Spring Oilseed Rape

NPZ cooperates in a European breeding programme (DLE) for spring oilseed rape with DSV and WvB Eckendorf. In addition, there is a North-American breeding programme jointly managed with DSV (DL Seeds Inc.), as well as a small NPZ Australian breeding programme (NPZ Australia Pty. Ltd.).

D3U7163
Spring Oilseed Rape in full bloom

Almost all newly developed varieties are double-zero hybrids (low erucic acid, low glucosinolate content). In the European breeding programme, one focus currently lies on breeding Clearfield® (CL)- hybrids, however, new conventional hybrids are also continuously bred at DLE and registered by the European Plant Variety Offices.

The breeding programme of DL Seeds provides Roundup Ready®(RR)- and Clearfield®(CL)-hybrids to the North-American market. For the Australian market, NPZ Australia breeds triazine-tolerant (TT) hybrids. Increasing grain yield and oil content as well as breeding resistant plants are pursued as key breeding objectives in all breeding programmes; one particular breeding programme aims at varieties with high contents of erucic acids (HEAR).