NK, the oilseeds brand of Syngenta Seeds, has launched it latest conventional HGCA recommended winter oilseed rape variety, NK Grace. One of just two new additions to the HGCA Recommended List 2006/07, NK Grace has all the characteristics to meet the stringent requirements of an optimum biomass variety combing yield with flexible crop management.

NKGrace has a leading seed yield of 105% and a high oil content at 44.6% lending the variety a gross output similar to NKBravour at 106%; it beats Castille by 2%, and both ES Astrid and Winner by 3%. NKGrace is a medium to short variety scoring 7 for plant height and it has excellent resistance to lodging at flowing and also stem stiffness at harvesting with an HGCA rating of 8 for both characteristics. In addition, the variety has a High Merit Index rating of 134.6 indicating good all round disease resistance.

“NKGrace not only offers yield, but flexibility of management,” explains NK’s Nigel Padbury. “NKGrace is a medium to short variety offering optimum biomass and thereby providing farmers with the opportunity to facilitate greater control over canopy management, for example plant population, fertiliser application and growth regulators.” He adds: “In turn, NKGrace will enable oilseed rape growers to optimise their crop’s output potential while maximising the efficiency of inputs and the subsequent return on investment.”

NKGrace is being marketed exclusively through United Oilseeds.