Oilseed rape and Solutions
The global market & RAGT
Oilseed rape is now grown on just over 40 million hectares worldwide. With almost 400 million tonnes produced, rapeseed is the second most important oilseed crop. The main producers are the European Union, Canada, Australia, China and India.
Depending on the country and latitude, 80% of the crops grown are canola with a 5-6 month cycle, and 20% are winter rapeseed with longer growing cycles of up to 10 months.
The oil extracted from the seed is used either for human consumption or to make biodiesel, or for industrial uses (detergents, cosmetics, plastics, lubricants, ….). The protein remaining after pressing the seed is used for animal feed.
For over 50 years, RAGT has been breeding winter oilseed rape, a type of rapeseed mainly found on the European continent.
High Oil Content
Specialist of Winter oilseed rape
Sustainable disease management
Our Common challenges
The challenge is to meet both the needs of farmers (yield, agronomic qualities, resistance to biotic and abiotic stress, adaptation to climate change, reduced use of pesticides) and the needs of end users (oil, protein). Oilseed rape is a lucrative and complex crop. The establishment phase is critical, with increasingly dry summers at the end of the year, and the risks associated with insects and disease are increasing with the loss of chemcial solutions. Varietal selection has a major role to play.
RAGT for farmers: yield, stability, and also
For RAGT, the key to successful oilseed rape growing is to look ahead to avoid being reactive and thus limit the complexity of crop management. As a result, it is important to prepare the soil well and choose the right variety profile to reduce the risk of disease and insects, and thus use less pesticides.
RAGT selects multiple varieties with disease and insect tolerances. RAGT responds to all geographical contexts (phoma, cylindrosporium, verticillium, sclerotinia, plasmodiophora brassle phoma, sclerotinia).
With the GENECARE TuYV solution, RAGT offers a robust genetic construction to avoid the jaundice virus.
Finally, RAGT stands out for its support during the crop installation phase with Secure Install, a mix of rapeseed, starter fertiliser and a legume. In Germany, Gold Edition provides reassurance with a biostimulant and emergence insurance.
RAGT For Industries : Quality
Oil content has been an integral part of the company’s breeding programme for many years for rapeseeds and sunflower. Our germplasm is recognized globally as extremely good provider of oil content.
Many varieties in the RAGT range have been labelled Oil+. This label identifies varieties whose oil content is significantly higher than average, ensuring greater added value for the entire sector.
For special needs, RAGT selects and provides varieties with specific oils ; erucic oil varieties for cosmetic and plastic industries, or HOLL oil varieties (high-oleic low-linolenic) for healthy and long-life frying oil.
Where you can find our varieties
Our Oilseed rape solutions
Did you know ?
Oilseed rape, the result of a cross between a cabbage and a turnip, has been cultivated since between 2000 and 1500 BC. The origin of this natural hybridisation has yet to be elucidated. Cross-breeding may have occurred in the wild around the Mediterranean basin, in vegetable gardens where cabbage for human consumption and turnip rape to produce oil for lighting were grown side by side.
Reasons to grow Oilseed rape
- With a high power of yield component compensation the yield is particularly stable, and with high gross output potential oilseed rape can be a profitable break crop option.
- Oilseed rape is an excellent crop to place before wheat in the rotation as it allows grass to be managed in the rotation and breaks the cycle of cereal diseases. Harvested in early summer, oilseed rape frees up the soil early, spreads the harvest workload and allows early planting of wheat.
