Purpose bred
to thrive
Pallaton Raphno®
Pallaton Raphno® is a hybrid between Brassica oleracea (kale) and Raphanus sativus (radish). This hybrid has brought a number of impressive agronomic attributes into one cultivar, including high forage yield from multiple grazings, drought tolerance, clubroot tolerance and improved tolerance to a range of key insects.
The first new forage brassica species New Zealand farming has seen since the 1980s. Developed by PGG Wrightson Seeds under the Forage Innovations joint venture with Plant and Food Research.
THE SUCCESS OF SCIENCE
The goal of the breeding programme was to combine six stacked traits, which would perform for New Zealand farmers within increasingly challenging environments.
The six traits include:
- High forage yields from muiltiple grazings
- Plant persistence under multiple grazings
- Drought tolerance
- Clubroot tolerance
- Aphid tolerance
- Grazing flexibility
High Yielding
14% increased yield advantage relative to Goliath® forage rape in a multi-graze system (total cumulative dry matter (DM) yield from repeat harvests).
Clubroot Tolerance
Pallaton Raphno® has a high tolerance to clubroot. In vitro inoculation pot trials and field trials to date have shown strong tolerance to Pukekohe, Hawke’s Bay and Southland strains of clubroot. Although Pallaton is highly tolerant to clubroot it is still susceptible to other brassica diseases.
GRAZING PALATABILITY
Pallaton has shown increased palatability relative to forage rape and leafy turnip brassicas.
MORE MEAT PER HECTARE
APHID TOLERANCE
32% increase in Aphid tolerance relative to forage rape. Pallaton also has a higher level of tolerance to White Butterfly and Diamondback Moth.
Forage rape (left) and Pallaton (right) under Aphid pressure. Both plants have had identical treatment and are in side-by-side plots.
Grazing Flexibility
Graze Pallaton as early as 50 days after emergence (DAE) to maximise crop utilisation and regrowth potential. It can be deferred up to 100 DAE, however crop utilisation, regrowth potential and feed quality will be reduced. Pallaton does not have a specific maturity requirement.
PERSISTENCE UNDER MULTIPLE GRAZINGS
100% increase in plant survival relative to forage rape under dryland sheep grazing management.
Post grazing (left) and 15 days after rain (right).
Drought Tolerance
38% increase in water use efficiency (WUE) relative to Goliath forage rape.
Pallaton plots (dark green) amongst forage rape varieties in dryland North Canterbury.
