OSR 2021

Farmer Ben

Member
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

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Rutland
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!
 

Flat 10

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Fen Edge
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

Member
BASIS
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!!!
 

cricketandcrops

Member
BASIS
Location
Lincolnshire
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

Member
BASIS
Location
Shropshire
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

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Shropshire
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

Member
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

Member
Livestock Farmer
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.
 

DanniAgro

Member
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.
 

4course

Member
Location
north yorks
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

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Cirencester
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

Member
Location
lothians
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

Member
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
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.7%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 64 34.6%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.2%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 6 3.2%

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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