Is there any skill in growing an economically viable crop of OSR?

Gong Farmer

Member
BASIS
Location
S E Glos
No. it's all luck.

Seriously though, the only consistently successful measure I've come across is to get out of the crop, don't grow it at all for 5-7 years. This would need to be done over a large area mind, e.g. county-wide.
Then grow it again as a 'virgin' crop
 

richard hammond

Member
BASIS
No. it's all luck.

Seriously though, the only consistently successful measure I've come across is to get out of the crop, don't grow it at all for 5-7 years. This would need to be done over a large area mind, e.g. county-wide.
Then grow it again as a 'virgin' crop
I absolutely agree it is all about luck!! I think the word for virgin areas in the UK are well beyond my working life!!
 

teslacoils

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
but the trouble is OSR is not worth enough when you look at the Cost of production,

Hence I don't grow it. It became a constant battle against pests, at least one of which will cause untold damage. Never really did s good enough job on BG. Left the land full of slugs. And the following wheat wasn't really as good as after peas / linseed / grass.

So the skill is now in trusting judgement and not ordering any seed.
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
It was £400 per ton plus bonuses a few years back when it was easier to grow and we could get 30 cwt per acre without too much bother. We grew it last year and scraped half that yield due to larvae in the stems even though we had got it through the grazing stage. Last autumn they grazed the lot off. Not worth trying again until something fundamental changes. If I was nearer the coast and higher up on better land I might be tempted but down here it’s game over. We seem to attract every bug going. All combinables will be direct drilled spring barley next year in the hope of freeing up time to run another business. Less output than wheat but this land is hopeless for wheat and leaves little margin.
That leaves me spring barley grass sheep and turnips which for some reason seem to tolerate the beetles. Maybe beet as well but with herbs going and virus problem it’s not that rosy.
Tired of the stress and hassle and faffing about.
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
Pigeon control is often overlooked.
hailstorms, header losses, side knives, bed extensions, dessication or swathing, soggy wet swaths, leakage out of a pin hole.
I’d put up with all of that but the larvae in the stems did it for me. By that time you have had a fair spend and it’s not a good feeling ploughing it in.
 

fudge

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire.
It sounds as though the Dyson outfit has has enough of growing rape. Farming Today or rather anti Farming Today as I like to call had this piece this morning. They didn't have the gumption to ask what would replace it in the rotation

Strange one. I thought the whole purpose of Beeswax was to reduce the proprietor’s bank balance? Maybe they will go into potatoes? In answer to the OP’s question luck is the most important ingredient for a successful OSR crop in these parts. That’s according to a Yorkshire man who also tells me the promised land lies north of the Humber. 🤔
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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