| Arable
Should Oilseed rape feature in
your 2017 crop planning?
Oilseed Rape is frequently called the “banker crop” on most arable farms,
and is probably the best autumn-planted rotational break crop and entry for
1st wheats. The un-known is what its actual value might be when the crop is
marketed says Colin Button, Hutchinsons seed manager, as he examines the
place and importance of OSR as a crop option for UK farmers this autumn.
his time last year, the price
indicators showed wheat
around £140/t and oilseed rape
hovering in the low £200’s. In
the face of the low potential
returns and the anticipated
establishment difficulties from Cabbage Stem
Flea Beetle (CSFB) attack, many growers have
decided to reduce the rape area they planted,”
he says.
The AHDB autumn 2015 planted area survey
figures now shows a reduction in planted rape
area of 10% to 548,000Ha (vs 2015 harvest
area of 611,000Ha).
“What we now know is that wheat prices
have fallen dramatically and there has been an
improvement in rapeseed values which, when
added to oil bonuses, makes the OSR crop
look much more attractive than could have
been anticipated a year ago.”
“In fact OSR is approaching 2.5 times the
value of wheat - a rule of thumb which was
always said to govern where the crop price
should be to justify its place in a farm’s crop
rotation.”
Viewing crop choices
Mr Button feels that with this change of crop
values, now could be the right time to look
ahead to harvest 2017 and put OSR back in
place as the key autumn-planted rotational
crop. The establishment challenges remain,
especially in the CSFB hot-spots.
“However, away from these specific areas, if
given close attention to best practice over soil
management pre-drilling, soil moisture
T
18 | Farming Monthly | May 2016
preservation and a little luck, it is possible for
the majority of the national crop to be
successfully established.”
The potential gross margin returns for OSR
give a clear picture of where winter OSR sits,
alongside the other options (all figures based
on likely crop values for 2017 harvest from
information taken in early March 2016).
Conventional or Hybrid?
Once the decision is made to grow the crop,
the question which follows is “Which varieties
would be my best option? Should I go for a
conventional type, or opt to choose a hybrid?
There are very good reasons to consider
both, adds Mr Button. He points out that the
yield potential of conventional varieties has kept
pace with hybrids in the AHDB Recommended
List year on year. But he suggests looking into
the establishment criteria and there are several
varieties which are clear leaders and arise from
within both types.
“Vigour through the germination and
establishment phases can make all the
difference. In our own RTC site observations,
the hybrids Incentive, Wembley, SY-Harnas,
Fencer and Harper have stood out particularly.
Indeed Fencer has shown to be the most
vigorous, whether sown early or late (second
week of September).”
“The conventional varieties Campus and
Elgar have also shown good vigour. Campus in
particular, is the outstanding variety and is in
fact the widest grown conventional variety
planted for harvest 2016 - a testament to the
faith that growers had in their choice for the
year’s crop in the face of the establishment
uncertainties. Its verticillium wilt tolerance, as
tested in the breeder’s trials, also makes the
variety a continued stable, reliable choice.”
“We should recognise that Elgar tops the
new list and is, with its ratings for gross output,
lodging, oil and disease scores a potentially
choice variety. Sitting alongside a proven
variety like Campus, it will be one to consider
growing. “
“Although the 2015 Recommended List
pushed Elgar to the front, it has previously seen
some variability in performance – I would
advise some caution before making major
changes in variety selections.”
Care with seed rates
Mr Button adds that an additional
consideration in the choice between hybrids
and conventional varieties is their seed rate for
successful establishment. “The hybrids
normally require approximately 1.5 million
seeds for 3 ha’s (around 50 seeds/m2) versus
the 4 million seed packs of conventional types
(>100 seeds/m2).”
“On the face of it, the conventional type and
higher seed rates will provide more seed and
therefore a denser plant-stand in the field. The
conventional seed rates, perhaps, could be
pushed a little further from 4 ha’s to drill across
5 ha’s. However, it would be wise not to gamble
and risk variable establishment, especially if
conditions immediately after drilling become
dry or CSFB attacks deplete the crop stand. “
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