semi dwarf rape

[JNG]

We grew 4 different varieties of rape this year and without doubt the one which had the most difficulties growing away from the pigeons was Troy. Now it looks very well at the moment, my question is because they dont stretch for the sky so to speak, are they more susceptible to later pigeon grazing.

Picture of Troy last week taken on one foot, its short, but canopy is dense with lots of branches etc.

Troy foreground, Cabranet beyond the trees.


With my experience of expower lodging in 2012 I am keen on easily handled varieties from now on but wondering as to their disadvantages?

 

[hybrid vigour]

Troy is a little slower in Autumn and Spring development than a 'normal' hybrid variety however it has proved to be fast compared to other semi dwarfs in trial. The big advantage of a semi dwarf is that it is a determinate plant therefore its range of growth is far more stable than with most other indeterminate varieties. This year it can be clearly seen in trials where tall varieties are all short and short varieties are very short (which may inhibit their yield) whereas the semi dwarfs are at an expected height. This doesn't solve any pigeon issues of course, but this year because of the exceptionally long, cold winter and spring - pigeon damage has been at an all time high.

 

[JNG]

Thanks Hybrid Vigour. My thinking is I have access to fairly cheap poultry manure so with these varieties I can use in seedbed and not have the problems like I had with expower which I could not control (very growthy season), with 4t/ac in seedbed and 120 units N in spring. At the time I thought I was holding back the spring N alot, but in hindsight not nearly enough, 60%flat and early. still yielded 1.45t/ac tho and cheaper crop than I usually grow so with a short variety and no lodging and a low seed rate and Im quids in??????????? If only life was that easy!

 

[Mattch]

I have grown semi dwarf osr for a number of years, mainly pioneer varieties. I have some Troy this year which looks well. I am surrounded by woodland and pigeons have not been a problem pre harvest. I grow for the reasons you mention, drill early with no worry of lodging, early N possible if required, easy to travel with little crop damage and a big advantage at harvest. Faster combining and short stubble. For the last three seasons yields have been on a par with pioneer W21 and oils have been good.

 

[JNG]

I have grown semi dwarf osr for a number of years, mainly pioneer varieties. I have some Troy this year which looks well. I am surrounded by woodland and pigeons have not been a problem pre harvest. I grow for the reasons you mention, drill early with no worry of lodging, early N possible if required, easy to travel with little crop damage and a big advantage at harvest. Faster combining and short stubble. For the last three seasons yields have been on a par with pioneer W21 and oils have been good.

Thanks thats the sort of answer I was hoping for, I have a 10 acre field trial of it this year to look at and unless its a disaster I think its the way ill go also.

 

[SilliamWhale]

I was a bit worried about the title of this thread, luckily it isn't what I thought it might have been..

 

[JNG]

I was a bit worried about the title of this thread, luckily it isn't what I thought it might have been..

If I remember from college Will you were not that tall????? Sorry very bad taste.

 

[SilliamWhale]

If I remember from college Will you were not that tall????? Sorry very bad taste.

I'm quite tall for a Welshman.

 

[franklin]

At 1.45t/ac from a 60% lodged crop in one bad year, wouldnt you consider growing ExPower again?

I am having a look at these semi-dwarves as I am intending drilling very early, but I think chances are I will just go with a hybrid and keep on boshing it with chemicals and culture.

 

[Oilseed]

I always like to grow short varieties of rape and wheat for all the obvious reasons. The only problem I have noticed with shorter varieties is that they are not so good in drought situations. I have never seen any written evidence of this though.

 

[JNG]

At 1.45t/ac from a 60% lodged crop in one bad year, wouldnt you consider growing ExPower again?

I am having a look at these semi-dwarves as I am intending drilling very early, but I think chances are I will just go with a hybrid and keep on boshing it with chemicals and culture.

We dodged a bullet there will never understand how that yield was achieved if you saw the field it was a mess, bought one of the header extensions just before harvest and without it I doubt we would have managed. It was a crop on the edge from day one, flew out the traps from 18TH Aug drilling with loads 4t/ac Poultry manure, if we had snow it March it would prob have been buggered also, so very lucky. Just looking for varieties to treat like that and avoid the pitfalls! Did not use Manure this season and it would have really helped, live and learn!

 

[JNG]

What other semi dwarfs are people growing, are there any in the monsanto stable, I like their varieties for disease resistance and pod shatter resistance (claims)!

 

[farming4profit]

What other semi dwarfs are people growing, are there any in the monsanto stable, I like their varieties for disease resistance and pod shatter resistance (claims)!

Forget monsanto as Pioneer have the lead currently on semi dwarfs. They have a new one coming through PX109. It has a gross output that will put it equal W21. Disease resistance is a vast improvement on previous Pioneer hybrids. NPZ (who Bred Troy (not DSV) also have a high GO variety coming through in NL2.

PX109 is available this autumn and will be at Cereals. pM me if you want to try some - good price

 

[Lincsman]

I always like to grow short varieties of rape and wheat for all the obvious reasons. The only problem I have noticed with shorter varieties is that they are not so good in drought situations. I have never seen any written evidence of this though.

Thats very true, remember in that long stalk there are food reserves and the ground is more shaded from the drying wind, also weeds are more smothered out.

 

[texelburger]

We have some Troy this year that looks quite well,although it is not that short.Oddly about 5 % of the crop is about 20 cms taller than the rest.Volunteers in the ground or in the seed ? One agronomist had heard that it could be a growth habit of the variety (as it is not a true semi-dwarf) and has been seen growing similar in other fields.Anybody else got the same ?

 

[farming4profit]

We have some Troy this year that looks quite well,although it is not that short.Oddly about 5 % of the crop is about 20 cms taller than the rest.Volunteers in the ground or in the seed ? One agronomist had heard that it could be a growth habit of the variety (as it is not a true semi-dwarf) and has been seen growing similar in other fields.Anybody else got the same ?

If you've historically grown taller varieties then volunteers will sit above the crop. Troy is not a short semi dwarf - 139cms. compared with PX109 which is 122 cms, Thorin 130, D05 at 126 cms

 

[franklin]

Hello,

I wondered if @hybrid vigour or @farming4profit would be able to sugest just how early some of these slower growing / shorter growing OSR crops can be grown. I know in Scotland they can be drilling OSR 1st August. I am keen to get cracking on this autumn on plenty of bare land, so wondered if one of these might suit?

 

[farming4profit]

The Pioneer semi-dwarfs start their planting date line at the 10th August. Those who still autocast will generally be 'drilling' earlier than this relative to wheat harvest. Most northern growers I have dealings with want the seed on farm by the 15th August latest. I guess dryness of seedbed in July may be an issue in a normal year and too early a drilling could bring the crop into flower pre-xmas as we saw with winter linseed a couple of years ago if the autumn / winter is milder than normal.