How’s your OSR looking now

[An Gof]

Maize after pasture (granted it’s not been good this year) can prevent frit fly etc

what’s the solution for leatherjackets ?

 

[Hampton]

what’s the solution for leatherjackets ?

They don’t tend to bother maize quite as much as wheat I’ve found.
Not saying dursban isn’t useful in these situations, more that their are alternative methods

 

[An Gof]

They don’t tend to bother maize quite as much as wheat I’ve found.
Not saying dursban isn’t useful in these situations, more that their are alternative methods

... and in a spring cereal following grass?

 

[ajd132]

Be useful for those in mixed farming areas where long leys are part of the rotation. There’s a whole world out there outside the cereal plains of Suffolk. ......

It’s horrible and terrible for beneficials and the environment

 

[Hampton]

... and in a spring cereal following grass?

Stubble turnips into spring barley?
Your more knowledgeable than me, I’m sure you can think laterally

 

[Brisel]

what’s the solution for leatherjackets ?

A plough and corvids!

 

[Try to succeed]

Spoke to agronamist he say no go only sprayed February he say leave what's there half crop if I'm lucky

A half crop takes twice as long to cut when the little b*astards have turned every other plant vegetative. Plays havoc with the combine. Stays green even when glypho’d off. I found out the hard way on 100 acres of contract cutting ??‍

 

[cquick]

Sorry to all those with poor crops, but it is still possible to grow good OSR (got lucky here!)
Zero insecticide.

 

[Two Tone]

We don’t need dursban

Perhaps you don’t, but we do over here.

It’s a very similar situation to Warferin rat poison. It is so poisonous that it must be used very carefully. It wouldn’t be allowed but for the fact that there simply isn’t any alternative that does the job well enough. That is why it is still allowed to be used, but only with a licence.

I have heard of very low rates of Reldan grain store insecticide, being used (which is also Chlorpyrifos) in OSR before it too was made unavailable. Very successfully I have heard too.

Sometimes I wonder how on earth the human race has survived so long!
If we keep getting rid of the tools that the are suddenly perceived to have a risk that might be higher than the benefits they provide, maybe we won’t for much longer.

 

[FarmerBruce]

How many people with crops failing due to larvae refused to use an insecticide?

 

[An Gof]

Stubble turnips into spring barley?
Your more knowledgeable than me, I’m sure you can think laterally

Yes, that might work as long as the Flea Beetles don’t do for the Stubble Turnip ?

 

[Clive]

Oh and what's left has been sprayed with kerb can y

How many people with crops failing due to larvae refused to use an insecticide?

what’s the point ? i would just have dead beneficials more slugs and a wasted cost

as i say if i do loose my crop at least it’s been cheap and done no harm - could call it a cheap cover crop i guess !

 

[Clive]

if EVER there was a example of how bad our farming system is in the UK it has to be the OSR “extinction event” that we have all witnessed over the last few years ..... those that haven’t yet probably will eventually

I mean seriously how bad has our soil health and ecosystems got that this species can no longer be green without chemicals ?

I think it’s time ALL farmers stated to question just how big a corner we have farmed ourselves into and stopped blaming politicians and environmentalists

This is a situation of OUR making

 

[Two Tone]

How many people with crops failing due to larvae refused to use an insecticide?

At the United Oilseeds conference earlier this year, they said that using any insecticides such as Hallmark are a complete waste of time. They now recommend the only way to establish OSR is to drill as early as possible in August so that the crop can outgrow CSFB grazing.
However, that does not prevent CSFB larvae in the stem of the crop later.

Obviously, United Oilseeds are very worried as to the future of the crop and have been heavily diversifying into other crops.

 

[Two Tone]

if EVER there was a example of how bad our farming system is in the UK it has to be the OSR “extinction event” that we have all witnessed over the last few years ..... those that haven’t yet probably will eventually

I mean seriously how bad has our soil health and ecosystems got that this species can no longer be green without chemicals ?

I think it’s time ALL farmers stated to question just how big a corner we have farmed ourselves into and stopped blaming politicians and environmentalists

This is a situation of OUR making

You may have a point but it isn’t quite as simple as this with OSR.
Rapeseed is not a natural crop to the UK. It was originally grown as a fodder crop back in the 1940’s but didn’t catch on.
It’s popularity as a seed crop only started in the 1970’s and massively accelerated in the 80’s. But only because of its high value vegetable oil.
It has often relied on decent insecticides to be able to grow it.

As for blaming politicians and environmentalists, many of our top scientists and chief scientific advisor now say they have gone too far in unnecessary restrictions, particularly as regards Neonics

Check this out at 40 minutes

We have recently heard that Australia has discovered that Ivermectin kills Coronavirus.
What would you say if Ivermectin was banned for use here?
What would you say if Ivermectin didn’t kill coronavirus but that Chlorpyrifos, which is now banned here, does kill it?

 

[Clive]

You may have a point but it isn’t quite as simple as this with OSR.
Rapeseed is not a natural crop to the UK. It was originally grown as a fodder crop back in the 1940’s but didn’t catch on.
It’s popularity as a seed crop only started in the 1970’s and massively accelerated in the 80’s. But only because of its high value vegetable oil.
It has often relied on decent insecticides to be able to grow it.

As for blaming politicians and environmentalists, many of our top scientists and chief scientific advisor now say they have gone too far in unnecessary restrictions, particularly as regards Neonics

Check this out at 40 minutes

We have recently heard that Australia has discovered that Ivermectin kills Coronavirus.
What would you say if Ivermectin was banned for use here?
What would you say if Ivermectin didn’t kill coronavirus but that Chlorpyrifos, which is now banned here, does kill it?

if a crop just can not grow in the uk without use of chemicals you really have to ask yourself if we should be growing it at all or ever should have done ?

 

[Gedd]

Half crop - 3/4t/ac?

At best

 

[Hindsight]

How many people with crops failing due to larvae refused to use an insecticide?

My observation - made no difference.

I have crops that received one or two autumn pyrethroids during establishment phase which have failed. And crops that received no insecticide failed.. Only ones anywhere near OK were sown first two weeks of August, and in those they vary. Some are perfect, others have an understorey of stunted larvae infested plants with fortunately enough plants that have very few or no larvae that will allow the crop to come to harvest. But in practically all cases no more rape will be grown on those farms. Lincolnshire will not be very yellow in April 2021.

 

[Hindsight]

if a crop just can not grow in the uk without use of chemicals you really have to ask yourself if we should be growing it at all or ever should have done ?

Bit more complex. If the alternative is to import rapeseed or alternative source of vegetable oil such as Palm oil, from more delicate environments then on balance society might be better to allow chemicals and grow in UK. I am not asking you to rise to the bait. My post is not intended for that. Just commenting there are often bigger pictures. I shall be sad if Orang Utans become extinct just so UK can retain bees, supposedly. Hey ho.

 

[Two Tone]

if a crop just can not grow in the uk without use of chemicals you really have to ask yourself if we should be growing it at all or ever should have done ?

Again, you may have a point. However, farming is a business just like any other one. If you can grow a crop profitably using whatever tools are available, then why not?

Any business will know that as soon as those tools become unavailable such that the crop becomes unviable, switch to something else.

The problem is not that the chemicals have become banned because of their perceived danger. It is because Political and Environmentalist’s will outweighs the scientific evidence.

Funny how all those Scientists suddenly become important again when we have a Coronavirus pandemic, isn’t it?