RGT Ceos – game-changing traits in a different genetic background

RGT Ceos, RAGT’s latest oilseed rape variety to hit the market, will be available to a few lucky growers this season as seed merchants assess the variety for themselves ahead of its planned commercial launch in autumn 2025.

The variety has put in strong performances across Europe in recent seasons, but with very little seed available in this country until now, seed merchants have only been able to view it in official and breeder’s trials. It is now in development with members of the Alliance group and Agrii.

″RGT Ceos is a good example of our new breeding direction and contains some real game-changing characteristics stacked into a different genetic background,″ says RAGT UK’s managing director Lee Bennett. ″This underpins the variety’s remarkably consistent performance and excellent vigour.″

Dorset-based Pearce Seeds is one merchant allocating RGT Ceos packs for growers to try this autumn. The firm’s Clive Tuffin likes what he has seen of the variety so far.

″Ceos is very vigorous in the autumn, which is really important to get the crop through the vulnerable stage. There are plenty of things that will nobble small OSR plants, not least cabbage stem flea beetle.″

RGT Ceos also grows away quickly in the spring, producing plenty of fresh growth that won’t have as much larval burden as the autumn biomass and setting the crop up well for the months ahead.

Solid disease resistance is another plus for Clive. ″Ceos has double phoma resistance which is a big positive – the more traits you can stack, the longer they will last and the better they will work.

″Ceos scores a 7 for light leaf spot and it has TuYV resistance. I particularly like its Verticillium resistance as well. I think Verticillium is often under-diagnosed in rape crops so it is a good trait to have. We saw that with Campus, which was a great variety for over a decade.

″Ceos does stand very well, thanks to its very stiff straw, and it has good pod shatter resistance.

″Oil content is very good, 46.5% compared with most others around 45%, so that can be worth quite a bit of money, and in terms of black seed yield it’s very good.″

Sowing management

Clive advises sowing RGT Ceos once the main flea beetle migration period has passed, so the end of August or later.

″If you drill a vigorous variety early, you have to give it a robust autumn pgr – it is a must – and again in the spring. The autumn application can be combined with a graminicide to remove cereal volunteers as soon as the crop hits five leaves.

″Don’t leave the crop to become too proud at the end of October; it’s too late. You will get more leaf die-off through the winter which will host more disease, and you will have a battle to stay on top of it.″

Could varieties like RGT Ceos, with its inherent vigour and highly desirable traits, help turn the market around? ″I think RGT Ceos has a lot going for it,″ Clive concludes. ″I wouldn’t be surprised to see it take a decent share of the market once there is more seed available.″

RGT Ceos – key points

• Excellent autumn vigour and establishment

• Phenomenal spring vigour

• Superb all-round disease resistance profile

• Good phoma and LLS scores

• TuYV tolerant

• Intermediate Verticillium wilt tolerance

• Resistant to pod shatter

• Excellent lodging and stem stiffness scores

• Outstanding gross output

• High oil content

• Very good seed yield