Lumiposa.

Andy said: “Farmers and researchers are trying lots of different techniques to find the best strategies to suppress the threat of pests. But we are relatively early in the process so little has been proven and concrete data simply doesn’t exist to back up many of the approaches farmers will be considering.

“With Lumiposa we have an on-farm data set which shows an average benefit of over 8% on yield and we believe farmers who have already used it successfully intend to plant it again this autumn.

“There is no silver bullet for the pest challenges we face but Lumiposa is one of the tools available to farmers as part of an integrated pest management approach.”

Pioneer treated seed is ready to order and Lumiposa will be the only insecticidal oilseed rape seed treatment available to UK farmers this year.

Lumigen Insecticide treatment is available on all Pioneer winter oilseed rape hybrids including the AHDB listed hybrids PT279CL, PT275 and PX131, and the new Protector Clubroot hybrid PT284.