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Oil Seed Rape (OSR)

The name Oilseed Rape is derived from the Old English term for turnip rapum, it is the third-largest source of vegetable oil in the world and the second-leading source of protein meal after soybean.

In animal nutrition, both whole seed and oil-extracted rape meals are high-value feed components.

Establishment

Winter OSR can be sown up to mid-September, depending on location.

To establish, prepare a fine, firm, level seedbed and sow to a depth of 1.5cm. Ploughing, followed by a one-pass drilling technique, is still popular but minimum tillage is also satisfactory, and is seen as a greener option. Ideally, cultivation should be done when soil conditions are dry as rape does not like compaction.

However, the seedbed should be rolled as rape requires a consolidated seedbed, which also enables it to retain moisture. Aim to achieve a modest plant number of 25 to 30 plants/sq m, which usually works well.

Rotation/break crop benefits

OSR is a good-break crop with the subsequent cereal crop typically yielding 0.5-1.5t/ha more than continuous cereals, this is due mainly to disease breaks, but also other benefits which brassicas bring to rotations. OSR also provides weed control options for problematic grass weeds.

Due to early sowing and harvest dates and strong tap root development, another benefit of OSR is its ability to help improve soil structure.

Autumn N uptake and good soil cover helps reduce N leaching and soil erosion.

Worth a note

Do not put in tight rotations- a 1in 4 or 1 in 5 is best.
Flea beetle is becoming a major concern, in our experience very accurate drilling ensures even emergence and is the best way to combat the threat.

Maize Boost

YaraVita MAIZE BOOST is a fully formulated liquid micronutrient fertiliser containing a high concentrations of phosphate together with zinc, magnesium and potash for foliar application to maize and other crops

The product is to be applied at 5 litres/ha at the 4-6 leaf stage in 200 litres water. Cost?

With a maize crop being capable of producing up to 50t/ha of fresh weight in four months, there is an inevitable high nutrient demand, and, for a successful crop, it is essential that this demand is met.

A 40t/ha crop will remove between 145 & 160kg N/ha with a peak uptake of 210kg N/ha, therefore applications of manure and inorganic N need to be tailored to satisfy this demand. There are also high requirements for Phosphate and Potassium which must also be met to achieve the best yields.

Early growth is predominantly root development, and if soil temperatures are low, phosphate availability may be reduced and root growth restricted.

YaraVita Maize Boost, applied at the 4-6 leaf stage, will supply fast acting foliar phosphate with zinc, magnesium and potash for efficient uptake through the leaf.

Tank Mixing Maize Boost

Maize Boost can be tank-mixed with the majority of foliar sprays applied to maize; however, you should always check with your agronomist and further reference can be made on www.tankmix.com