Oilseed rape plans

[Flintstone]

I’m interested in people’s sumner rape establishment plans, given the issues so many are having these days with establishment, ongoing CSFB and larvae issues, the high growing costs, dwindling yields, and the pathetic final commodity price.

What are your WOSR planting plans for this summer? Please only vote if you are a regular rape grower.

 

[Bobthebuilder]

where is the increase area option

 

[Flintstone]

At the bottom

 

[Zippy768]

Currently looks ok here. Didn't need an insecticide, there are larvae about now but not affecting the plants at all at moment.
Will have a rec for pgr next week, 3/4 shin height already.

Area will increase a tad next time but that is because of block sizes. Costs are rising, no sluggies has helped, but not confident in leaving off fungicides. Time permitting will all be ploughed again as average yield from the plough far out weighs any other method I have tried. Will save contractor drilling charges and obviously hss is a must.

 

[Flat 10]

Depends if this year’s survives.....

 

[Brisel]

Last year had perfect conditions for flea beetle here. Hot enough to speed up the feeding and dry enough to slow the crop growth down.

I don’t see a financially better alternative. Pulses are losing active ingredients quickly and were never as good in the end even considering extra N and less slugs. Linseed is too inconsistent, I can’t grow maize as no local demand plus it hates chalk. Oats have potential but my spring oat gross margin last year including straw sales is half that of a 30 cwt/ac osr crop.

It’s only 1/6 of my rotation so will stay as it is. Keep it cheap.

 

[Devon James]

I am concerned at the regs on erucic acid content. Another risk to add to the list?

 

[Mkfm]

I’m not growing it this year, fist time the farms not had it since 1982, and won’t be growing it for a few years to come.

 

[PSQ]

I am concerned at the regs on erucic acid content. Another risk to add to the list?

We’ve had issues 2 years on the trot, Clearfield for us from now on.
(same area).

 

[mountfarm]

I’m interested in people’s sumner rape establishment plans, given the issues so many are having these days with establishment, ongoing CSFB and larvae issues, the high growing costs, dwindling yields, and the pathetic final commodity price.

What are your WOSR planting plans for this summer? Please only vote if you are a regular rape grower.

We are getting out of the crop to bring in more roots as they are far more lucrative.

 

[tr250]

We are going to drill 10% more cheaply and re drill the worst 10% into another crop. Or try anyway

 

[Boysground]

Need an option for haven’t got a clue. I am about to plough up almost half of this years area. Little option for another profitable break crop on that farm. Going to be a lot of thinking about next years plans.

Bg

 

[Adeptandy]

We’ve had issues 2 years on the trot, Clearfield for us from now on.
(same area).

What makes you think Clearfield will be any better, or don't you suffer from CSFB ?

 

[Hindsight]

What makes you think Clearfield will be any better, or don't you suffer from CSFB ?

Reading the post PSQ has a problem with erucic acid breaching the limits, not CSFB which as far as I am aware is not an issue (yet) north of Yorkshire. Hence Clearfield to control volunteer rape. That is my take of his post.

 

[Against_the_grain]

Will stop growing it next year after 20years. It's the best margin break when it yields but the loss of neo-nics and now metaldahyde, means it's just to much of a risk to grow. Will try and grow more cereals up the acerage of beans and linseed and maybe put more land into environmental schemes. I'm all for a challenge but sometimes you just have to accept that it's just not worth the risk anymore. Can find flea beetle in every single plant here over 120ha do still don't know if I'm going to harvest anything yet! What a joke.

 

[Flintstone]

Pretty much my feelings too.

 

[Surgery]

We planted 60 acres as a bit of an experiment 1st of October last year , reason why I had heard cstb might not lay eggs that late , beatles thinned out a lot of areas but it was planted thick enough to compensate , so far it looks good thanks to the warm spell , walked through with the agro and haven’t found any larvae , a few miles down the road early drilled rape is full to the point of the plants going brown-dying , is it the case of later planting or have we been lucky I don’t know.

 

[Against_the_grain]

walked through with the agro and haven’t found any larvae , a few miles down the road early drilled rape is full to the point of the plants going brown-dying , is it the case of later planting or have we been lucky I don’t know.

This is it. There is no understood alternative method of control apart from luck apparently. I'm out

 

[fudge]

Same again. Will remain at 1/6 of rotation.

 

[Brisel]

I am concerned at the regs on erucic acid content. Another risk to add to the list?

Yes, but it’s manageable. Test farm saved seed for the princely sum of £49/sample at NIAB. Control charlock. Be wary of volunteers if you’ve grown HEAR in the last 10 years in that field.

Sown in wide rows with your Claydon you should be able to see any volunteers. Having grown Clearfield sown at 40 seeds/m2 and got nearly 60 plants then applied Cleravo and seen the devastation of those volunteers it’s a reminder of just how persistent brassica seed is.