Assisting growers with varietal selection

Identifying the varieties best-suited to your local market and farm situation can be a major challenge. There is much to consider and market demand varies from region to region. With so many variables to balance, it can be a daunting and time consuming task.

To help facilitate the varietal selection process, Openfield has developed a quick and easy-to-use online tool.

Using data from official sources, the tool shortlists those varieties that best meet the grower’s requirements. It does this by pinpointing criteria including end-market use, soil suitability, disease resistance or second cereal performance in seconds.

In developing the tool, focus was directed at listing only those varieties with real market potential or a range of management attributes likely to add value to the grower.

“With our close relationship with plant breeders and consumers, we evaluate varieties well in advance of them becoming commercially available,” says Philip Crowther, Openfield Commercial Manager.

Phil Crowther.

“We ensure varieties are selected to add value to growers through enhanced agronomic characteristics, increased yield, and end market suitability.”

As a UK-wide farmer-owned co-operative, trading more than 4.5 million tonnes of grain and oilseeds annually and one of the largest national seed suppliers, it is uniquely positioned to understand the needs of both growers and consumers.

“There was a need for something more intuitive,” he says. “With 41 varieties of winter wheat, 17 varieties of winter barley and an even longer list of oilseed rape varieties on the Recommended List alone, it is perhaps understandable why many growers chose to stay with a variety they know even though there may be others more suitable to their situation.”

To use the online Seed Selector, visit Openfield Insight at www.insight.openfield.co.uk New users will need to register first.