Suggestions for companion cropping rape??

[Shutesy]

So.... If your going to put a clover/ vetch / buckwheat companion in the WOSR crop how do you plan to apply herbicides ??
Or do you not us herbs & hope clover / vetch drowns out weeds. .??
Confused.com

If my thinking is right you don't use any herbicides in the summer/autumn for BLW's, Centurion Max wont hurt the companion plants, Astrokerb in the winter might kill some elements of it plus frosts and then a BLW spray in spring to leave just OSR.

 

[Andrew K]

Berseem clover will snuff it at the first sign of frost, ours was all done by Xmas this year.
Which companion crops could help with CSFB problems in OSR crops I wonder?

 

[dontknowanything]

Berseem clover will snuff it at the first sign of frost, ours was all done by Xmas this year.
Which companion crops could help with CSFB problems in OSR crops I wonder?

I believe there are wildly different frost tolerances amongst varieties of berseem

 

[parker]

I broadcast some berseem at drilling with my osr last year drilled 14.9.15, still have it growing now in places underneath the canopy.

 

[Rainmaker]

What about adding the clover in the fert and spin on in front of drill?

The ballistics of the clover and fert would be all wrong imho.

 

[Andrew K]

I believe there are wildly different frost tolerances amongst varieties of berseem

Ours was a component of the Agrovista mix, cant recall which variety i,m afraid?

 

[Andrew K]

I broadcast some berseem at drilling with my osr last year drilled 14.9.15, still have it growing now in places underneath the canopy.

Did you find the Berseem had any positive effect Tim?

 

[dontknowanything]

Ours was a component of the Agrovista mix, cant recall which variety i,m afraid?

They use Tabor, which has high sensitivity to frost

 

[Andrew K]

They use Tabor, which has high sensitivity to frost

Thanks DKA.

 

[parker]

Did you find the Berseem had any positive effect Tim?

Where it is still growing now soil structure is improved and I would hope fertility will be improved in the following crop, but I cant really say that I can see any difference visually in the osr but I hope the combine will tell me otherwise

 

[Andrew K]

Did you find any effect on CSFB at establishment, i think soil structure is better on our field for sure.

 

[parker]

Did you find any effect on CSFB at establishment, i think soil structure is better on our field for sure.

I didn't have a problem with csfb on any of my osr so had nothing to compare thankfully

 

[tr250]

I broadcast some berseem at drilling with my osr last year drilled 14.9.15, still have it growing now in places underneath the canopy.

Did the burseem clover cause any problems I've got a spattering of white flowers showing in my rape now?

 

[parker]

Did the burseem clover cause any problems I've got a spattering of white flowers showing in my rape now?

None what so ever, for the last two years the clover has made it through the winter and flowered, also with good nodulation so can only be a winner , I haven't had any carry over into the following crop so all good in my opinion

 

[SimonD]

This year I'm going to major on buckwheat and vetch, but I am also trying berseem. I'll probably throw in some fenugreek and lentils again to bulk it out and give some extra variety.

I'd think putting another brassica in there is a major no-no, unless you're using Clearfield.

Are mixing the seed in the hopper or using a separate hopper for the Berseem? I've assumed you're not broadcasting it.

 

[dontknowanything]

Are mixing the seed in the hopper or using a separate hopper for the Berseem? I've assumed you're not broadcasting it.

separate hopper for companions, all mixed

 

[BigBarl]

My Blackgrass companion works really well, it stops all the unwanted grass weeds coming through in between the rows of OSR and a sniff of Kerb takes 100% of it out once the OSR is established and the CSFB threat has passed. the slugs preferentially graze the BG and limited data shows BG gives off a gas that deters CSFB. on top of all that the seed is free and doesn't need drilling.




oh balls I was day dreaming again... if only life was that simple!

 

[Brisel]

I had hoped it would die of frost but perhaps that won't happen here either.

@dontknowanything Do/can you use any broad-leaf herbicide in autumn with those mixes?

We have Astrokerb which is propyzamide + aminopyralid. Apply it during winter but you may be deep in snow and frozen ground for months by then!

 

[Philip Hedeng]

We have Astrokerb which is propyzamide + aminopyralid. Apply it during winter but you may be deep in snow and frozen ground for months by then!

We have Kerb 400 which might spare clovers as it just got registered for use in red/white clover seed crops. Where I am we usually have single digit number of ways of snow, if any, and Kerb is not uncommonly used.

I will do berseem and maybe white clover this year.