AFRODITE

AFRODITE is a variety of white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) primarily intended for the feed industry. The plant is characterized by early flowering and intensive growth during the seedling stage, which allows to reduce the vegetative cycle to 31 days when used as feed, which is 4–5 days shorter than the standard term. When grown for seeds, the vegetative period is from 75 to 87 days – this is approximately 5‑7 days shorter than the average indicator for similar varieties.

Feed properties of the AFRODITE variety exceed standards: the yield of green mass reaches 18,3–21,6 t/h a, which is higher than the standard by 1,1–1,3 t/h a. The protein content in the dry substance of green mass is 18.1%, and the energy value of the feed is 18.04 MJ/kg gross and 10.37 MJ/kg exchangeable energy. Seeds contain a high percentage of fat (28.6%), which makes them particularly nutritious for animals.

The variety differs in good resistance to unfavorable conditions: it is resistant to lodging and shattering, and also shows medium resistance to alternaria, powdery mildew, cruciferous flea beetles and flower weevils. Thanks to these characteristics, AFRODITE can be used as a cover crop in various agro-technical schemes – from intermediate to stubble sowing, as well as as a green fertilizer for improving soil structure and suppressing weed growth.