Mike Pickford is an independent plant breeder and is the only remaining breeder in the UK focusing on conventional oilseed rape varieties. He says a top performing conventional rape variety can easily outperform some hybrids. Based in the Cotswolds, his varieties are chosen for their performance under UK field conditions. “My view is that it is important to breed varieties in Britain for British growers.”
He has been involved in plant breeding in the UK for over five decades years, with no sign of slowing down! His background includes fifty golden years in plant breeding, starting with being head of breeding for Twyford seeds from 1973 to 1995, then becoming a self-employed plant breeder. Based in the Cotswolds, his varieties are chosen for their performance under UK field conditions. “It is important to breed varieties in the UK for UK growers,” he said.
“My philosophy of breeding follows a “Component analysis technique” to achieve a high harvest Index, by improving individual yield components. It is a case of a simple mathematics such as increasing the number of pods, increasing the number of seeds per pod and increasing the seed size, leading to higher yields.” He also looks for clean green stems when ripening allowing more efficient photosynthesis during the grain filling process. Selected varieties remain green for longer, continuing to build yields at the end of the season.
A strong example of Mike’s successful breeding programme is the conventional oilseed rape variety, Pinnacle. Pinnacle has done what its name suggests and topped the conventional segment of AHDB Recommended variety list in 2025, reaching the number one spot in terms of gross output and treated yields for the second year running.
Mike’s strategy has certainly been successful with Pi Pinnacle. On the AHDB recommended list 2025/2026. Pinnacle achieved a UK Gross output of 101%, 101% in the East and West and 101% in the North, outperforming all other conventionals such as Tom, Annika and Acacia.
Neil Groom, general manager for Grainseed, reported that their conventional winter oilseed rape variety has produced a high gross output across all AHDB regions and is recommended for the whole of the UK in 2025/2026. “Pinnacle has been in official trials for 5 years now and has given consistent performance in those five years. Its consistent treated gross output throughout the UK means that it has become the new conventional control variety for AHDB official trials 2025/2026. It was also the most widely grown conventional for sowings in 2024. Most growers re-sowed their Pinnacle autumn 2024 for harvest 2025.”
Neil noted that the weather during 2024 was challenging for all and the lower sunlight hours reduced the yield of all crops. Yields of the Recommended List trials, however, averaged 4.92t/ha, only slightly below the long-term average of 5.05t/ha. “At harvest in 2024 many growers reported much lower incidence of adult cabbage stem flea beetles in the trailers, and we have seen much lower levels of adult feeding damage at emergence allowing better establishment of the crop. This has given many growers higher confidence in growing the crop again and benefitting from higher break crop margins. Pinnacle shows good seedling vigour and establishment, with good spring vigour.”
“On average, Pinnacle has about a 5% increase in yield components compared with some earlier varieties such as Elevation. It has an 8% increase in yield components over Campus, with more pods per plant, more seeds per pod and larger seeds. Pinnacle, for example, has seeds with a thousand grain weight between 6.5 to 7gms compared to Campus at 5 to 6 gms, It has also given high yields in private trials. For example, in Agrii UK trials on four sites Pinnacle yielded 111% compared with the hybrid control variety Aurelia at 103%.
Becki Gibbs, seed manager for United Oilseeds, said: “There are a number of excellent varieties available this season which have been bred to overcome some of the challenges faced by OSR growers and Pinnacle is an excellent example We’re pleased to have Pinnacle in the portfolio for 2025 and would strongly encourage growers to order their seed and support the ongoing success of this iconic crop.”
Mike reports that he has some promising new varieties in the pipeline, based on Pinnacle’s background but with an additional 10% increase in components of yields which look to be exciting for the future. “I am looking at a variety Pi73 which looks nice in the field and is now entered into Official NL trials.”
Pictured: Emily Pick (Grainseed), Becki Gibbs (united Oilseeds), Mike Pickford (plant breeder and Neil Groom (Grainseed)
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