How’s your OSR looking now

[ajd132]

Walked over rape stubbles that were hitherto covered in rape volunteers. They established themselves well and looked good in November. Left them alone as wasn't drilling wheat due to rain. They are now almost all dead or severely stunted due to what seems like rampant cabbage root fly damage. Pull at these bonsai plants and they slip straight out of the soil as they have no root hairs or lateral roots whatsoever, just a brown tap root which appears to have been damaged internally. I think I found a larva coming out of a root but couldn't quite see without my glasses.
My September drilled rape, the 30% that survived the flea beetle grazing looks OK, and hasn't been affected in the same way. For me this is a warning that very early drilling could be as big a disaster as late drilling. I'd say aim for 21st August this year if trying again. Drilled my stubble turnips around that date and they seem ok though not much bulb.

It might be CSFB larvae that has knobbled my volunteers. They are certainly a sorry sight.

8th August will be my cut off next year for drilling osr.

 

[Gong Farmer]

Walked over rape stubbles that were hitherto covered in rape volunteers. They established themselves well and looked good in November. Left them alone as wasn't drilling wheat due to rain. They are now almost all dead or severely stunted due to what seems like rampant cabbage root fly damage. Pull at these bonsai plants and they slip straight out of the soil as they have no root hairs or lateral roots whatsoever, just a brown tap root which appears to have been damaged internally. I think I found a larva coming out of a root but couldn't quite see without my glasses.
My September drilled rape, the 30% that survived the flea beetle grazing looks OK, and hasn't been affected in the same way. For me this is a warning that very early drilling could be as big a disaster as late drilling. I'd say aim for 21st August this year if trying again. Drilled my stubble turnips around that date and they seem ok though not much bulb.

It might be CSFB larvae that has knobbled my volunteers. They are certainly a sorry sight.

I get the impression most would consider Aug 21st as a recipe for disaster, and won't consider growing the crop again unless they know they can get it in early (like, July). Not something I'd recommend, just to be clear.

 

[DrWazzock]

8th August will be my cut off next year for drilling osr.

23rd was alays earliest advisable in this area to avoid cabbage root fly though many have got away with earlier drilling most years. I will have to have proper look at the dying volunteers to see I can identify the larvae correctly as to water it is CSFB or cabbage root fly. It's almost total destruction across the field and those plants have either been killed or will come to nothing.

 

[ajd132]

23rd was alays earliest advisable in this area to avoid cabbage root fly though many have got away with earlier drilling most years. I will have to have proper look at the dying volunteers to see I can identify the larvae correctly as to water it is CSFB or cabbage root fly. It's almost total destruction across the field and those plants have either been killed or will come to nothing.

With csfb being such a big threat everything else becomes irrelevant imo see my article in October’s direct driller. Just get it established well cheaply then see what happens.

 

[DrWazzock]

I get the impression most would consider Aug 21st as a recipe for disaster, and won't consider growing the crop again unless they know they can get it in early (like, July). Not something I'd recommend, just to be clear.

Only reporting what I see of my self sown volunteers which must have been early August when I combined the crop. They looked good initially which made me regret not sowing the intended crop earlier. I lost most of my early September drilled OSR to CSFB grazing. Looking at what's happened to my volunteers, early drilling looks like it would have been a similar is less immediate disaster in this locality probably after spending on the crop.
As I say, if my turnips were OSR I'd be happy with them. Drilled 3rd week August. A bit late for turnips but nice leafy plants if not enough roots due to drilling late for turnips.

 

[DrWazzock]

With csfb being such a big threat everything else becomes irrelevant imo see my article in October’s direct driller. Just get it established well cheaply then see what happens.

Looks very good. Have you had any egg laying or larvae or are the plants damage free?
I understand the argument that a big early established plant can withstand more damage but my volunteers seem to have been hit badly. Granted they were too thick and competing with one another. Being volunteers they were also on ground already heavily infested with beetles. Doesn't fill me with much confidence that early drilling will solve the problem though. Less grazing, but more egg laying, keel over late winter, early spring. I reckon it's also a hit and miss affair a district by district basis. Coastal areas seem less affected here. Devastation inland.

 

[Brisel]

Back in the Good Old Days when we were getting 5t/ha crops the optimum sowing date was between Bank Holiday and the end of the first week in September. Now, I’d pull that back a week but last year the best crops around now were sown before the Bank Holiday weekend. Anything sown after 1st Sept has few larvae but bad leaf damage and is only 3” in diameter with 4 tiny true leaves. A hard late winter and they won’t make it. At best those will do 3 t/ha unless the year is perfect from now until harvest.

 

[ajd132]

Looks very good. Have you had any egg laying or larvae or are the plants damage free?
I understand the argument that a big early established plant can withstand more damage but my volunteers seem to have been hit badly. Granted they were too thick and competing with one another. Being volunteers they were also on ground already heavily infested with beetles. Doesn't fill me with much confidence that early drilling will solve the problem though. Less grazing, but more egg laying, keel over late winter, early spring. I reckon it's also a hit and miss affair a district by district basis. Coastal areas seem less affected here. Devastation inland.

Like I said in the article we aren’t in a bad area. Although looking around today for the first time in a while our one field which is just osr seems to have more larvae, however it was drilled last so not sure

 

[DrWazzock]

I have some that was redrilled in October, is all there but about an inch across. Small but perfectly formed. Another experiment. It's going to need to rocket in the spring if it survives the rest of the winter. Overall it's a bit rubbish really.

 

[Renaultman]

Pigeons are still feasting on mine. Will get some N at the earliest opportunity, walking it to put banger ropes out is becoming depressing. Got the Kerb on and added a bit of proline as plant count is ok it just needs a bit of a chance

 

[ajd132]

What’s everyone costing for pigeon patrol? We reckon £50/ha is sensible taking account of rope bangers, gator run costs and our time over 4 months.

 

[Renaultman]

What’s everyone costing for pigeon patrol? We reckon £50/ha is sensible taking account of rope bangers, gator run costs and our time over 4 months.

I'm just sticking a couple of banger ropes out each day, but the pigeons this year are being stealth pigeons, sneak in and eat the crop when your back is turned. Experience has proven that the damage isn't as bad as it looks but my OSR isn't able to compete with weeds with all of the pressure it is under.

 

[moretimeforgolf]

I’m concerned with this mild weather. Some of ours (Aquila and Aurelia) has stem extension already! These aren’t big plants as we didn’t drill until the end of August but a lot of them have seem to have bolted.

 

[ollie989898]

Is there any evidence to suggest later/earlier drilling is safer?

My concern with sowing something in October would be is the stuff going to grow fast enough to avoid the pigeons and slugs decimating it?

 

[Laggard]

I’m concerned with this mild weather. Some of ours (Aquila and Aurelia) has stem extension already! These aren’t big plants as we didn’t drill until the end of August but a lot of them have seem to have bolted.

Is it because they are hybrids? Do you have any conventional varieties drilled at the same time? It is very mild at the moment, should be 14C here today.

 

[ajd132]

Is there any evidence to suggest later/earlier drilling is safer?

My concern with sowing something in October would be is the stuff going to grow fast enough to avoid the pigeons and slugs decimating it?

Earlier drilling definitely helps. You can always control a foward crop but theres nothing worse than trying to nurse pathetic rape all winter from the pigeons for it to fill up with blackgrass and yield bugger all.

 

[B'o'B]

In this area early drilled has survived and looks pretty well from the road, anything drilled at a more regular timing or late is very poor or no longer there.

 

[moretimeforgolf]

Is it because they are hybrids? Do you have any conventional varieties drilled at the same time? It is very mild at the moment, should be 14C here today.

My agronomist has been to visit today. He's seen the same stem extension on conventionals as well as hybrids (in Kent and south Essex). He's suggesting a bag of early N when we can travel because he thinks its bolting due to stress ....ie. it wants to grow due to the mild weather but has run out of nutrition. What else could it be?

 

[Brisel]

Just the mild weather IMO. I wouldn't worry about bolters - a plant that advanced will have enough side branching later on to replace any damaged buds caught by frosts from now on.

 

[Clive]

Lessons will be learnt re early OSR drilling sooner or later - when younger and keener I had fantastic looking solid yellow full flower OSR in early March once ............... then it snowed, quite a lot, all went flat and was one of the worst OSR yields I have ever had

however stuck between that and CSFB so what can you do !