Flea Beetle 2019

[cotswold farmer 1977]

I have come to the conclusion that it’s all about soil moisture, subsequent rainfall, fertility, leaving a longer stubble and planting early to avoid the main beetle migration, unconvinced about cover crops unless it’s clover species, first drilled stuff getting to eight leaves, osr planted three weeks later three true leaves and shotholed, don’t see how early stuff will be full of larvae as there are very few beetles in these crops?

 

[Flat 10]

The same thing happend last year, I saw it all over and twitter and magazines. That’s why I and many others decided to plant early before significant rain and to no till it to conserve moisture.

It must be tough being as good as you ?

 

[ajd132]

It must be tough being as good as you ?

What do you do? The same thing over and over expecting a different result?

 

[ZXR17]

I planted before significant rain a month ago and yes I'm still waiting for it . I have plants that are seven leaves with plants next to them just emerging .
Sprayed some 2 nights ago and thought the spray had done a good job . Looked tonight and either the spray has done naff all or a fresh migration has moved in . Tonight virtually every plant has beetle on it , most have several and some up to ten . Add to that about 20% of them appear to be giving their friend a 'piggy back ' .

 

[Hindsight]

I planted before significant rain a month ago and yes I'm still waiting for it . I have plants that are seven leaves with plants next to them just emerging .
Sprayed some 2 nights ago and thought the spray had done a good job . Looked tonight and either the spray has done naff all or a fresh migration has moved in . Tonight virtually every plant has beetle on it , most have several and some up to ten . Add to that about 20% of them appear to be giving their friend a 'piggy back ' .

Mating. Getting ready to lay eggs. Stage 2 about to occur - eggs then larvae. Hey ho.

 

[lloyd]

It must be tough being as good as you ?

Dyson must be quaking in his boots ?

 

[Flat 10]

What do you do? The same thing over and over expecting a different result?

Er no. But you haven’t been growing Osr successfully for the past 4 years which would really give you something to brag about. (I certainly haven’t)

 

[ajd132]

Er no. But you haven’t been growing Osr successfully for the past 4 years which would really give you something to brag about. (I certainly haven’t)

I know plenty of people who have, whose ideas and techniques I have learnt from and copied. I’m not bragging, I shared a pretty damn obvious insight into why so much is failing again. It’s hardly rocket science to work out that drilling into dust when the flea beetle have migrated is a bad idea and setting yourself up for disappointment.

 

[Flat 10]

I know plenty of people who have, whose ideas and techniques I have learnt from and copied. I’m not bragging, I shared a pretty damn obvious insight into why so much is failing again. It’s hardly rocket science to work out that drilling into dust when the flea beetle have migrated is a bad idea and setting yourself up for disappointment.

No I agree. I think you could have said it in a slightly better way. Btw mine was cultivated once, drilled into moisture and rolled (too moist really) 5 weeks ago and is struggling badly. It also had 6mm after N application. The proof of your method will be success over 4 or more years.

 

[ajd132]

Er no. But you haven’t been growing Osr successfully for the past 4 years which would really give you something to brag about. (I certainly haven’t)

No I agree. I think you could have said it in a slightly better way. Btw mine was cultivated once, drilled into moisture and rolled (too moist really) 5 weeks ago and is struggling badly. It also had 6mm after N application. The proof of your method will be success over 4 or more years.

I agree, although as we know what works one year often doesn’t the next. It seems to be going okay for me so far and I will do similar next year. The key for me is to keep the cost very low and add in some companion crops so if the rape fails we have a catch crop. If the rape then fails it will only be the cost of some farm saved seed so nothing to worry about really.

 

[strawturner]

I know plenty of people who have, whose ideas and techniques I have learnt from and copied. I’m not bragging, I shared a pretty damn obvious insight into why so much is failing again. It’s hardly rocket science to work out that drilling into dust when the flea beetle have migrated is a bad idea and setting yourself up for disappointment.

I drilled my rapeseed on the 5th of September with 15/20mm of rain on the forecast, none arrived, this was only a smallish area of fss, now failed due to lack of moisture combined with a massive amount of pressure from csfb. Is this really horrendous management as you suggest or rather the way I look at it is I’ve taken a bit of a punt and now it will have to be another crop, some beans some winter wheat some barley. No hardship really

 

[Wheatonrotty]

Growing osr is easy, drill early with minimal disturbance into a moist seedbed under chopped straw, a nice warm August and it will rocket away from the flea beetle.
Obviously next year you'll plant late July into moisture, August will be wet and cool and the slugs will nail it!

Ours went in mid August, only just got it in as it was getting too wet( it on the surface, dry as a nuns wotsit an inch down). No rain since and some looks ok some is struggling. Haven't sprayed for FB as I don't feel it's worth it especially with growth being restricted by moisture.

For me osr is now an opportunistic crop, if conditions look ok late July/early Aug it's worth a try.

 

[ajd132]

I drilled my rapeseed on the 5th of September with 15/20mm of rain on the forecast, none arrived, this was only a smallish area of fss, now failed due to lack of moisture combined with a massive amount of pressure from csfb. Is this really horrendous management as you suggest or rather the way I look at it is I’ve taken a bit of a punt and now it will have to be another crop, some beans some winter wheat some barley. No hardship really

Each to their own but from what we know about migration dates etc it’s not surprising it got eaten if you are in a bad flea beetle area

 

[Hindsight]

Each to their own but from what we know about migration dates etc it’s not surprising it got eaten if you are in a bad flea beetle area

As I mentioned in an earlier post up here in the East Midlands wheat is harvested later than Suffolk. And to add to that harvest 2019 was hindered by inclement weather (75 - 100mm rain) in August until the 17th and thus a fair bit of rape was drilled after August Bank holiday once wheat harvested. And given the rain there seemed adequate moisture - until the dry spell.

Yes, you are correct, taking into account flea beetle migration data, with hindsight we should possibly not have attempted to establish rape. But as you have pointed out it is a potentially profitable crop and for 40 years been a fairly standard part of most combinable crop rotations in the East Midlands. So I find it understandable why a number of farmers had another go. Even if you consider we were foolhardy.

And I suspect if in a few weeks if / when these crops have not established satisfactorily they will be replaced. And much soul searching will then be pondered during the winter months and next spring. And in future rape production following wheat in the East Midlands may come to an end.

Hey ho.

 

[teslacoils]

But as you have pointed out it is a potentially profitable crop and for 40 years been a fairly standard part of most combinable crop rotations in the East Midlands. So I find it understandable why a number of farmers had another go. Even if you consider we were foolhardy.

Yes, my friend in Suffolk is regularly a week to two weeks earlier in cutting wheat than here.

And without winter barley or osr, its a big rotation change to potentially start harvest a month later than usual. If you have a large area to clear, and want to avoid a big pea / milling wheat / malting barley clash too!

 

[Hindsight]

Yes, my friend in Suffolk is regularly a week to two weeks earlier in cutting wheat than here.

And without winter barley or osr, its a big rotation change to potentially start harvest a month later than usual. If you have a large area to clear, and want to avoid a big pea / milling wheat / malting barley clash too!

Indeed.

For sake of brevity with my replies to ajd I did not mention also the on-farm logistics issue that arise with the loss of OSR - spreading the cost of a larger combine harvester with early and more harvesting and cultivations etc.

So dropping OSR is a major decision for East Midlands farm businesses. And thus why many have had another go. Even though it may fly in face of logic given the flea beetle migration timing. The only early harvest alternative is winter barley, so not really a true alternative.

But to get an early entry for OSR may involve the introduction or expansion of winter barley. It is troubling to consider a future without OSR when many farms have had around 20% or possibly a tad more of crop area into OSR.

Maybe we should just imagine we are in Suffolk and start combining 10 days earlier.

Hey ho.

 

[ajd132]

Could try broadcsting it into a stranding crop, would be interested to hear from anyone doing that.

 

[Hindsight]

Could try broadcsting it into a stranding crop, would be interested to hear from anyone doing that.

Yes, that is being considered and there was recently a thread started on here about autocasting. I think it may be the alternative approach and one that will be given much thought between now and next July. Of course before then we have the second half of the game to enjoy! Having satisfactorily established the plants will they be full of larvae come March. Again only time will tell on that. Such joys with the crop.

 

[Zippy768]

It is one reason I still hold hope for our osr. Like to have 50-60% of the farm cut by the first week of August.
Having to drop back on winter barley to spring because of bg and without the osr, wont have f-all the cut before August.

 

[ajd132]

Yes, that is being considered and there was recently a thread started on here about autocasting. I think it may be the alternative approach and one that will be given much thought between now and next July. Of course before then we have the second half of the game to enjoy! Having satisfactorily established the plants will they be full of larvae come March. Again only time will tell on that. Such joys with the crop.

I havnt particularly enjoyed growing it with all the extra worry. Like I said we got ours in before rain but did lose about 40ha to slugs and poor establishment in stripper header Straw.