- Location
- Dorset/Wilts
Gonna start mine about 5:00pm in order to get it all done in one evening.
Walked it about 3:30pm and there were plenty dancing in the sun
Flea Beetle 2019
- Thread starter cotswold farmer 1977
- Start date
Walked it about 3:30pm and there were plenty dancing in the sun
Bemo
Member
- Location
- Leominster, Herefordshire
Can you really find them in the day? I can’t find any at all in the day, go out in the dark there are loads of them.
- Location
- Dorset/Wilts
Yes, can actually hear them
FarmerBruce
Member
- Location
- Yorkshire
Could hear and see plenty here tonight. If it doesn’t rain soon I can’t see it getting away from them!!
I’ve finally bitten the bullet. Reluctantly sprayed a couple of fields with Hallmark, wetter and water conditioner with a graminicide. Turnips are being ignored for some reason. Volunteers too. 
Edit: Sorry, I don't know why my post ended up as bold type. My fat fingers, not being shouty about it.
Edit: Sorry, I don't know why my post ended up as bold type. My fat fingers, not being shouty about it.
Last edited:
ZXR17
Member
- Location
- South Dorset
Managed to get 34 ha done tonight and still have a straight boom
- Location
- Dorset/Wilts
What time did you start in the end?Managed to get 34 ha done tonight and still have a straight boom
GeorgeK
Member
- Location
- Leicestershire
Neighbour got his in early, redrilled it about a week ago. Drilled ours for the first time about a week ago. Very dry so neither are germinating. I didn't actually think the neighbour's looked to bad before he redrilled it, beetles had made some thin patches but there were enough bigger plants that were getting away to make a crop. Growing OSR isn't for perfectionists these days
ZXR17
Member
- Location
- South Dorset
I started just as the sun was going down . The red sky in the west and moon rising in the east was pretty impressive .
- Location
- Darlington
Hopefully I am right in thinking OSR is a very hardy plant. I've seen it decimated by pigeons slugs and flew beetle and still give good results. I accept there are issues with beetle in the stem but I've been told that the better hybrids grow a thicker stem and can survive that. Not sure about the perfectionists? It certainly ain't for the faint hearted
l'ordinary bonville
Member
- Location
- N Yorks
I’ve had best yields from sub 20 plants per metre.
I’m at a crossroad though now neonics have gone. Patchy crops do nothing for management of that crop or blackgrass.
I’m at a crossroad though now neonics have gone. Patchy crops do nothing for management of that crop or blackgrass.
- Location
- Mid Lincolnshire,UK
All the photos of damage on TFF or twitter seem to be from fields bereft of volunteer cereals. My rape, post spring barley is still below ground, but there is a very healthy crop of volunteer barley emerging. Hopefully the CSFB wont spot it among the barley!
- Location
- S E Glos
That has worked well in the past, though nothing seems to work consistently from one year to the next.
Crowfarm
Member
- Location
- Marlborough
We have crops (some sown 21&22 Aug, others a week later) I thought were out of the woods until a large migration of beetles yesterday. They now look very sad. Sprayed three fields this week, and will shortly be spraying the remainder as a result.
Ones with large cereal volunteers amongst them (particularly spring barley, do seem better)
No real rain here since 16th Aug.
Ones with large cereal volunteers amongst them (particularly spring barley, do seem better)
No real rain here since 16th Aug.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Perfect storm here. Very dry so rape emerging and growing very slowly if at all. Shot holed or eaten off as soon as it emerges. A decent rain would have seen it right but never happens when you need it.
I do wonder if it's the smell of freshly disturbed soil that attracts them as they seem be ready and waiting as soon as anything emerges. Spray the field with citronella preemergence maybe?
Having said that the little blighters seem to be everywhere including in a basket of apples brought in and placed on the kitchen table. Jumping out all over the place.
Stubble turnips have had considerable shot holing seem to be getting away OK. Maybe the beetles don't like the roughness of the true leaves, compared with the smoothness of the rape leaves.
Rape not looking like a goer here now unless we get significant rain. Never mind. At least it's ready to drill some wheat or barley if we have to abandon it.
I do wonder if it's the smell of freshly disturbed soil that attracts them as they seem be ready and waiting as soon as anything emerges. Spray the field with citronella preemergence maybe?
Having said that the little blighters seem to be everywhere including in a basket of apples brought in and placed on the kitchen table. Jumping out all over the place.
Stubble turnips have had considerable shot holing seem to be getting away OK. Maybe the beetles don't like the roughness of the true leaves, compared with the smoothness of the rape leaves.
Rape not looking like a goer here now unless we get significant rain. Never mind. At least it's ready to drill some wheat or barley if we have to abandon it.
Crowfarm
Member
- Location
- Marlborough
Our earlier drilled rape that “was” out of the woods had true leaves the size of 50p coins.
Probably going to put some W.beans in on heavy ground as the break.
What’s the current favourite alternative break to OSR for chalk downland - thinking spring oats?
Probably going to put some W.beans in on heavy ground as the break.
What’s the current favourite alternative break to OSR for chalk downland - thinking spring oats?
- Location
- the brecks norfolk
My rape is now getting hit by the little blighters. It's been slow to emerge and is slow growing because of the lack of rain.
The land was ploughed and pressed then drilled and rolled twice. It's virgin rape land and there isn't another field of drilled rape or volunteers for a couple of miles.
There loads of predators especially orange coloured beetles which fly from plant to plant looking for csfb. This makes the decision to spray harder,do I put on my organic vegan friendly eco warrior woolly jumper and leave the predators to hopefully do a good enough job of controlling the beetle and allow the rape to get away or do I go all out with hallmark and nuke everything in the vein hope it'll allow the rape to get away.
A dam good rain would do more good at the moment than I could!
The land was ploughed and pressed then drilled and rolled twice. It's virgin rape land and there isn't another field of drilled rape or volunteers for a couple of miles.
There loads of predators especially orange coloured beetles which fly from plant to plant looking for csfb. This makes the decision to spray harder,do I put on my organic vegan friendly eco warrior woolly jumper and leave the predators to hopefully do a good enough job of controlling the beetle and allow the rape to get away or do I go all out with hallmark and nuke everything in the vein hope it'll allow the rape to get away.
A dam good rain would do more good at the moment than I could!
- Location
- the brecks norfolk
Little feckers were even having sex right in front of me!!!!!
