Runner

 

 Dr. Carsten Oertel, head of the oilseed rape breeding department of RAPOOL/DSV

“The Runner segment was created as a solution to the increasingly extreme and unpredictable conditions farmers face today,” says Runner’s lead researcher, Dr. Carsten Oertel, head of the oilseed rape breeding department at DSV. “Our aim was to create a new kind of hybrid — a hybrid that closes the gap between spring and winter oilseed rape by allowing farmers to grow high-yielding oilseed rape in regions where growing a winter crop is getting more and more difficult.” 

What makes Runner hybrids different?

Runner hybrids combine the best traits of winter and spring oilseed rape, delivering a powerful mix of adaptability, resilience, and productivity, including:

• Greater planting flexibility: Runner hybrids grow faster in the early spring than conventional winter oilseed rape. Runner hybrids planted even two to three weeks later than preferred winter oilseed rape seeding time will beat late-seeded winter oilseed rape to harvest.
• Less vernalization required: Runner hybrids require about two weeks of cold — approximately half as much as conventional winter oilseed rape — to transition from vegetative to reproductive growth. This makes them more adaptable to warming and inconsistent winters, and allows an earlier start in the spring.
• Better nutrient efficiency: Runner hybrids’ shorter growing season means nutrients are used to support yield rather than plant longevity.
• Strong disease resistance and resilience: Runner hybrids carry the same resistance genes (including against turnip yellows virus, phoma and light leaf spot) as high-performance winter oilseed rape hybrids. Additionally, since they are sown later and develop faster, Runner hybrids could be less exposed to diseases that take time to establish, like verticillium wilt.
• Reduced heat stress: Runner hybrids reach flowering and pod formation approximately two weeks earlier than conventional winter oilseed rape, potentially avoiding the extreme temperatures and drought increasingly common even in early summer.
• More harvest options: Runner’s early harvestability may enable an extended harvest window, depending on other crops grown, and/or greater opportunity to grow a “catch crop” or double crop. Runner hybrids also carry pod shatter resistance, supporting greater harvest flexibility. 
• High yield: Similar to winter oilseed rape, Runner hybrids out-yield spring varieties by about 20%. “As a plant breeder, one is a mix of a scientist and an explorer. To feel and see that the work of our team is bringing something new and really profitable to farmers, that is the very best feeling in the world,” says Oertel .

 Standard variety on the left, Runner variety on the right (internal trial in Scanteia, Romania 21st of May 2024)

 Runner variety (internal trial in Kujavy, Czech Republic, 3rd of April 2024)

Performance in the Field

The first Runner hybrid to market is FANGIO CL, launching in Hungary this year. More Runner hybrids are already in the R&D pipeline, focused on the southeastern European marketplace..

FANGIO CL has undergone extensive testing both by Rapool and through the Hungarian National Variety Office, with small plot trials running for three years. The results have exceeded expectations.

 Dörte Göckede, International Productmanager RAPOOL

“Even when grown using conventional winter oilseed rape management, which isn’t optimized for a winter-spring hybrid’s unique needs, FANGIO CL outperformed winter oilseed rape varieties,” Dörte Göckede, Product Manager International at Rapool, says. “With optimized agronomic practices, we expect Runner hybrids to meet or even exceed the performance of late-seeded, high-yielding winter oilseed rapes.” 

Best Practices for Growing Runner Hybrids

To maximize success with Runner hybrids, farmers must fine-tune their agronomic practices:

Optimize Sowing Density: Runner hybrids should be sown at a slightly higher rate than conventional winter oilseed crops. “The recommendation, though it depends on timing and conditions, is to plant 50-60 seeds/m²,” Göckede says. “If the sowing date is on the later side — and that specific date depends on region — planting rate should increase to about 70 seeds/m².”

Nitrogen Timing is Crucial: Because they are very nutrient efficient, Runner hybrids may require less fertilizer than their conventional winter oilseed cousins. However, timing is critical. In order to achieve strong early-season growth, they require access to nutrients earlier than would a conventional winter oilseed variety. Calcium-ammonium-nitrate (CAN) combined with sulphur is recommended. 
“If you plan to apply, say, 140 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare in total, I suggest apply 70-80% of this total amount on the first application before the vegetation period starts, and the rest before the plants start to elongate,” Göckede says.

Keep a Watchful Eye on Crop Staging: Runner hybrids’ rapid progression through growth stages means they may require specific inputs earlier than a farmer anticipates. Therefore, it’s critical to be vigilant about scouting, particularly for pests like stem weevils and pollen beetles. The crop requires at least one fall application of growth regulator at the 4-leaf-stage.

A Significant Step Forward

The launch of Runner hybrids marks a major step towards adapting oilseed rape cultivation to a changing climate. “This is not the one and only solution, but it’s certainly a piece of the puzzle,” Göckede says. “Farmers who are curious, hands-on, and eager to try new techniques will be the first to see the benefits of these hybrids.”

The future of resilient, high-yielding oilseed rape starts here.