O.S.R. pollen beetle 2019

Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
Haven't sprayed for pollen beetle for several years. Either the numbers were low or the crop was starting to flower when numbers increased.

Never seen so many as we've got this year. Almost too many to count, so sprayed insecticide yesterday. Don't like spraying, but seem to have got 100% kill.

Anyone else found the same?
 

Woodlander

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Leicestershire
You are correct. I'm finding large numbers of pollen beetle this year, and they have arrived a little earlier when many crops are at the susceptible stage

I really don't like applying insecticides, especially in the spring, but I certainly wouldn't rule anything out. Crops are extremely variable, both between growers, between fields and within fields so it really needs looking at on a case by case basis, no general advice can be given. Take a look at the AHDB threshold and you'll see that the crop can tolerate very high numbers of pollen beetle.

BUT... ... Crops this year are not 'normal' crops! The threshold would suggest that a low plant population can tolerate more beetles per plant, as the plant will branch more. Will these CSFB hit crops really branch that well. I believe the threshold falls short on these backward, pest ravaged crops.

I remember a part field, around 10 years ago which didn't start to flower. It was pigeon damaged next to a spinney. 3/4 of the field was flowering beautifully, but the pollen beetle number were massive on the grazed area preventing any flowering. Without an application of insecticide it may never have flowered, and yield would be negligible. The insecticide meant that part of the field did eventually flower, albeit yield was lower.

My guess is that some fields will justify treatment this year, others not. Look at things on a field by field basis and don't take general advice from people on here who haven't seen the crop or are hundreds of miles away!
 

robbie

Member
BASIS
I was going to start this very thread but you've beaten me to it. Two days ago I walked my rape and over the whole field I could only find an odd beetle on a very few plants. I went back today and was horrified to find that on most plants there was as many beetle as there was buds it was impossible to count them and with the slightest touch of the plant you could hear them all falling of and hitting the leaves.
It pains me but I ordered the insecticide to come tomorrow.
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
Only when the crop is flowering

i really don't think they do significant damage in the short amount of time between bud and flower

when you spray for them you are killing lots of others very beneficial stuff that will help with slugs, aphids, CSFB etc in the future

you have to be pretty dam sure you are going to experience significant loss before its wise to spray IMO
 

Woodlander

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Leicestershire
i really don't think they do significant damage in the short amount of time between bud and flower

when you spray for them you are killing lots of others very beneficial stuff that will help with slugs, aphids, CSFB etc in the future

you have to be pretty dam sure you are going to experience significant loss before its wise to spray IMO

Most crops, most years you are 100% correct. I'm pretty sure there will be crops around this year which will justify treatment.
 

Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
I am trusting that the AHDB advice on thresholds is correct.

I would guess there was something like 40-100 beetles per plant.

All I would say is keep an eye on your crops. Cooler weather over the next few days could help though I suppose.
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
And pollen beetle in OSR? Yes they damage the unopened buds initially but once plenty are open, don't the beetles serve a useful pollinating effect? Some say they do, so I am leaving them and letting them get on with it., rather than create another resistant strain.

Really I don't know enough, so now if in doubt I leave it out.

(originally posted in wrong thread).
 

B'o'B

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Rutland
And pollen beetle in OSR? Yes they damage the unopened buds initially but once plenty are open, don't the beetles serve a useful pollinating effect? Some say they do, so I am leaving them and letting them get on with it., rather than create another resistant strain.

Really I don't know enough, so now if in doubt I leave it out.

(originally posted in wrong thread).
I’ve never sprayed for them before and I’m trying not to this year, but if one field doesn’t start flowering very soon I think I’ll have to spray it, as they’ll be eating the buds as fast as the plants are making them. Once the crop is flowing they are very welcome to the pollen, but right now they look like they may not let the crop get to flowering.
 

robbie

Member
BASIS
On Friday I walked my rape and was absolutely horrified by the volume of pollen beetle. As already mentioned in this thread I was straight on the phone to order biscaya but luckily Saturday was too windy. I was going to spray it Sunday but I had this nagging reluctance too and I found every excuse I could to do something else.

Today I walked the field again and was astounded by the difference. Today we've had a biteing cold North westerly and although there are still some beetles they aren't active and are all huddled together in a few buds, this combined with the frost I think we might get tonight will be enough to deter them.
I'm just glad I didn't spray!! Note to self don't be too hasty!!!!!
 
Has anyone regretted not spraying for pollen beetle? I’ve got 40-50 on every plant and doing my best not to spray but the destruction is clear to see. The forecast is a couple of degrees cooler. Do I leave it? I’ve never sprayed for them before but never seen so many. Pic below is one of the better ones as didn’t take photos in worst field which is hanging on at green bud as growth reg is pushing energy away from main stem so buds sitting there getting slaughtered
D52F6B2D-7381-4280-AD31-DE1BD0766E94.jpeg
 

B'o'B

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Rutland
Has anyone regretted not spraying for pollen beetle? I’ve got 40-50 on every plant and doing my best not to spray but the destruction is clear to see. The forecast is a couple of degrees cooler. Do I leave it? I’ve never sprayed for them before but never seen so many. Pic below is one of the better ones as didn’t take photos in worst field which is hanging on at green bud as growth reg is pushing energy away from main stem so buds sitting there getting slaughtered
View attachment 782472
Too early to say yet!
Bits of mine looked like that last weekend then a couple of days later no where near as bad so I held off. I haven’t had chance to look closely at that field today but it has a yellow haze now, it’s not yellow enough to be safe but it has moved on. The forecast is for cooler and potentially damper next week which will probably do much more good than any insecticide. I would say if you haven’t already got the insecticide on in this warm weather you will have missed the boat as the weather will be against the pollen beetle anyway by the time you spray.
 

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
Try not to look in the crop mid afternoon on a hot still day, as that's when numbers are highest. Look again on a windy evening and you'll see less, so will make the more environmentally friendly decision not to treat! :)

Note my wording about environmentally friendly, not crop friendly... A large % of pollen beetles are resistant to pyrethroids, so for no major decline in beetle yet a far bigger decline in future pollinators needed next week when that plant comes into flower will leave you net worse off. Try not to spray insecticides please, people. Excessive use of pyrethroids is why we're in this mess of resistance in the first place. :(
 

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