Limagrain expects its new Group 4 hard wheat entrants, LG Defiance and LG Challenger, to take a substantial market share next season, between 8-9% and 2-3% respectively. The smaller proportion of LG Challenger is only due to challenges in establishing the seed crop last year.
It says both have good pedigrees. LG Defiance is a combination of KWS Extase and Gleam, while LG Challenger is parented by a combination of Gravity and SY Insitor, with LG Skyscraper. They join the List with an average treated yield of 109% for LG Defiance and 107% for LG Challenger, with only KWS Aintree positioned above them.
Regionally, both are consistent, suggests the company, with LG Defiance rated at 108% for the East, 110% for the West and 109% for the North, with an untreated yield of 95%. LG Challenger sits at 107% for both the East and West, 109% for the North and has an untreated yield of 93%.
Ron Granger, arable technical manager, notes both come with a strong suite of traits. Yellow rust resistance is ranked at 8 for LG Defiance and 7 for LG Challenger, septoria is 6.3 and 6.1, and fusarium is a 7 for both. They also include resistance to orange wheat blossom midge.
PGR performance
Ron expressed some confusion about the performance scores with plant growth regulators (PGRs). Both varieties were scored a 7 for lodging without PGR, and LG Challenger retained this score with PGR. However, LG Defiance was scored a 5 when PGRs were applied.
“We have not seen anything to suggest that lodging is an issue when PGRs are applied during our own trials.”
Indeed, he said that Defiance is a tall variety that will require a good PGR programme. It responds best to a split application and a strong fungicide programme, with trials in Scotland suggesting that lodging was less than 5%.
Ron adds that the reduced height after PGR applications did not impact final yield potential and he expected market response to be like LG Skyscraper or LG Redwald. “If growers are concerned, they can drill later or hold LG Defiance back as a second wheat,” he says.
LG Defiance is best suited to drilling after the 25th of September, with yield potential only dropping to 108% when drilled from November onwards.
Ron considers LG Challenger as an all-rounder, with yield potential reaching 110% when drilled early, but only dropping to 106% with November establishment. Both are also well-suited as second wheats, and both have a protein content of more than 10%, increasing to 11.3% when grown to milling specification.
