Flash

Status: East & West and North region

Key Benefits

High gross output
Excellent spring vigour
Top performance around the world
High oil content
Reliable yields year after year

Flash was first launched in 2007 and is now one of the most popular hybrid oilseed rape varieties in the United Kingdom. It took eight per cent of the market share of total rape seed sold in 2008. It has many advantages including a very good resistance to lodging profile, a late flowering season to avoid frosts and excellent powers of recovery in the spring, growing away quickly. As it is a late maturing variety, seed yield and oil content can be increased and growers are more able to spread their workload at harvest.

Flash has consistently demonstrated a yield performance above current market standards. It is one of the few varieties recommended for the whole of the United Kingdom and remains one of the highest yielding in the Northern region.

HGCA Recommended List 2012/2013	East & West	North
Flash	101	103
Excalibur	103	103
Lioness	100	103

Yield and Gross Output

Flash has a high gross output (101) which is made up from an impressive oil content (45%) and one of the highest seed yields (100) compared with other hybrids on the Recommeded List 2012 /2013.

Ideal for growing throughout the UK

One of the main advantages of Flash is that it is recommended throughout the whole of the United Kingdom. It was the only variety to achieve this in 2008. Being recommended in the North and East & West regions confirms that Flash is suitable across a wide range of climatic conditions, and ensures reliable yields in different locations.

High and consistent gross output year on year throughout the United Kingdom

As well as being a popular variety in the United Kingdom Flash is also sold in many other leading agricultural countries including Ireland, France, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Romania and New Zealand showing consistency, high gross output and excellent yields.

Disease Resistance

Flash has no major disease weaknesses. It has an above average resistance to light leaf spot scoring 5 and 4 for stem canker.

Straw Strength

Flash has excellent straw characteristics. It is a stiff variety, scoring 7 for both resistance to lodging and stem stiffness. Trials have shown that, even where crops have yielded 5t/ha individual plants have remained upright. Flash is a very sound variety and with the help of a plant growth regulator its height can be easily controlled.

Agronomy

Flash is less susceptible to late frosts and remains vigorous even under severely stressed conditions. It is an extremely tall variety helping to ensure drought resistance. Tall varieties generally have an extensive root system which may prove beneficial in the summer droughts which often occur in the United Kingdom as well as reducing the chance of lodging. The tall canopy which is associated with Flash helps reduce the amount of daylight which hits the floor therefore reducing the risk of late weed flushes. Flash is a later maturing variety helping to increase seed yield and oil content as well as spreading the load for growers at harvest.

Harvest period

Flash is a later maturing variety which allows a more managed approach helping to spread the workload where large areas of oilseed rape are being grown. This allows farmers to spread their risk by having a range of dates for drilling and optimum maturity at harvest.

Drilling Dates

Flash is suited to earlier drilling dates helping to spread the workload in autumn.

Sowing rate and pack size

Flash is available in bags containing 1.8million seeds – enough to sow 3 -4 hectares. Growers should aim for between 35 - 45 plants established per square metre in the spring.

Download the Flash leaflet

The above data has been sourced from the HGCA Recommended List 2012/13

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