Oilseed Rape News

Two candidate winter oilseed rape varieties from breeder LS Plant Breeding Ltd (LSPB) – Murray and Vegas – are near the top of the AHDB RL harvest results table (2nd equal and 3rd), with yields ahead of most of the currently recommended varieties.

Yara and Limagrain on how to establish a successful oilseed rape crop this autumn.

With many industry commentators predicting a significant increase in oilseed rape area being drilled this autumn, growers need to choose varieties carefully and make their buying decisions early, says DSV’s Sarah Hawthorne.

With most OSR crops now well on their way, growers are doing all they can to ensure robust growth and higher yields. Yara agronomy operations manager, Natalie Wood, and Yara area manager, Oscar Thacker, discuss the current status of OSR crops and what steps growers can take to drive growth forwards.

Launched on 29th November, the AHDB RL 2022/23 for cereals and oilseeds features improvements to cereal lodging resistance ratings and additional information on resistance to septoria in winter wheat, as well as new traits for barley (including BYDV tolerance) and an improved choice of varieties for milling, brewing and distilling. Rachel Hicks reports.

Spring husbandry can provide both value and diversity within a rotation, often demonstrate lower yield variability and can show a better return than their autumn counterparts per £1 spent – although they often struggle to match the best gross margins. But which spring cropping option to choose? Rachel Hicks writes.

Use disease risk forecasts to plan appropriate and timely spray programmes for oilseed rape crops this autumn, is the advice of Dr David Ellerton – technical director with Hutchinsons.

Priming technology looks set to make significant impact on rape establishment, says early adopter Peter Hewson

As 40% of OSR crops in 2020 were reportedly lacking in the micronutrient boron, growers are being urged to make early applications this autumn to support crop establishment.

Catchy weather conditions mean farmers are having to roll out the combines at every available opportunity in order to bring in this year’s winter wheat harvest, while winter barley and OSR are almost complete.

A much wider oilseed rape sowing window as growers adopt different strategies to deal with cabbage stem flea beetle makes it more important than ever that they choose varieties with the right characteristics for their particular drilling slot, insists Dekalb technical specialist, Richard Williams.

Researchers working to combat a devastating pest of oilseed rape have been supported by a fresh injection of funds. Being given £1.8m in funding to fight Flea beetle and protect crops in an environmentally friendly way.