Oil seed rape drilling.

[Shutesy]

Haven't tried before Ned, did berseem and buckwheat last year which the majority is having again this year. Thought id try some beans as this planting looked good in France last autumn, my agronomist says he's happy and has a plan.

What rates did you add the Buckwheat and clover per ha if you don't mind me asking and are you doing the same rates this year? Were they killed off by herbicide or the winter weather or not at all.

 

[RTK Farmer]

3 Berseem 7 Buckwheat, same this year, buckwheat was killed by first frost, Astro Kerb dealt with the rest, crop was very clean at harvest.

 

[Shutesy]

What advantages do you feel it brings, less weed or pest pressure? I can see the benefit of clover fixing N and Buckwheat scavenging P, Very tempted to try it but seed doesn't seem that cheap, from what I have found online if I buy enough to do my 70 acres I'm drilling that's another £725 or £10.35/ac. Could try a 10ac trial plot I guess.

 

[Gong Farmer]

When does that risk tail off?

Impossible to say. Easy to make a stab at 'Aug 15th' but I've only ever heard of it in crops sown pre-10th.

 

[spikeislander]

made a start been asked to leave fert off due to earlyness

 

[Oat]

What advantages do you feel it brings, less weed or pest pressure? I can see the benefit of clover fixing N and Buckwheat scavenging P, Very tempted to try it but seed doesn't seem that cheap, from what I have found online if I buy enough to do my 70 acres I'm drilling that's another £725 or £10.35/ac. Could try a 10ac trial plot I guess.

If you used FSS (obviously your own) and the beans were then destroyed, would it be free- no cost for seed, and no royalties?

 

[Shutesy]

Had a good chit of barley volunteers and blackgrass in my winter barley stubble post stubble raking, needs spraying off before any drilling can take place but the ground is now pretty fudging wet, just tidying up the hedges (with derogation) and think I will have to cultivate round the headland where I'm running with the hedgecutter, its making worse marks than I thought it would. Would like to get the OSR drilled in the next week/10 days or so but not sure if its going to dry up enough, showers forecast every other day nearly and when it does come dry will be busy combining!
Anybody else thinking of making a start soon?

 

[Oat]

Had a good chit of barley volunteers and blackgrass in my winter barley stubble post stubble raking, needs spraying off before any drilling can take place but the ground is now pretty fudging wet, just tidying up the hedges (with derogation) and think I will have to cultivate round the headland where I'm running with the hedgecutter, its making worse marks than I thought it would. Would like to get the OSR drilled in the next week/10 days or so but not sure if its going to dry up enough, showers forecast every other day nearly and when it does come dry will be busy combining!
Anybody else thinking of making a start soon?

Its still a bit early. If you can't combine because of rain, but are able to drill, then the rape will be up and growing very quickly because of the moisture and warm temperatures. There is then a risk it grows too quickly and starts flowering before winter.
Obviously, there is a trade off with getting the crop established quickly to avoid maximum csfb pressure, not having a bottleneck of combining and drilling, and some people prefer to manage an advanced crop, than a backwards crops.
I think normally, mid August is seen as the earliest to start.

 

[Gong Farmer]

and growing very quickly because of the moisture and warm temperatures. There is then a risk it grows too quickly and starts flowering before winter.

Then the inevitable discussions about autumn PGRs.

 

[Brisel]

If you used FSS (obviously your own) and the beans were then destroyed, would it be free- no cost for seed, and no royalties?

BSPB royalties are based on area sown, not area harvested. FSS cover crops are liable for royalties.

 

[Shutesy]

Its still a bit early. If you can't combine because of rain, but are able to drill, then the rape will be up and growing very quickly because of the moisture and warm temperatures. There is then a risk it grows too quickly and starts flowering before winter.
Obviously, there is a trade off with getting the crop established quickly to avoid maximum csfb pressure, not having a bottleneck of combining and drilling, and some people prefer to manage an advanced crop, than a backwards crops.
I think normally, mid August is seen as the earliest to start.

Given previous experiences in the past couple of years I am veering towards the 'manage an advanced crop camp'. Can forward crops be reliably managed with autumn PGRs to prevent flowering prior to winter?
There is part of me that is happy to wait a bit longer before drilling as well as we have got some 17-8-0 starter fert to apply, ideally behind the legs of the drill but the liquid fert system on the drill isn't ready yet so if we drill early it will have to be applied with the sprayer rather than next to the seed with the drill. Wait a bit longer and we should have the liquid fert system ready.

 

[BenB]

@Oat @Fromebridge Is it possible for very early sown rape crops drilled now to be flowering around christmas? If we had a cold October and November for example, to satisfy the vernalisation requirement? Or does the day length need to have reached a specific point before it will switch to stem extension. My OSR physiology is a little rusty.

 

[Brisel]

A topper would fix that problem. The plant would soon branch out in spring to compensate.

 

[yellow belly]

@Oat @Fromebridge Is it possible for very early sown rape crops drilled now to be flowering around christmas? If we had a cold October and November for example, to satisfy the vernalisation requirement? Or does the day length need to have reached a specific point before it will switch to stem extension. My OSR physiology is a little rusty.

No
I planted some mustard in august that flowered in October a few farmers driving by said they saw rape in flower one posted on bff
Charlock can flower

 

[Neddy flanders]

@Oat @Fromebridge Is it possible for very early sown rape crops drilled now to be flowering around christmas? If we had a cold October and November for example, to satisfy the vernalisation requirement? Or does the day length need to have reached a specific point before it will switch to stem extension. My OSR physiology is a little rusty.

No
OSR needs 3-6 weeks of cold temps and falling day length. Rape flowering before Xmas is a myth. Spring rape volunteers or charlock maybe, but winter rape needs vernalisation. Stem extension pre -Xmas is because over thick cabbage type plants grow up to out compete their neighbour for light.

 

[BenB]

@Neddy flanders @yellow belly Thanks chaps. Would it potentially start flowering earlier in the spring though - more chance of it flowering when high risk of frost?

 

[Neddy flanders]

@Neddy flanders @yellow belly Thanks chaps. Would it potentially start flowering earlier in the spring though - more chance of it flowering when high risk of frost?

Yes definitely.

 

[Gong Farmer]

No
OSR needs 3-6 weeks of cold temps and falling day length. Rape flowering before Xmas is a myth. Spring rape volunteers or charlock maybe, but winter rape needs vernalisation. Stem extension pre -Xmas is because over thick cabbage type plants grow up to out compete their neighbour for light.

This.

 

[Oat]

This.

I have seen winter oilseed rape volunteers flowering pre-winter

BSPB royalties are based on area sown, not area harvested. FSS cover crops are liable for royalties.

I thought there was some sort of exception, if the crop failed. I may be wrong, as I have never been in this situation.

 

[nick...]

Seems to be less seedinbags this year,my Aquila arrived today.3ha pack weighs 8.3kg.normally 10/11 kg in a bag.so about 2.7 kg ha this year.ill panic from start to finish to get the seed on and then till it appears in the rows
Nick...