OSR companion crops

[Banana Bar]

What companion crops should I be planning to drill with OSR this autumn? Ideally as many components that I already have on farm, linseed, beans, peas?

 

[Michael S]

I have seen spring beans looking good as a companion but I am unsure how risky they are if you are growing them in the rotation? Personally I think I am sticking with berseem clover at 4-5kg/ha and buckwheat at 8kg/ha.

 

[flip0207]

Tried companion cropping OSR last year. We spread 50 kg/ha of spring beans before drilling OSR with 4 kg/ha buckwheat and 3 kg/ha white clover (minimum-tillage, drilled with power harrow combi). Buckwheat was frost killed in october, but the spring beans are still alive and will be taken out with a herbicide when the soil is dry enough. The idea was to suppress weeds in the autumn and winter with spring beans and buckwheat and during the growing season in spring and summer with the white clover, but i guess the white clover won't survive the neccessary herbicide application to take out the spring beans. This year i'd like to try berseem clover, vetches, buckwheat, white clover and maybe fenugreek as companion crops. Spreading spring beans is quite difficult so without a drill with more than one hopper I have to focus on plants with smaller seeds, unfortunally.
Pictures where taken on the 5th of october.

 

[flip0207]

Some more pictures, taken in october/november.

 

[Clive]

I'm yet to find any solid evidence that it's a good idea

I love the principle but dislike the additional cost on what has become a high-risk crop

 

[flip0207]

I'm yet to find any solid evidence that it's a good idea

I love the principle but dislike the additional cost on what has become a high-risk crop

Here is a interesting study / field trial that showed good results growing OSR with a companion crop:

Intercropping frost-sensitive legume crops with winter oilseed rape reduces weed competition, insect damage, and improves nitrogen use efficiency | OCL - Oilseeds and fats, Crops and Lipids

OCL, Oilseeds and fats, Crops and Lipids

www.ocl-journal.org

I am curious to see how the OSR will develop with and without companion crops and what the yields will be. Although only herbicides against grasses and not against dicotyledonous weeds were used in autumn, the field is surprisingly clean except for the spring beans and white clover. Since we had no infestation with CSFB in autumn, I cannot say whether the companion crops reduced the insect infestation or not.
In the long term, I hope that the companion crops will enable us to reduce nitrogen fertilization in the spring and make do with fewer herbicide applications. Ideally, we can manage without insecticides in autumn, as we have done so far. Perhaps by combining this with plant sap tests, micronutrients and nitrogen fertilization with ammonium (CULTAN?), it will be possible to grow OSR without insecticides?

 

[ajd132]

Some more pictures, taken in october/november.

Did you just leave them beans on the surface?

 

[ajd132]

I'm yet to find any solid evidence that it's a good idea

I love the principle but dislike the additional cost on what has become a high-risk crop

No brainer IMO. 5kgs of buckwheat and 5kgs of berseem doesn’t break the bank. The clover definitely gave the osr an N kick (how much I havnt quanitified), buckwheat is great for diversity and beneficials and there is also evidence to suggest it fixes some P. If the rape fails then you still have a cover crop.

 

[flip0207]

Did you just leave them beans on the surface?

Not really, the power harrow has worked the beans into the soil, but very unevenly. That's one reason, why i'd like to try vetches and berseem clover instead of spring beans. Our drill has only one hopper, so I'm looking forward to drill OSR and the companion crops in one seed mixture.

 

[ajd132]

Not really, the power harrow has worked the beans into the soil, but very unevenly. That's one reason, why i'd like to try vetches and berseem clover instead of spring beans. Our drill has only one hopper, so I'm looking forward to drill OSR and the companion crops in one seed mixture.

Do you think vetches are okay mixed with smaller seeds or will they separate?

 

[Banana Bar]

Do you think inter row companions offer the best of both worlds, little competition for the OSR but plenty of diversity in the soil?

 

[flip0207]

Do you think vetches are okay mixed with smaller seeds or will they separate?

Had no problem drilling cover crops with small seeds like berseem clover together with bigger seeds like peas, vetches and sunflower. Of course, it would be easier with two hoppers, but since the drill has only one hopper, we have to make compromises. In this case it would make sence to put only seeds for 2 or 3 ha in and refill 3 or 4 times. Shouldn't be a problem, since we grow less than 10 ha OSR.

 

[flip0207]

Do you think inter row companions offer the best of both worlds, little competition for the OSR but plenty of diversity in the soil?

Since we don't have a drill with the option to drill inter row companions, i never thought about that. One idea is to supress weeds with companion crops which only works, if the whole field is covered with plants. Could be difficult to reach that goal with inter row companions?! If we put OSR and the companions in the same rows, the ground might be covered earlier.
Today I saw a presentation on YouTube by an Austrian organic farmer who sowed 27 different species together with OSR, including perennial grasses and clovers. Since the 1990s, his farm is certified organic and adapted to a minimum tillage system, accordingly he grows winter rape without herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. The companion crops play a decisive role there, besides plant nutrition! I guess, there is a lot to learn and to try in the next couple of years!

 

[Surgery]

Do you think vetches are okay mixed with smaller seeds or will they separate?

Would be my worry , if the drill bounces-vibrates a little surely larger seeds would rise to the top of a mixture ?

 

[Michael S]

Would be my worry , if the drill bounces-vibrates a little surely larger seeds would rise to the top of a mixture ?

From experience I'd say that if you have a single outlet hopper, like an Accord or Sulky, if you do a half reasonable job of mixing the seeds before putting them in the hopper the funnel effect draws everything down the middle remixing the seed as you go.

 

[Clive]

Since we don't have a drill with the option to drill inter row companions, i never thought about that. One idea is to supress weeds with companion crops which only works, if the whole field is covered with plants. Could be difficult to reach that goal with inter row companions?! If we put OSR and the companions in the same rows, the ground might be covered earlier.
Today I saw a presentation on YouTube by an Austrian organic farmer who sowed 27 different species together with OSR, including perennial grasses and clovers. Since the 1990s, his farm is certified organic and adapted to a minimum tillage system, accordingly he grows winter rape without herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. The companion crops play a decisive role there, besides plant nutrition! I guess, there is a lot to learn and to try in the next couple of years!

do you have a link to the youtube presentation please ?

 

[Clive]

@parker what are you mixing with osr these days ?

 

[flip0207]

do you have a link to the youtube presentation please ?

Of course, but it is in german ?:

 

[flip0207]

From experience I'd say that if you have a single outlet hopper, like an Accord or Sulky, if you do a half reasonable job of mixing the seeds before putting them in the hopper the funnel effect draws everything down the middle remixing the seed as you go.

Never had problems with our Accord DA when drilling cover crop mixtures with 10 or more species, even if we put in seeds for more than 5 ha. To make sure OSR and companion crops will be evenly distributed in the field, I'd put only seeds for 2 - 3 ha into the hopper. Since we grow less than 10 ha OSR that won't be a big problem. Of course that is not possible when growing more than 10 ha OSR...

 

[Michael S]

Last year I mixed 125kg OSR, 200kg of buckwheat and 100kg of berseem clover together by running them through a couple of tote bins four times before letting the mixture into my Simtech. I then put the drill on the low loader and drove 10 miles, hitched up, calibrated and drilled 25ha without any visible de-mixing of the seed.