Written by cpm
As oilseed rape hangs in the balance on many farms, one Suffolk arable business has a system, backed up with dependable genetics, that puts prospects firmly in its favour. CPM visits to glean some experience. The main aspect is that I have the confidence to continue with oilseed rape. By Tom Allen-Stevens Dan Kiddy takes hold of a stem of his DK Exstar oilseed rape and pulls it, intending to reveal how the taproot has shaped up beneath the thick stem. But despite the recent rainfall – and current heavy downpour – having softened up the clay loam soil, it’s reluctant to release the plant. Eventually it comes free, with a crack denoting most of the root has been left behind, and Dan straightens up to inspect the stem in his hand. “Get a stem like that and cabbage stem flea beetle larvae don’t bother the crop,” he says. As manager of Wm Kerr Farms, near Woodbridge, Suffolk, Dan looks after the agronomy of all the cropping, which includes winter wheat, hybrid winter barley, potatoes, sugar beet, maize and asparagus. Although many OSR crops locally have been hit with CSFB, he’s maintained the performance of the 40ha through applying…
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