Arable
prices – and an exciting choice of competitive va- rieties – has strengthened the case for including oilseed rape in rotations.
A
Several seasons of cabbage stem flea beetle damage, falling margins and establishment is- sues have hit the area grown in many southern and eastern are- as. But the crop is set to bounce back, believes Hutchinsons na- tional seeds manager David Bouch.
Flea beetle “Around 40,000ha was lost last year due to a combination of flea beetle damage and drought in some south-eastern areas, but I’ve no doubt that at current prices of around £350/t there is a strong place for oilseed rape in 2018.”
“
Oilseed rape should stack up well in most rotations
Price rises have already been seen the area rise in other are- as, particularly further north and west, says Mr Bouch. Add in the potential oil premium worth 1.5% and growers could soon add an- other £26-27/t for every 1% of oil content above 40%. “As a rule of thumb, if oil- seed rape prices are approach- ing two-and-a-half times the price of wheat, it should stack up well in most rotations. Further- more, oilseed rape provides a timely entry for wheat and of- fers a number of other rotation- al benefits.”
welcome recovery in
Oilseed rape can be challenging to grow – but most crops come good in the end Higher prices ‘strengthen case’
for rape in 2018 rotations • Quick establishment essential for success • Oil premiums are further bonus to prices • Choose different varieties to spread risk
Rapid establishment vital Mr Bouch acknowledges oilseed rape can be challenging to grow, especially without neonicotinoid seed treatments, and insists that early sowing and quick establish- ment are essential.
He advises growers to select two or three different varieties to suit different field character- istics and spread risk. Opting for those with strong, early growth characteristics enables young
crops to extract water and nutri- ents better and outgrow any po- tential damage caused by CSFB, pigeons, or slugs.
The built-in vigour of hybrids makes them an obvious choice, es- pecially if drilling is delayed into September, Mr Bouch continues, although conventional open-pol- linated types still have a place on many farms, particularly when sown early in the drilling window around 15-20 August.
Certified seed ‘boosts early growth’
Mr Bouch says sowing certified seed helps establishment and he also recommends a seed treat- ment to protect against early disease.
“The main fungicide option is based on prochloraz + thiram, which is effective against soil-
10 ANGLIA FARMER • JUNE 2017
borne damping off diseases, seed- borne phoma and alternaria.” There is also an array of ni- trite and micronutrient-based treatments to stimulate root de- velopment and improve crop es- tablishment, he says. “It’s not a particularly expen-
sive addition and given what’s happening with CSFB, anything that gives the crop a boost must be welcomed.” Keeping seed rates down will be another key to success, as it encourages plants to branch out more and intercept light more
efficiently than dense crops, Mr Bouch notes.
“Seed rates for oilseed rape
have dropped significantly over the last few years. If you’ve typi- cally sown a conventional varie- ty at 5.5kg/ha in the past, you’ll be nearer 3.5kg/ha now.”
Built-in vigour means hybrids are an obvious choice, says Mr Bouch
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