LS KIWY

Field performance: Our experience with LS Kiwi

When managing weed-heavy fields, herbicide tolerance is the top priority. The LS Kiwi hybrid from the French breeder Laboulet Semences provided us with a balanced solution, combining stable yields with effective weed control. Because it is bred for the Clearfield (Euro-Lightning) system, we can clear the fields of weeds in a single pass without causing significant growth stunting, a common issue with less resilient hybrids.

Built-in disease protection

French selection, overseen by Guillaume Bellier, focuses heavily on plant health. LS Kiwi performs exceptionally well against Sclerotinia and Phomopsis. In our fields, where these pathogens are persistent threats during humid seasons, the hybrid maintains healthy stems and heads consistently. This has effectively reduced our reliance on intensive fungicide programs, allowing us to allocate the budget elsewhere.

Operational takeaways

• Sowing: The hybrid shows excellent germination rates, which simplifies early-stage field planning.
• Growth: It maintains steady development, showing resilience against environmental stress.
• Harvest: Good grain dry-down properties are a significant advantage, reducing drying costs and streamlining logistics at the end of the season.

For an agronomist, LS Kiwi acts as a stable and reliable tool. Its predictable response to herbicides and its natural hardiness against major diseases mean we spend less time managing failures and more time optimizing overall crop management.