Oilseeds: Oilseed Rape And Sunflower Seeds

Oilseed rape is currently undergoing specific agronomic challenges across Europe due to a lack of available crop protection products that can safeguard the crop in particular from insects. But where the crop can be grown successfully, oilseed rape is often grown as an important part of arable rotations. Oilseed rape is an excellent break crop, performing competitively in the rotation with cereals in many key countries. Such rotations can contribute to reducing pest and disease pressure, which is greatly appreciated by growers.

Rapeseed oil is a highly versatile crop providing nutritious cooking oil and large volumes are required for processing oil into biofuels as a renewable energy source. Even the residue produced from the crush, called rapeseed meal is often used in animal feed which adds holistically to the demand for the crop. Globally, oilseed rape is the second-largest source of protein meal.

InVigor^®

InVigor^® is the robust umbrella brand for hybrid oilseed rape - both winter and spring varieties. This brand represents more than ten years of significant European investments in germplasm and breeding.

A constant innovative pipeline R&D for Seeds & Traits

The BASF oilseed rape breeding program for Europe is piloted from Astene, Belgium. The team in Astene are dedicated to the breeding of parental lines and hybrids for winter and spring oilseed rape to serve customers in Europe.

Plant breeding is at the heart of our business strategy producing a constant pipeline of better performing hybrids every year. These hybrids are recognised by growers across Europe for agronomic characteristics, such as standing power, winter hardiness and a very interesting disease resistance package. 

Now, also, in our portfolio are several hybrids with our pod shatter reduction technology that are looking very promising in European stress tests.

Investing long-term in our European Seed Business

Check out the video to learn more about breeding for oilseed rape and the work that goes behind agronomic services in the field using drone technology. You will even see how to check a hybrid for pod shatter resistance in a lab and also in the field!

High-quality oilseeds, adapted to local conditions, which aid productivity and help you deliver fields of liquid gold. To enable us to consistently provide this, we have invested in:

• Research to maximise grain and oil yields, and improve disease resistance
• Passionate people, experts in oilseed rape working in breeding and seed operations
• Many products in the pipeline with more than 100 European trial locations to test our hybrids

Product Offering

A range of high-quality and performance hybrid seeds, spring and winter oilseed rape, adapted to diverse European agro-climatic conditions.

Today, breeding work for InVigor^® products is key to maximise grain and oil yields, and improve disease resistance. InVigor^® has a Good disease protection package:

• Phoma (qualitative & quantitative)
• Light Leaf Spot,
• Clubroot,
• Verticilium,
• Sclerotinia,
• Orobanche
• Turnip Yellows Virus

At the farm level, oilseed rape management can benefit from many advantages provided by the BASF Pod Shatter Reduction Technology:

• Harvest flexibility
• Higher yield and better quality grain
• Reduce seed loss and volunteer pressure

Product Concept

• A focus on yield and quality seeds
• Hybrids that are adapted very well locally eg: winter hardiness in continental areas
• Hybrids with Clearfield herbicide tolerance to simplify weed management options.

Quality Benefits

• Good germplasm in key markets deliverying high yield performance
• Highest purity standards possible in the genetic, physical, varietal and physiological quality of our seed materials
• Well adapted to specific environments

BASF has signed a long-term partnership enabling a constant stream of innovative hybrids to be commercialized under the BASF brand focusing on the Black Sea area. All the hybrids originate from one of the best main sunflower research programs worldwide.

Our InSun^® branded portfolio includes conventional hybrid seeds as well as products that have Clearfield^®,  Clearfield^® Plus technology and Sulfo herbicide tolerance. This seed offer is available across Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia, Spain and Greece and in the coming years, more countries will have access to these innovative hybrids where sunflower is part of standard crop rotations.

The portfolio offered by BASF today has flexible and powerful weed control thanks to Clearfield^® and Clearfield^® Plus production systems  as well as Sulfo herbicide tolerance for sunflower. The hybrids also provide other benefits to the grower such as yield, reliability and oil content.  Orobanche and mildew protection are key benefits in the portfolio too providing an interesting disease resistance package.

BASF can now offer you agronomic insight and knowledge about the portfolio of sunflower seed hybrids, together with a wide range offer of  BASF agricultural solutions in your country for fungicides, insecticides, herbicides to help you attain superior farm management in sunflowers.

BASF – InSun^® we trust!

Customer stories