LSPB Press Release
LS Plant Breeding Ltd
    
Immediate / 22 AUGUST 2010

SESAME LIVES UP TO TRIALS YIELD PROMISE DOWN ON THE FARM


Winter oilseed rape Sesame was the top-yielding conventional variety in last year’s HGCA trials and, as this year's seed crops are harvested, Sesame looks set to fulfil its trials promise with excellent yields down on the farm. 

Nick Wilson farms 121 hectares (300 acres) near Boroughbridge, north Yorkshire and his seed crop of Sesame came in at 4.6t/ha (1.9t/acre), with 45.6% oil content. “The headlands were a bit puddled in, so the 1.9 is a conservative figure. Looking at the combine’s yield meter, I would say Sesame was doing well over 2.00t/acre in the main part of the field.”

Nick gave the crop a bit more care as it was going for seed:  "It got an extra fungicide but, other that that, it did not have any special treatment.  Our Sesame looked good the whole season - it grew away very well and didn’t stop - so I was a bit concerned it was too far ahead. But, despite the pigeons having a good feed, it came out of the winter well – and that included five weeks of snow when it was the only green thing in sight. It flowered early, and kept flowering over a long period.”

Although it is a tall variety, Nick commented that the Sesame stood well and formed a good, even canopy. “The stalks were strong, but not too thick, so harvesting was straightforward and it was easy to cut. All-in-all, we were pleased with the variety - from drilling to harvest – and with the yield we got.”
“One clue to Sesame’s excellent performance is its Thousand Grain Weight,” suggests Paul Nickerson of Ebbage Seeds, who are working with breeders LSPB on the marketing of the variety. “A big seed means good vigour and gets the crop off to a good start.  And judging by our seed growers' results this season – as shown by Nick Wilson – Sesame is easy to manage during the season on the farm and fulfils the yield promise it shows in official trials.”