Oilseed rape is an important crop in any arable farm’s rotation. Over the last 10 years, some of the highest profits per acre have been found with the crop. The Scottish Farmer caught up with Agrovista's technical manager, John Murrie, to get his top tips to a successful crop and keeping clubroot at bay.
How are Scotland’s oilseed rape crops looking?
On the whole, not bad. The crops went in and in good time. But you never know the crop until you put it through the combine. Some parts which look phenomenal can be the poorest yielding, while the worst parts of the field can often be the best.
Where do you see clubroot issues in Scotland?
Clubroot is a growing issue in Scotland, affecting most of the country except for some areas in the west which don’t have a history of growing oilseed rape.
Once you have an outbreak, it can take 20 years to eradicate in the absence of brassica crops and weeds, so it’s not an issue to be fixed overnight.
As more people look to put in cover crops, we need to be careful of the use of brassicas such as radish. While it can offer benefits, farmers should be mindful that it can help prolong clubroot issues in the soil. Swedes need to be considered if part of a rotation.
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How to tackle clubroot?
The best solution is to increase the length of the rotation to ideally seven or eight years, but anything five or above will make a difference. Growers should also pay attention to brassica weeds which are in the ground to ensure they don’t become a reservoir of clubroot.
There are also clubroot-resistant varieties. Technically, these varieties do not offer 100% resistance, but they do definitely help. Another option to reduce clubroot is to not sow until the third week of August.
In late years like this, it might not be too much of an issue, but in a busy early season, the pressure to sow can push farmers to sow when they can.Direct drilling has a part to play here as it can rapidly get crops into the ground. Farmers just need to be vigilant against slugs. Always test trap and put out slug pellets when needed.
What are the key messages for farmers looking to make a margin growing OSR?
Get the pH right for the soil. Aim for 6.5 or as close as possible.
Pay attention to detail on the crop with the timings of sowing and spraying at the correct moment. Further, get the nutrients for the crop correct to maximise results. Don’t sow too thick and keep to the recommended seed rates. Extra plants can hamper the yield with fewer yielding pods come harvest.
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