Oilseed Rape

Farmers who drilled oilseed rape in July and August without applying a pre-emergence herbicide will need a tailored approach to weed control this autumn.

Independent ADAS trials show that a balanced autumn Bionature liquid fertiliser regime doubles OSR root length.

When Cornish farmer Ashley Jones, of Smeaton Farm, harvested his 4.5ha field of oilseed rape hybrid LG Ambassador on the 22nd July, it yielded a very pleasing 4.07t/ha. A second crop of the conventional Aspire also performed well at 3.58t/ha.

The attributes of a new oilseed rape variety could make it the perfect fit for farmers who plan to switch to early drilling to improve autumn establishment.

Seed breeders DSV and Openfield are launching a joint initiative to provide oilseed rape growers with 20% more seed in 2020 without having to pay extra for it.

KWS are offering a 50:50 oilseed rape risk mitigation scheme in which growers will only pay half of their seed costs if the crop fails to establish in autumn 2020, the company has announced.

OSR is a key ingredient for many products, from rapeseed oil and margarines to mayonnaise to salad dressings, making it a valuable crop for Britain.

With the area of UK-grown spring oilseed rape potentially as high as 60,000ha this year compared with around 10,000ha usually, what are the key management areas new growers should focus on?

A survey on the impact of cabbage stem flea beetle on oilseed rape crops in 2019-20, insecticide resistance and beneficial insects were some of the key items discussed at the AICC annual technical conference recently.

New analysis of the predicted gross margins for winter break crops shows oilseed rape remains the most profitable.

The independent United Oilseeds co-operative, which has the largest rapeseed tonnage under pool management in the UK, has announced a Harvest Pool result of in excess of £302 per tonne