Sowing Farm Saved Seed this season could be false economy for winter oilseed rape growers. Savings worth more than £60/ha are in the offering if farmers select some of the newest varieties to be introduced to the HGCA Recommended List 2005/06, rather than saving seed from a home grown older variety with a potentially lower yield and lower oil content, says NK's Nigel Padbury.

“Using FSS has traditionally been perceived as cost effective, however the advent of a plethora of new and considerably higher yielding varieties, both conventional and hybrid, should prompt farmers to re think their decisions,” he explains.

“The apparent cost saving benefit of FSS using older varieties is no longer there when seed yield and accompanying oil content are taken into account on the one hand, and seed dressing costs on the other.”

Take for example, the new high yielding conventional NKBravour, with a seed yield of 105% and an oil content of 45.2% compared with an older variety, such as Canberra at 97% seed yield and a lower oil content of 44.4% taken from the HGCA Recommended List 2005/06*.

“Despite FSS Canberra's total seed cost plus royalty working out at around half the cost of certified seed, NKBravour's crop value far outweighs that higher certified seed cost to the extent a benefit of more than £61/ha can be achieved,” Mr Padbury explains.

A similar result can be obtained from comparisons with FSS of many other older varieties such as Courage, Recital and Expert. Even last year's market leader, Winner, is now being outclassed for seed yield and oil content.

“Certified seed also has the added advantage of the quality assurances that come with certification and the product support that your seed merchant can provide,” says Mr Padbury. 

“In addition, growers will no doubt be aware too of the BSPB's 'Fair Play' campaign toestablish a level playing-field in which all farmers contribute fairly for the benefits of using FSS. Farmers who play fair should not be subsidising those who don't, and farmers who continue to break the rules will face legal action. Plant breeders and the farming unions have joined forces to develop improved arrangements to identify and tackle non-compliance.”