OSR and badgers

[cambsfarmer]

Our best bit of OSR by far was next to a badger set. Flea beetle obviously do not like the smell. What we need is a spray developing that smells of badger sh!t.

 

[ZXR17]

We would be happy to ship a load of our little black and white friends up to you , anything to help solve your flea beetle problems . And we would be helping to save the planet by helping reduce your use of all those nasty chemicals .
Must go , I'm off to put this idea to all the Green and Vegan lobbying groups .

 

[Plough on]

I've heard a rumour that pig muck and sewage sludge has reduced flea beetle pressure, I just thought it was the N they were picking up from it.

 

[snarling bee]

If it is still moist in a couple of weeks, and we have baled the straw, I was going to try pig muck.
I'll have one field as a control (no muck).

 

[Brisel]

I've heard a rumour that pig muck and sewage sludge has reduced flea beetle pressure, I just thought it was the N they were picking up from it.

My agronomist's firm was saying something similar. The smell of glucosinolates that attracts the flying CSFB is masked by the manure smell. You've got extra benefits of available N and moisture retention from the manures too. I've just harvested a field that had 20 t/ha sewage cake applied a week before drilling & it made no difference to the beetle pressure nor yield. Perhaps a good dollop of something more smelly like pig shite would be better.

 

[Hindsight]

I can show you a few fields near Lincoln that received broiler litter last autumn prior to sowing Rape. Today they are Spring Barley.

 

[Renaultman]

Hmm mucked mine last year, just good old cow muck, got a good establishment with only one night time insecticide. I was crediting my being kind to my beneficials