RAPOOL Stem Strategy - the future of rapeseed varieties

Stem Health: An underrated success factor

Modern rapeseed hybrids thrive on high yield potential, strong disease resistance, and agronomic features. Significant progress has been made in breeding disease-resistant varieties, but extreme weather conditions, new production regulations, and market volatility present ongoing challenges for farmers.

The 2023 season demonstrated that late rainfall, Verticillium infections, and storms were difficult to manage for most commercial hybrids. RAPOOL is addressing these challenges with a new generation of hybrids that combine improved STEM HEALTH with HIGH YIELD STABILITY.

RAPOOL STEM (RS) Strategy – more than just breeding

The European rapeseed market has changed significantly in the last 20 years:
✔ Acreage growth from 3.6 to 6.1 million hectares
✔ Hybrid adoption increasing from 30% to over 90% 

Climate change, tighter crop rotations, and new pests demand more resilient varieties. RAPOOL’s innovative breeding approach provides solutions with resistance against Phoma (Rlm7, RlmS, LepR1/R3) and broad disease tolerance (picture 1).

 Picture 1: Resistance breeding by RAPOOL - important milestones since Rlm7

Plant Health Index: A step toward greater robustness

For decades, official variety registration trials have assessed plant health. In 2019/2020, the official variety authority in Czech Republic introduced an individual Plant Health Index, to characterize the single variety performance against all major rapeseed diseases. These plant health index can be understood as an easy sum of the several scores (in %) against  Phoma, Sclerotinia, and further infections like Verticillium. The first visible step forward here was the hybrid KICKER with a big advantage especially against Verticillium. Later, AKILAH & DOMINATOR continue the RAPOOL RlmS pipeline and convinced in the POP SPZO trials (big stripe trials on farm), but also in the official registration trials (small plots, no fungicide treatment) as reliable checks (AKILAH). Interesting is the observation, that both hybrids (AKILAH & DOMINATOR) convince with high yield figures in the extensive crop management/intensity trials (SDO, realized by UKZUZ) respectively low yield increases (4 – 6 % lower than average reaction of leading competitor hybrids). These underline the broad robustness and reliable stress tolerance of this RlmS genetic, especially under challenging conditions with higher lodging appearance like 2023 (picture 2).

 Picture 2: High verticillium pressure in 2023 (NPZ breeding station, Hohenlieth, Germany)

Robust stem: the last puzzle piece for high yield stability? 

The collected experiences from Czech Republic can be confirmed by further detailed analysis of several disease and agronomy scores, realized by COBORU in Poland. The sum of disease scores against Phoma, Sclerotinia and Verticillium (in %) highlight a wide variance among the tested varieties. Based on the disease scores 2021 – 2023 we get an average stem health index score of 43,6 with a wider range in Verticillium scores (from 15 till 25 %). But especially late Verticillium appearance connected with stronger rainfalls during ripening can led to yield reducing lodging. Therefore, it is no surprise that we see a stronger correlation between strong stem health and lower lodging (Graph 1).   

 Graph 1: Poland, Coboru 2023, NL1-NL3, just 3 years tested varieties presented, Comparison of Plant health index & lodging resistance

 Graph 2: RAPOOL Screening trial (LP523) 2022, location = Stankov in Czech Republic, N= 30 hybrids, Scoring for lodging resistance = average = 7,2

Economic Advantage: Lower Fungicide Costs, More Flexibility

RAPOOL Polska’s trials prove that:
✔ Only 160 kg/ha additional yield with full fungicide treatment
✔ Up to €100/ha in savings with reduced fungicide use
✔ Consistently high yields with lower production intensity

The new RAPOOL candidates show their advantage not only in the official registration trials in Poland regarding lodging resistance, they can also realize a clear yield plus under challenging weather conditions with higher lodging in the field (Graph 2). Thus, the new stem health delivers next to an improved yield stability also the chance for more cost-efficient rapeseed production due to a wider flexibility regarding fungicide respectively growth regulation management.

Internal Plant growth regulation (PGR) trials, realized by our daughter company RAPOOL Polska, confirm the wide flexibility regarding fungicide management respectively the low benefit of a higher fungicide intensity. Based on the results of 2023 for JANOSH, TEXAS and VALERIAN on n = 3 locations we can recognize a yield difference of only 100 kg with already commercialized high yielding hybrids (ATORA, DUKE, JUREK, TEMPTATION), getting the full fungicide treatment.

Additionally, the trial network shows also that a full intensive fungicide treatment with n = 3 applications (autumn, spring & flowering) delivers only 160 kg yield plus for JANOSH, TEXAS and VALERIAN. Based on increasing costs for pesticide products and keeping in mind the planned “Green Deal” program by the European Union, farmers can realize with the new RAPOOL RS hybrids satisfying yield respectively a high economical profit, also with a low intensity approach.   

 Graph 3: Rapool Polska, Agronomic PGR trials 2023, n = 3 loc. (Spytkówki, Pawlowice, Glubczyce)

Based on our trial results from 2023 we can highlight in a direct comparison of A1 (untreated) vs. A2 (full treatment*) for the new candidates JANOSH, TEXAS & VALERIAN, that a higher fungicide intensity delivers in average a yield plus of 160 kg/ha. If we keep in mind the extra costs for the fungicides respectively for the spraying, then we see clear a negative economical result of up to 100 €/ha (Table 1).

RAPOOL RS Strategy: The right solution for practice

The new variety candidates from RAPOOL offer an attractive package of advantages, which enables the modern rapeseed farmer a valuable flexibility realizing the highest economical profit.

✔ Wider flexibility in the crop managment (Nitrogen, Growth regulation, Fungicide)

✔ Better Lodging resistance (even with low fungicide intensity)

✔ Higher yield stability

✔ Advanced environment stability   

RAPOOL RS Strategy – The Future Starts Now!

The rapeseed industry faces growing challenges. Through innovative breeding and future-oriented research, RAPOOL RS Strategy provides the solutions farmers need to stay ahead.