Arable News

Winter OSR: Managing Forward Crops, Protecting Potential

Winter oilseed rape crops across much of the UK have established exceptionally well this season. Early drilling into warm seedbeds, followed by an open, mild autumn, has driven rapid root and leaf development. Many crops are now notably forward moving into November, with a large proportion sitting comfortably at—or beyond—the 8-leaf stage.

Early Harvest, Mixed Success by Clem Murray: UK Maize Season 2025

The 2025 maize season has given UK growers both relief and frustration in equal measure. An early start and rapid ripening brought the earliest widespread harvests in years, yet below-average rainfall, localised drought, and uneven crop development have kept expectations firmly in check.

Autumn Brings Wide Variation in OSR Crops

We’re seeing everything from crops drilled in early August, now at 7–8 true leaves, to later-drilled crops from mid-to-late September that are only just showing their first true leaf. 

Wheat - Harvest Reflections and a Strong Start to the New Season

It seems a long time ago now, but harvest went exceptionally well this year , a welcome relief after such a busy season. 

Early Maize Harvest Brings Mixed Fortunes for Growers

The UK is experiencing one of its earliest maize harvests in recent memory due to a warm spring and early planting. 

A Season of Two Halves: OSR Establishment Varies Sharply Across Fields

Oilseed rape (OSR) crops across the country are showing a stark contrast this autumn.

Hailing Champion for 2026 Irish RL

DSV’s Champion winter wheat has been named one of the top varieties on the Irish Department of Agriculture’s 2026 Recommended List 

Resilient OSR hybrids key to September drilling

Arable growers should not rule out sowing oilseed rape (OSR) into September, with trials showing later drilling can deliver strong establishment and yield benefits if the right variety and preparations are in place, says DSV UK

DSV OSR varieties top the bill in final 2025 AHDB Harvest Results

New DSV Dompteur is the highest yielding OSR variety in four year-results in the final AHDB harvest results for 2025, DSV Cognac tops the one year results and DSV Cromputer CR is the highest yielding clubroot option.

New DSV Dompteur OSR heads up latest AHDB Harvest Results

New DSV Dompteur is living up its top spot for yield on the 2025 winter oilseed rape candidate list with impressive four-year results in the latest AHDB harvest results published on August 6th.

DSV Cognac tops latest AHDB OSR 2025 harvest results

DSV's new phomablocker oilseed rape variety Cognac tops the AHDB one-year harvest results published on 6th August at 110% of controls - some 3% higher than the variety in second spot.

Could spring sown OSR achieve greater popularity in the UK?

Current high prices for oilseed rape, a shortage of the UK-grown crop for crushers and the need for growers to find profitable options to cereals in the rotation are together fuelling renewed interest in Spring sown oilseed rape.

Why it's time to keep the faith in OSR

After several challenging years, OSR is becoming a crop easily overlooked by many growers but with a potentially much reduced threat of CSFB, strong rotational benefits and the best genetics ever at their disposal, is it time for a rethink?

DSV Yellow Rust statement

Yellow rust is a highly dynamic pathogen that is constantly changing and developing new strains, all of which are potentially capable of affecting plants to lesser or greater degrees.

Clearfield OSR the perfect choice for following HEAR varieties

Oilseed rape growers moving on from HEAR varieties following reduced demand and a reduction in contracts available would be wise to consider growing Clearfield oilseed rape, says Sarah Hawthorne of DSV UK Ltd.

Why OSR still has a valuable role to play in UK rotations

While few could ignore the problems many growers have experienced with growing oilseed rape since the neonicotinoid ban, there are still many good reasons to consider giving the crop a place in future rotations, says DSV's Sarah Hawthorne.

DSV previews new potential milling wheat and top spot OSR at Cereals 2025

A new high quality bread-making wheat and the highest yielding oilseed rape on the 2025 candidate list were some of the new varieties previewed by DSV UK at Cereals 2025.

RL performance underlines strong year for DSV varieties

Despite the 2024's challenging conditions, DSV Champion has had a highly successful year in both official trials and on-farm with its yield of 107% of controls on the latest AHDB 2025/26 RL underlining this, says DSV UK's Sarah Hawthorne.

UK’s dairy farmers choosing earlier maize varieties

As the UK’s climate becomes more and more unpredictable, the country’s dairy farmers are increasingly looking to maize as a means of boosting variable winter forage production from hard-hit grassland.

Why the UK’s arable producers are falling in love with maize

Growing numbers of UK arable producers are discovering the benefits of maize in the rotation with low-input agronomy, reduced nitrogen requirement and an expanding biogas sector amongst the many factors driving its popularity.

DSV Champion tops 2025 Irish RL for winter wheat with top tier yield, agronomics and grain quality

DSV Champion has topped the Irish Department of Agriculture’s 2025 recommended list for winter wheat with a yield of 107% of controls, nearly 5% ahead of the average for the country’s currently recommended varieties.

DSV Champion continues to lead AHDB Harvest Results

Hard Group 4 wheat DSV Champion continues to lead the latest 2024 AHDB Harvest Results published on September 6th with the highest yield for both 2024 and the five-year average yield.

How drilling OSR into September can produce benefits

Reduced disease pressure resulting in average yield increases of between 0.5 to 0.8t/ha been seen in trials drilling where oilseed rape was drilled into September, says DSV oil crops product management lead Simon Kröger.

Don’t be put off drilling OSR through September

Choose a variety with appropriate vigour, get your seedbed preparation right and pay attention to achieving the right plant population if you’re drilling into September, says Sarah Hawthorne of DSV UK Ltd.

DSV Champion tops latest AHDB Harvest Results

Hard Group 4 wheat DSV Champion tops the latest 2024 AHDB Harvest Results published on August 30th with a yield 112% of control, some 2% ahead of the next RL variety.

DSV trials deliver clear trend for later drilling dates Additional Yields on all locations of DSV internal trials in 2023 and 2024

DSV, one of Europes leading Oilseedrape Breeding companies carries out besides pure variety testing trials also production technology trials for different purposes. Late Drilling Trials are a key element of this strategy and take place now for several years already.

Managing clubroot remains a major challenge for Scottish oilseed rape growers

Tighter rotations, greater production of field-scale vegetables and increased use of cover crops combined with the recent wet weather are making clubroot more of a problem than ever for Scottish OSR growers.

New genetics provide key line of defence in addressing 'silent disease’ in OSR

DSV UK's Sarah Hawthorne says DSV Cromputer CR is one of the latest varieties helping to bridge the gap between clubroot protected and other varieties, in many cases outyielding them.

Introducing the LepR1 phoma resistance gene and DSV Phoma Blocker

In DSV trials in Dyngby in Denmark, for example, on a scale of 0 - 10 with 0 being excellent resistance with no phoma spotting in evidence and 10 being high susceptibility to Phoma, varieties without any qualitative resistance showed an average score of 7.5 with a range of 6.5 to 8.5.

DSV introduce new 'Powerful Pods' harvest protection genetics

New oilseed rape genetics being developed by DSV are building on traditional pod shatter characteristics to increase harvest security in light of increasingly variable growing conditions now experienced across Europe.

Developing genetics for a changing climate

Developing varieties able to consistently deliver high performance in a climate change future requires a focus on the physical properties needed to build resilience into plants but also makes improved disease resistance a priority too, say DSV.

DSV OSR POSITIVITY COMMENTS

While few could ignore the problems many growers have experienced with growing oilseed rape since the neonicotinoid ban, there are still many good reasons to consider giving it a place in future rotations, says DSV's Sarah Hawthorne.

How to grow an 11.5t/ha crop of DSV Champion with just 120kg N/ha

An 11.5t/ha crop of DSV Champion produced from just 120kgN/ha prompted Lincolnshire-based Geo. H. Bowser Ltd to increase its acreage of this popular Group 4 hard feed variety for the 2024 harvest.

DSV showcases new OSR and winter wheat genetics at Cereals 2024

DSV will be showcasing its latest PhomaBlocker and Powerful Pods oilseed rape varieties at Cereals 2024 alongside its new super clean wheat DSV Diamond and its portfolio of maize, forage and alternative crop options.

DSV announces new OSR and winter wheat genetics

The company's UK breeding programme, based at Wardington in Oxfordshire and responsible for DSV Champion, currently the Guinness world record holder for wheat yield, is now also making progress with milling specification varieties.

DSV develops new 'Powerful Pods' harvest protection genetics for OSR

New oilseed rape genetics being developed by DSV are building on traditional pod shatter characteristics to increase harvest security in light of increasingly variable growing conditions now experienced across Europe.