Winter oilseed rape recommended and candidate lists

Early AHDB Recommended List winter oilseed rape yields broadly in-line with four-year average despite high temperatures and low rainfall

• Fungicide treated yields available from three RL winter oilseed rape trials
• Average control yield is 5.35 t/ha, which is only 0.03 t/ha above the 4-year average

The first RL winter oilseed rape yield results from three trial sites in Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Hampshire, are published today. See the full list of trials. So far, the highest-yielding control mean is 5.72 t/ha.

The average gross output of the control varieties is 5.35 t/ha, sitting slightly above the four‑year average of 5.32 t/ha. This difference may widen as results from the traditionally higher‑yielding northern trials are added in subsequent reports.

2025-26 season overview

The 2025–2026 season has brought the usual mix of challenges for winter oilseed rape trials; cabbage stem flea beetle, variable establishment, overwinter waterlogging and pigeon damage, but their overall impact has been relatively low, with only one trial lost before harvest. Clubroot has not affected any RL trials this year, though two Variety List trials in South Wales were abandoned on a farm with no previous history of the disease, showing how clubroot is becoming a more widespread issue.

As with commercial crops, yield prospects looked generally strong ahead of harvest, with hot weather pushing crops rapidly towards maturity. It is still too early to assess the full impact of limited rainfall, but initial results suggest it may not have had a significant impact, and northern trials are expected to be less affected, with potential for higher yields.

Light leaf spot pressure has been lower than usual in RL trials this season, and data for both light leaf spot and canker has been published today.

Average yields

Yields are reported as a gross output, which is the seed yield adjusted for oil content. The values are represented as a percentage of the control varieties; LG Adapt, Aurelia, Turing, LG Armada and Pi Pinnacle.

2026 trial yields

Initial results are showing some variability, likely driven by the extreme temperatures and limited rainfall ahead of harvest, highlighting differences in soil type and moisture retention across trial sites. With this in mind, and with only three fungicide‑treated trials reported so far, results should be interpreted cautiously. The highest‑yielding variety at this stage is the newly recommended hybrid for the UK Dompteur on 108%.

Karat, a newly recommended hybrid variety for the UK is on 105%, with the other newly recommended hybrid for the UK KWS Domingos slightly behind on 101%. Of the more established varieties, Turing, a hybrid variety for the East/ West region is showing a strong performance on 105%. LG Academic, a hybrid variety for the UK is close behind on 104%, with Maverick, recommended for the East/West, also performing well on 103%.

Results within the conventional varieties are more variable. Pi Pinnacle, recommended for the UK, is performing ahead of its four‑year average at 100%. The newly recommended UK conventional variety Bachus is at 93%, below its four‑year average of 96%. The more established Annika, recommended for the East/West region, is on 95%, slightly above its four‑year average of 93%, while Tom, recommended for the UK, is just below its four‑year average at 94%. Powerhouse, recommended for the North, is currently at 86%, though this may improve as results from northern trials are added.

The only newly recommended clubroot‑resistant variety for the North, Crios (92%), is currently performing below its four‑year average of 96%. Crusoe, recommended for the UK, is the highest‑yielding clubroot‑resistant variety at 98%, in line with its four‑year average. Cromputer, also recommended for the UK, is at 95%, broadly matching its four‑year average of 96%.

LG Calvin CL, recommended for the UK, leads the herbicide-tolerant varieties at 96%, above its 4-year average of 94%. Matrix CL (89%), recommended for the UK, and Beatrix CL (88%), recommended for the East/West, both currently sit below their four-year averages of 91%.

2023–26 averages

Four-year averages are a better indicator of overall performance. Based on the four-year average values, the highest yielding varieties to date are the newly recommended Dompteur (UK) on 107% and Karat (UK) on 106%, followed by LG Adapt (UK) on 104% and LG Academic (UK) and Maverick (E/W) both on 103%. Turing (E/W) is just behind on 102%.

Of the conventional varieties, the newly recommended Bachus (UK) and Pi Pinnacle (UK) are both on 96%. Tom (UK) is just behind on 95%, with Powerhouse (N) and Annika (E/W) on 93%.

Crusoe (UK) is the highest yielding clubroot resistant variety on 98%, followed by the newly recommended Crios (N) and Cromputer on 96%.

The newly recommended LG Calvin CL (UK) is the highest yielding herbicide-tolerant variety on 94%, followed by Beatrix CL (E/W) and Matrix CL (UK), both on 91%.

Candidate varieties

Data can only be shown for candidate varieties that have been added to the GB and NI Variety List (VL).

The highest‑yielding hybrid candidate so far is RGT Eros at 108%, performing slightly ahead of this in the 2026 trials seen to date. Valdez is on 106% but appears to be outperforming that average in 2026 at 109%. Montana sits at 105%, with early 2026 results also indicating a small uplift to 107%. Daymon and KWS Volcanos are both currently on 102%.

The conventional candidate Ocean is on 97%.

Of the clubroot-resistant candidates, Crown is performing the best on 103% with its performance in line with this for 2026. Crombach is on 102%, with slightly lower results seen so far in 2026 at 99%. Crafter sits at 100% but is outperforming this average so far in 2026 at 106%. KWS Kremos is on 91%.

A note of caution

Results from individual trial sites should not be used to make conclusions on variety performance. This is especially true for winter oilseed rape, as performance tends to be more variable both within and between trials than for cereals.

The final RL is based on results from UK trials over four seasons and this provides the best indication of variety performance.

Further information

Access the full trial results

AHDB Recommended Lists (RL) trials test variety performance under optimum conditions. Care should be taken when making comparisons with commercial yields. Results from individual trial sites should not be used to make conclusions on variety performance. The RL publications are based on information from trials across the UK over several seasons. As more information becomes available from the current harvest, this will contribute to the over-trials averages – which comprise four years for oilseeds and five years for cereals. These averages provide better information for comparison between varieties. Performance variation is not the responsibility of AHDB. Since the focus is to test new varieties, not all RL varieties are presented. Yields for well-established varieties are published at ahdb.org.uk/rl