How’s your OSR looking now

B'o'B

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Rutland
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 !
It’s very much in danger of becoming a minor crop. Im not planning on growing any for at least the next 5 years.
 

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
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 !

That was exceptional. CSFB is here to stay for now unless it really does become a minor crop which deprives the beetle of their habitat and the population crashes. I'll keep managing for CSFB in the meantime and plant in mid-late August with a low investment level until I know I've got a crop.
 

B'o'B

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Rutland
Just had a major mid-tier scheme application accepted putting basically half the farm in the 2 legume fallow option. Then the other half in the following 2 years. Hoping it’ll do wonders for the soil and margin not too shabby either compared to poor rape or linseed, and hopefully significantly less hassle. Gives me some breathing space to see where we are heading and spend some extra time with kids while they’re still kids.
 

Bobthebuilder

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
northumberland
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All 6 fields not looking too bad, even the 2 later ones after spring barley, a couple of wet patches and a little bit of slug damage, just need to keep the pigeons at bay till it gets away a bit, and hopefully get some kerb on next week if it stays dry
 

Flat 10

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Fen Edge
Adult CSFB landed on me this morning. Freezing last night FFS. Crop still getting shot holed. Lost 30% of my small drilled area. Rest looks better than last year re the larval burden and crop size. Be nice to get a tonne an acre this year from the remainder.
 

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
Ours is hanging on, vetch and berseem clover still being companionship. There was next to no shot holing from beetles early on, but every plant has larvae nowView attachment 854105View attachment 854106

What will you do with that? Any herbicides planned or will you just let nature take it's course and ideally the osr gradually smother the companions? If you've got a serious larval infestation I'd treat it as low input until you've got a better idea of potential.
 

martian

DD Moderator
BASE UK Member
Location
N Herts
What will you do with that? Any herbicides planned or will you just let nature take it's course and ideally the osr gradually smother the companions? If you've got a serious larval infestation I'd treat it as low input until you've got a better idea of potential.
We'll leave it and see what happens...the berseem should be taken by frost, but last two nights haven't bothered it so we'll see what happens. It won't interfere with rape if/when the rape bolts. ..as you say, we'll treat it as low input crop. Very cheap so far, seed off the heap
 
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martian

DD Moderator
BASE UK Member
Location
N Herts
Hi, being nosy, so only reply if you want to. How much did the clover and vetch seed cost per hectare. What was the purpose of these companions? What, if any, use have they been? Cheers.
Clover and buckwheat seed bought in...can't remember cost, but not much. I'm sure they confused csfb which is why we have a crop at all. Buckwheat disappeared with first frost. Vetch was harvested with last year's rape...seed sieved off rape seed post harvest, nice and free. I like some companions with osr as they keep mycorrhizae happy (which rape on its own doesn't).
 
With mild winter weather the csfb hatch out over a longer later period so late drilled crops have later lavae that hatch in the later winter and damage the crop later

in the 1990s csfb hatched end October and it was too cold from mid nov to march so a Larvae spray with the kerb was very effective
hatching from october to March there is no hope

rip growing rape till there is a gap of 3 year no rape for 5 miles
 
Just had a major mid-tier scheme application accepted putting basically half the farm in the 2 legume fallow option. Then the other half in the following 2 years. Hoping it’ll do wonders for the soil and margin not too shabby either compared to poor rape or linseed, and hopefully significantly less hassle. Gives me some breathing space to see where we are heading and spend some extra time with kids while they’re still kids.
Entered stewardship in 2018 but did not use the 2 legume fallow
I am not a fan of all season rotational options due to wild oats black grass cleavers and charlock and the danger of importing an unknown weed in seed mixtures
i will look to renew in 2023 before nelms
 

B'o'B

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Rutland
Entered stewardship in 2018 but did not use the 2 legume fallow
I am not a fan of all season rotational options due to wild oats black grass cleavers and charlock and the danger of importing an unknown weed in seed mixtures
i will look to renew in 2023 before nelms
There are risks, but most of them can be mitigate one way or another. On balance from what I’ve seen and heard of the 2 year legume fallow the benefits should far outweigh any negatives.
 

DRC

Member
Just had a major mid-tier scheme application accepted putting basically half the farm in the 2 legume fallow option. Then the other half in the following 2 years. Hoping it’ll do wonders for the soil and margin not too shabby either compared to poor rape or linseed, and hopefully significantly less hassle. Gives me some breathing space to see where we are heading and spend some extra time with kids while they’re still kids.
Just what I was going to say. I had that accepted last year , but for various reasons decided not to proceed, but think I will go for it again. Not sure on the seed cost and it’s a shame you can’t harvest it at last once a year, but it’ll be the future I think
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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