Yes, we can save winter oilseed rape (WOSR)! And our solution for this save has been doing very well. Last season in Europe about 1.5 million hectares of WOSR has been treated with our Lumiposa insecticide seed treatment: a strong growth compared to the previous season. With regards to this seed applied technology solution, I can say we have received excellent feedback from farmers and our partners, securing a great start for their crop, laying the foundation for a successful and beautiful harvest.
Also, the penetration in 2019 was great. Results achieved in 2019 were very good, up to 30% penetration, but still enough space for growth. We need to remember that in the past, this crop was 100% standard treated with insecticide for early stage protection against main pests.
Today, Hungary is the European country with the highest penetration in WOSR. Minimum 90% of the seeds sowed in autumn 2019 were treated with this solution. After the restriction of neonicotinoids, farmers and partners there have seen and understood the value of the product in the first year of launch. By choosing insecticide treated seeds with this product, farmers reduced early season insect feeding damage, giving the crop a healthy early start, improving vigour and protecting the yield potential.
Several important pests are controlled by our seed applied technology solution that offers a new mode of action with fast-acting protection up to BBCH 14 against early season insects like Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle (Psylliodes spp.), Cabbage Flea Beetles (Phyllotreta spp.), Turnip Sawfly (Athalia rosae) and Cabbage Root Fly (Delia radicum).
Plants protected by this product can grow more vigorously for a stronger establishment, which helps to secure the yield potential with a very safe environmental profile, protecting beneficial insects.
My expectation is for growth in terms of insecticide adoption and in line with farmers expectations, to reduce early-season insect feeding damage, uniform plant establishment and protection of the yield potential!
Winter oilseed rape is an important oilseed crop. However, the overall situation in terms of European WOSR acreage, is not the desired one and the main reason is the large decrease in key producing regions which have been hit by detrimental weather conditions (late frost and prolonged and extreme drought in autumn). Despite all these challenges, WOSR remains a profitable crop because of the economic benefits offered by it.
We are also focusing on applying the product on other hybrid crops, for example corn, and we plan to launch Lumiposa on this crop as soon as possible. It is important for European agricultural production and for growers to have a new insecticide solution available on this important crop, to protect their own against key insects when releasing the genetic potential.
I am sometimes asked if this solution will save oilseed rape production in Europe. What is going to happen…. the crystal ball does not exist… or at least we do not have it! However, from the attached pictures you can easily deduct my opinion!
Click here to view the original article on European Seed