Growing winter rape across Europe questions?

[Pilatus]

Although not farming anymore , I am interested in following the problems causing the gradual demise of Winter Oilseed Rape on Uk farms.
It would be interesting to hear from any TFF members in Germany , France,Poland and the Czech Republic who grow WOSR as a break crop.
Are your WOSR yields , year on year, gradually dropping?
If they are what do you think the reason is for the decline?
Are you growing less WOSR as part of your rotation each year, because of declining yields?
Is CabbageStem Flea Beetle a serious pest, how do you try and control CSFB?
How do you establish your WOSR and the approximate sowing date you aim for?
Thanks for any info.

 

[Andrew K]

CSFB,Slugs,Pigeons and poor prices kill it for me.

 

[Pilatus]

Unfortunately I have not had a response to my thread, but I am still interested to hear anyone’s answers to my thread.

 

[Boysground]

Another pants year for osr this year but not as bad as last. At least I didn’t plough any up, sold 1t/ac. Giving it another go only doing 50ac a third of what I used to grow. Playing with alternative breaks for another year.

I’m min tilling and hopefully it will stay dry enough to plant this week. Trying buckwheat as a companion crop. Csfb is the biggest problem, slugs don’t help.

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[Pilatus]

I started the thread hoping that Uk Winter OSR growers MIGHT be able to learn some tips from our over the English Channel TFF members.

 

[Boysground]

I see, I’ve no idea of the state of osr throughout Europe. Hopefully it will be less pants in this bit of Wiltshire next year.

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[warksfarmer]

Although not farming anymore , I am interested in following the problems causing the gradual demise of Winter Oilseed Rape on Uk farms.
It would be interesting to hear from any TFF members in Germany , France,Poland and the Czech Republic who grow WOSR as a break crop.
Are your WOSR yields , year on year, gradually dropping?
If they are what do you think the reason is for the decline?
Are you growing less WOSR as part of your rotation each year, because of declining yields?
Is CabbageStem Flea Beetle a serious pest, how do you try and control CSFB?
How do you establish your WOSR and the approximate sowing date you aim for?
Thanks for any info.

You can’t control CSFB no matter what the supply industry tell you. Majority of the farmers who think they’ve beaten it suddenly realise in March it’s in the plant stems.
Then you’ve got slugs, pigeons and massive input spends to produce 1.5t/ac at £325/t. It’s not worth the hassle.

The only way I’d grow it now is if there was contracts available that split ‘ALL’ of the growing costs, so that’s land rental, seed, fert, chems, machinery, drying, storage etc.