OSR 2021

[Farmer Ben]

Having researched as much information about the flea beetle as possible and been interested in the current crops in the ground, which generally look good. Do you think we’re starting to see more natural predators? I’ve recently read a paper from an Entomologist who suggested it would take 10 years to build up predators to control the flea beetle. Has anyone used organic liquid soap? Castile I believe.

 

[B'o'B]

Having researched as much information about the flea beetle as possible and been interested in the current crops in the ground, which generally look good. Do you think we’re starting to see more natural predators? I’ve recently read a paper from an Entomologist who suggested it would take 10 years to build up predators to control the flea beetle. Has anyone used organic liquid soap? Castile I believe.

I think last autumn the cards just fell right for rape establishment for a much longer period. In the last few years there has always been a 1-2 week period which has enabled crops to grow well, it's just that you could never tell when that was until winter, and it could be any time from early August to October!
It will be interesting to see how much gets put in this time and how much of it is still there in spring. We may have turned a corner, but Im not yet convinced, more likely the CSFB just took a year off!

 

[average farmer]

A bit like spraying your roses with fairy liquid? Never seems to work here and the Mrs ends up buying some pesticides off the shelf from Wilkos with no PA1 or 2 or PPE and spraying how ever she sees fit

 

[Flat 10]

I have a few theories. Longest protracted cold spell in my part of the world. Build up of predators and there’s also some work I read referred to about 7year population crashes.
However it’s very galling as the last 2 harvests I have grown 2t/ha crops (larval not adult damage) and my neighbours appear to have 4t/ha crops currently. I need to improve desperately.

 

[robbie]

I have a few theories. Longest protracted cold spell in my part of the world. Build up of predators and there’s also some work I read referred to about 7year population crashes.
However it’s very galling as the last 2 harvests I have grown 2t/ha crops (larval not adult damage) and my neighbours appear to have 4t/ha crops currently. I need to improve desperately.

Maybe you would have had 4t crops this year!!!

 

[Flat 10]

Maybe you would have had 4t crops this year!!!

Unlikely

 

[Hampton]

My wife is getting fed up with me driving past a rape crop and saying “bloody hell, the rape looks good this year, shame we’ve not got any!”

 

[cricketandcrops]

Establishment conditions were very favourable, how harvest pressure was much much lower. In 2019 the grain store floor was crawling, adults were crawling up the trailer sides, and the combine was covered……hardly any at harvest during 2020 so must have been lower numbers to start with too

 

[Hampton]

Establishment conditions were very favourable, how harvest pressure was much much lower. In 2019 the grain store floor was crawling, adults were crawling up the trailer sides, and the combine was covered……hardly any at harvest during 2020 so must have been lower numbers to start with too

What you have described happened in the reverse on our farm.
almost more beetle than rape last year

 

[Wheatland]

I‘ve planted spring osr and it’s been nailed by csfb. The field will be reseeded with a cover crop but it’s made me nervous about planting rape this autumn. Last autumn we had good conditions for establishment meaning the rape just grew away from any flea beetle damage.

 

[Farmer Ben]

I’d like to plant this summer but I’m the same. Long stubble, companion crop, liquid soap and a nuclear explosion. Seems the experts are as equally as stumped with it. There will be something game changing eventually but up to that point looks like we’re clutching at straws. With rape at £500 a ton it’s worth playing Russian roulette

 

[Northern territory]

I think larvae are more the enemy now. If conditions are favourable at establishment you could get away with broadcasting on and get a good population. I think you want to aim for a good rain after drilling as a must and then hope for the best. Home saved seed. July drilling, you will likely be caught out by larvae.

 

[Against_the_grain]

Larvae have always been the real problem imo. Spring linseed was under a lot of flea beetle pressure this spring. Not sure if same beetle though?

 

[DanniAgro]

Having researched as much information about the flea beetle as possible and been interested in the current crops in the ground, which generally look good. Do you think we’re starting to see more natural predators? I’ve recently read a paper from an Entomologist who suggested it would take 10 years to build up predators to control the flea beetle. Has anyone used organic liquid soap? Castile I believe.

Can you say what brand of soap you might use, and where to get it? Having heard something about it in the past, I'd like to try it this autumn.

 

[glasshouse]

I think larvae are more the enemy now. If conditions are favourable at establishment you could get away with broadcasting on and get a good population. I think you want to aim for a good rain after drilling as a must and then hope for the best. Home saved seed. July drilling, you will likely be caught out by larvae.

July drilling will flower by xmas

 

[Northern territory]

July drilling will flower by xmas

Some have done it around here. Certainly first week of august.

 

[4course]

torrential rain within an hour of the rollers leaving the field after sowing middle of august august plus on a fertile site following 2 years of muck .The field nor the farm having osr for nigh on 15 years and no other previous osr down wind as neighbours was at the far side of his farm . In a desperate attempt to get the cropping plan back into some semblance following the preceding poor wheat crop due to the abysmal season was murdered with liquid sunshine to enable us to make progress quickly, combined and bales led then next day as nothing else ready to harvest ploughed subsoiled sown and rolled the crop was up and away . despite our best physical efforts it was the rain that did the job plus a sprinkling of establishment bag fert and a regular check on the traps has meant little or no damage. Thing is can we repeat the trick this year ?

 

[MrNoo]

None here but a chap I know has one field that was just left stubble as it was having a huge sewage pipe put through for a large yet to be built housing estate. He has a cracking crop of OSR, all just volunteers, had no fert, no sprays nothing. Certainly from the road it looks a lot better than most in the area and he's going to run the combine through it just to see.
Funny old crop, wont be drilling any here this year

 

[glasshouse]

None here but a chap I know has one field that was just left stubble as it was having a huge sewage pipe put through for a large yet to be built housing estate. He has a cracking crop of OSR, all just volunteers, had no fert, no sprays nothing. Certainly from the road it looks a lot better than most in the area and he's going to run the combine through it just to see.
Funny old crop, wont be drilling any here this year

It grows fine where u dont want it

 

[Bogweevil]

Having researched as much information about the flea beetle as possible and been interested in the current crops in the ground, which generally look good. Do you think we’re starting to see more natural predators? I’ve recently read a paper from an Entomologist who suggested it would take 10 years to build up predators to control the flea beetle. Has anyone used organic liquid soap? Castile I believe.

Ecover washing up liquid is possibly the most widely used 'insecticide' by home gardeners! It is pretty good as materials with a physical mode of action go - i.e. 50% kill at the very best. in fact I know of some commercial greenhouse growers who naughtily use it on their cucs and peppers. However there is a commercial approved soap product called 'FLiPPER' made from waste olive oil, registered under an EAMU for some vegetable brassicas, but not alas, OSR: https://www.fargro.co.uk/sites/admin/plugins/elfinder/files/fargro/Fargro Flipper Brochure.pdf