OSR replacement

[teslacoils]

Every day should be a fixed cost cutting day.

 

[DRC]

Would turnips be wroth grazing that early without delaying your wheat sowing date? I think forage rape and a high stocking rate would do the job, otherwise you're just looking at a quick growing cover crop to keep the soil growing something and serve as a catch crop for EFA too.

Sorry, I meant I grow turnips on the lighter part of the farm. So usually a rotation of winter barley, ( turnips sheep, pig muck), maize, wheat, barley, potatoes. I was referring to the land that’s too heavy for spuds or maize, so maybe wheat, rye( with time for mustard or similar to act as a green manure), before returning to wheat. I have grown 2 ton crops of winter beans in the past, but storage becomes an issue for me .

 

[Drillman]

Must admit I’m scratching my head over OSR.

I would go back to spring Oats but have to pick fields carefully according to blackgrass pressure.

Beans we’ve tried, I find them an interesting crop to grow but October harvest and the resultant drying bill is horrific.

Combining peas are ok until they go flat then we just end up combining chalk and flint trying to get them. Again drying bills can be horrific.

Linseed hmm mite be ok but just not brave enough and no one else round here grows it which tells me something.

Sublet for spuds, vining peas. Not really as it don’t go down well with landlord.

 

[Against_the_grain]

Do we not still have chekker in linseed for blw? Haven't grown linseed for a few years now.

Also how do the Americans manage to grow corn soybeans alternatively without any issues yet we cant grow a pulse more than 1 in 6?

 

[yellow belly]

Do we not still have chekker in linseed for blw? Haven't grown linseed for a few years now.

Also how do the Americans manage to grow corn soybeans alternatively without any issues yet we cant grow a pulse more than 1 in 6?

faba beans we can grow in the uk grown more than 1 in 4 years give very poor yields due to soil born disease s

 

[Brisel]

Do we not still have chekker in linseed for blw? Haven't grown linseed for a few years now.

Also how do the Americans manage to grow corn soybeans alternatively without any issues yet we cant grow a pulse more than 1 in 6?

CRD wanted too much work for the EAMU from Bayer to warrant the investment, so it didn't get done.

Different disease profiles in soybeans to pulses here. Edit: You'd think that the duo-culture of maize/soya in so much of the country would cause problems by now other than resistant weeds!

 

[matttargett4]

Isn't it time we think beyond EFA and such schemes, once we Brexit ( if ) I have a feeling there won't be a lot of £ coming farmings way by the looks of the collective that are currently advising HM Government, HOPEFULLY I'm wrong, BUT if we prepare for the worst, then anything else will be a bonus just don't let on we're doing it or we will get hammered

This

I'd be pretty worried about relying on govt for income.

 

[jonnyjon]

If everyone cuts it back to a more sensible 1 in 6 type rotation it will not. be a problem to grow

It’s not CSFB to blame imo it is us as farmers - we have over done it and yet again killed the golden goose

Same lessons true for blackgrass and many other issues - we have bought them upon ourselves mostly via abuse of rotation and products

Many about time we start learning from past mistakes rather than repeat them ?

Spot on

 

[ollie989898]

I actually don’t grow rape, but seeing all three neighbours with what look like good looking crops is making me consider it again on the heavier land that can’t grow maize constantly . This year is showing that up badly. I need to pay rent , so legume fallows without a payment aren’t appealing . I do have some continuous wheat, but that doesn’t look the best this year. I’ve been offered the chance to grow more hybrid rye , which could be harvested early then put a cover crop before going back to wheat. Trouble is the rye really likes the lighter ground.

Triticale instead of rye on the heavy land??

 

[rob1]

Triticale instead of rye on the heavy land??

finding a market for it is the problem

 

[ollie989898]

finding a market for it is the problem

Sorry, I meant for AD chopping.

 

[Pieces_of_Eight]

This farms not grown OSR for 11 years, and not sure its ever grown it, next door farm doesn't grow it either, emerged OSR didn't last a week here, so can't see how that theory of rotation 1:6 works out

When flea beetles will travel 2 miles (with help from the wind), no amount of stretching your rotation will help.

...Unless you can agree with all your neighbours which year you will all grow OSR

 

[Brisel]

When flea beetles will travel 2 miles (with help from the wind), no amount of stretching your rotation will help.

...Unless you can agree with all your neighbours which year you will all grow OSR

Less osr grown nationally or locally still means less CSFB habitat. I think 2018 and 2019 will see a lot less grown after these 2 years. It worked in East Anglia. Almost no osr soon meant a crash in the flea beetle numbers.

 

[B'o'B]

Less osr grown nationally or locally still means less CSFB habitat. I think 2018 and 2019 will see a lot less grown after these 2 years. It worked in East Anglia. Almost no osr soon meant a crash in the flea beetle numbers.

A far as I’m aware it’s still pretty unpredictable whether or not a OSR crop establishes well enough to take to harvest even after a few years of greatly reduced OSR area in the East, or is that not the case?

 

[Brisel]

Only the experience of a colleague in south Herts who couldn’t establish it in 2015 even with some derogation neonic dressed seed, he & his neighbours stopped growing brassicas for a couple of years then had little CSFB trouble last autumn when he tried again. You’re right - not representative of all of E Anglia.

 

[ollie989898]

I am sort of beginning to think Clive is along the right lines with this.

We have managed to persist with naughty rotations that we were all told in college not to do but things like atlantis, latitude and neonics made them possible. Even if the ministry allowed the use of neonics how long until the beetle is resistant to them?

Maize and forage rye have to be options for anyone near livestock or AD units. Sorghum/millet are surely niche so finding a buyer might be difficult?

Wouldnt be convinced a total drop in OSR would do much for flea beetle populations given the large numbers of wild and cultivated brassica species you see about.

 

[Brisel]

Bromoxynil (Maya) will control that if done before it gets too big. That & Eagle are your only real blw control options in spring linseed now. Pre em Callisto helps a bit but not a lot.

I forgot to mention metsulfuron methyl but this stunts the crop. It would rescue a bad thistle infestation until we get the EAMU for MCPA.

 

[teslacoils]

You should be able to control your linseed blws with bromoxynil and this two sus.

 

[Foxcover]

I am sort of beginning to think Clive is along the right lines with this.

We have managed to persist with naughty rotations that we were all told in college not to do but things like atlantis, latitude and neonics made them possible. Even if the ministry allowed the use of neonics how long until the beetle is resistant to them?

Maize and forage rye have to be options for anyone near livestock or AD units. Sorghum/millet are surely niche so finding a buyer might be difficult?

Wouldnt be convinced a total drop in OSR would do much for flea beetle populations given the large numbers of wild and cultivated brassica species you see about.

Exactly, the likes of Flawborough and Farmeco were in wheat/rape ‘rotations’ for over a decade. Not good.

 

[Brisel]

Exactly, the likes of Flawborough and Farmeco were in wheat/rape ‘rotations’ for over a decade. Not good.

Both of those are TFF members