Monsanto hands out free rapeseed

Arable farmers in the United Kingdom will be given free rapeseed by Monsanto this year. Partly a marketing stunt to promote their own varieties, but also to compensate growers for damage caused by the rapeseed gloss beetle. The company has a solution for that.

Not everyone in the UK gets free rapeseed from the agricultural giant. These are already existing customers, who also suffer a lot from the rapeseed glaze beetle. Due to the ban on neonicontinoids, it is difficult to combat this insect, the flea beetle the English way. The damage in rapeseed is enormous.

Practical trial on a large scale
The company will supply seed of the Imperial variety to 100 farmers. With 1 pack you can sow 1 hectare. White mustard is mixed with the seed. Research has shown that sowing 2 plants causes the beetles to sit on the mustard and leave rapeseed plants alone. The distribution of seed ensures that Monsanto can easily start a field trial on a large scale.

Herbicide resistance
The problem with sowing white mustard with the rapeseed is that mustard can overgrow, which affects the rapeseed yield. Monsanto's Clearfield rapeseed varieties are resistant to the herbicide Cleranda and Cleravo. This contains the active substances imazamox and metazachlor or imazamox and quinmeric. These are not genetically modified varieties. The herbicide tolerance is the result of a natural crossing.

Less spraying
The distribution of seed is of course also a great marketing stunt for Monsanto. The Imperial hybrid variety is the company's hobbyhorse. The advantage is that, according to the supplier, no pre-emergence spraying is required. That saves money. Monsanto expects their hybrid rapeseed acreage to double this year to 60.000 hectares. This makes it 10% of the total British rapeseed area.

Niels van der Boom

Niels van der Boom is a senior market specialist for arable crops at DCA Market Intelligence. He mainly makes analyses and market updates about the potato market. In columns he shares his sharp view on the arable sector and technology.

n.vanderboom@boerenbusiness. Nl

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