Robigus
Member
We have grown mustard as a seed crop several times; plenty of problems but not slugs.
Is osr really worth it ?
- Thread starter Clive
- Start date
warksfarmer
Member
No osr planted this year and I have to say I dont miss it. Not out every day checking for slugs and pigeons, then getting frozen trying to kill the things when they do attack. Input spend is none existent because I have only been in the wheat and barley fields once with a sprayer and that was to put liquid fert on. No expensive herbicides used on any osr and wont be in the lap of the gods come June if the weather is bad and it goes flat. Never say never but at the moment I think I'm out of osr for the foreseeable future.
with hindsight a good move this yera for you Lee. Knowing your farm I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have a crop right now so you saved yourself a few ££ there for sure this time !
However I wouldnt go as far as to right the crop off, you have had some great and I'm sure profitable crops of OSR
I think the key is just widening the rotation with it and not growing a large area that becomes hard to keep vermin free !
warksfarmer
Member
For sure its done us well especially between 2007 and 2011. Worst sold yield 1.8t/ac and best sold yield 2.2t/ac. Input spend varied from £130/ac up to £250/ac though depending on season and agronomic approach. From memory selling price varied from about £160/t up to £403/t.
2012 though it just broke even.
I think if we grew it again I might revert back to an old variety and treat it like Jim B suggested in the 80's so a very basic approach and lower my yield expectation at the same time.
I think these hybrid seed prices have crossed a line this year for a crop that sometimes doen't make it as far as spring
I can see a lot of sense in growing a cheaper (home saved) crop with lower inputs and acepting lower yields
We do get some decent osr crops, but looking back historically our best 1st wheat yields have been after peas or beans, normally running 0.5 t/ha higher. Think there is some data somewhere that backs up a slight decline in 1st wheat performance in predominantly ww/osr rotations vs one with pulses. It has to be looked over a long term view rather than one year only.
warksfarmer
Member
I think the point is we are all sold to all the time and we've got to stop it. Take this year for example the last lot of chemical I bought was some Glyphosate in July 2012. I have had nothing delivered since, yet have got 87% of the land planted with winter wheat and winter barley and its mainly all growing fine. Ok I can now see some grass weed patches appearing in places but just shows do we actually need all this stuff we have been applying? I think we could probably do 1 x herbicide and then 2 x fungicides and still grow 3.3t/ac on a first wheat which at £200/t 'ish' would leave a nice gross margin.
I think herbicide / fungicide stratagies best put in another thread.
I am growing winter rape after mustard this autumn, so will let you know what the slugs are like.
Dont find take-all a problem on my soils. Moving to wheat at worst one year in four is keeping yields happy.
The big perk of OSR has to be being able to use Kerb. Without that I dont think I would grow it. Even at these high prices, if / when we loose a lot of this herbicide chemistry this farm will have to have either a grass crop or fallow in the rotation.
I am growing winter rape after mustard this autumn, so will let you know what the slugs are like.
Dont find take-all a problem on my soils. Moving to wheat at worst one year in four is keeping yields happy.
The big perk of OSR has to be being able to use Kerb. Without that I dont think I would grow it. Even at these high prices, if / when we loose a lot of this herbicide chemistry this farm will have to have either a grass crop or fallow in the rotation.
warksfarmer
Member
What rotation are you running?
Baling Hay
Member
I would have thought that a 1st WW after the grass would gain a lot more benefit from the long break than WB? Maybe I am wrong? What sort of yield could be expected from the WB?
Not last year. Wheat after grass was crap too.
Rotation is not fixed. Just try to avoid things close together.
My block has gone beet, spring barley, late winter wheat, winter oats, fallow / green manure, winter barley next year, then probably into beans or maize depending if anyone wants the maize or not.
Rest of it was sp beans, wheat, oats, barley, fallow / green manure, into OSR next year was the though.
Also one block which is beet, wheat, barley, linseed, next year spring beans, then oats before wheat again.
Rotation is not fixed. Just try to avoid things close together.
My block has gone beet, spring barley, late winter wheat, winter oats, fallow / green manure, winter barley next year, then probably into beans or maize depending if anyone wants the maize or not.
Rest of it was sp beans, wheat, oats, barley, fallow / green manure, into OSR next year was the though.
Also one block which is beet, wheat, barley, linseed, next year spring beans, then oats before wheat again.
WW sales after grass would far exceed WB sales.But if you can use the barley and straw at home,and get good value out of a stubble turnip crop,it may be attractive.
- Location
- Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
So what are people alternatives to OSR then?
As I said, my planned rotation is wb / wb / osr / wb / wb / spr beans
On fairly heavy clay land.
What would be your suggestions instead of osr for me?
As I said, my planned rotation is wb / wb / osr / wb / wb / spr beans
On fairly heavy clay land.
What would be your suggestions instead of osr for me?
Can't really say for heavy land but on light ground we have grown good crops of peas, winter and spring beans, oats and linseed
All can be a bit hit and miss depending upon season but so is WOSR !
All cost a lot less to grow so risk is much lower and all leave ground in better shape than WOSR
- Location
- Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
Used to grow spring linseed, but struggle to get a decent spring crop.
Might try winter, but worried the hares will just eat the lot!
Peas may be as bit specialist I think.
Technology crops are releasing a new omega 3 high plant. Ahiflower or something. ( field gromwell iirc ).
That might be worth a look?!
Maybe time people started as I did years ago to look at what type or the background genetics type of rape they plant. Harvest index ratio also still applies as in wheat. Also the slug issue as posted. Plus the sulphur & Boron issue following regulation of air quality and what a bigger root system can pick up.. Also marketing opportunities for the oilseed produced from less widely grown Rape types.
IMHO
Think idea of a rotation plan is out dated never had one and inflexible. Use instinct.
Linseed all depends on UK and Canadian weather. Do please look at my post on soffranel for the health food oilseed market. And look at the agronomics.
Oats soak up N and are very slow on N release. Peas release N in Autumn like Lucerne alfalfa and beans later in my experience. And tissue tests show this. Hence my post on break crops.
Grass and fallows great hosts for take all. Yet I noted on visit to UK almost to a man we have resistant to herbicide weeds or resistant to fungicide disease. Personaly stand by the view of overkill marketing and producers only tweaking products for launch. Propicanozle fine still works plus it's derivatives. Kresoxthim meththyl works plus derivatives.
Permethrin plus it's derivatives.
Thing is ( And slightly contrary to advice ) company X Mr S or Mr B or MR D develop something that is a 19 mm spanner to fit a 17 mm nut. Hence they say mix with a one pence coin called Y and it works. Triumph of marketing. Over common sense. ( Or another way reduced AG R&D as they try and distance themselves in a PC world from Agchems.) As I have posted rape gives least response I have experienced or trialed/used to agchems.
Any how nuff of that. It has just started a mix of rain & snow again.
Baling Hay
Member
Why did you drop WW and go for WB?
Our rotation is ww ww osr on most of the land, some maize and potatoes in the rotation. I do like osr, cheap and quick to establish with in one pass with one man. Yields ok around 4t+ ha average. This it has driven me to distraction though but I will carry on growing the same amount next year. Spent too much on hybrid variety compass though for 30% of it to fail so more conventional going in next year from the quartz we've got in which nearly all seems to be there still albeit on 30 acres.
- Location
- Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
WB pretty much yields the same as WW for me.
Earlier harvest - more time to get following crops in.
More / better straw so my pigs can live a life of luxury!
