Patience is a virtue when drilling rape, says Liam Wilkinson, arable development officer for Limagrain UK.
“While some areas have seen some rain recently, many have not had enough,” says Mr Wilkinson. “Even where it has rained, it needs to be a serious amount to restore moisture levels to where they need to be to sustain a rapidly emerging rape crop.”
Holding off drilling until conditions improve doesn’t compromise yield. Growers should be guided by seedbed conditions rather than calendar dates, suggests Mr Wilkinson.
“It is possible to get good yields from later drilled rape, when sown into the right conditions. In fact, they often outperform some of the earlier drilled crops – and many later-drilled crops have been award-winners.”
“Last year we saw crops of LG Antigua drilled mid-September up in the Lincolnshire Wolds achieve yields of over 6t/ha, so there is definitely high yield potential for crops drilled into September in the right conditions.”
Choosing the correct variety for this drilling window is key to success.
“If you are drilling in September, the focus should be on speed of autumn growth and vigour, so hybrids are a first choice because they are quick to get going and they accumulate biomass very quickly,” says Mr Wilkinson.
Putting down roots
Vigour is also important to get the crop established and putting roots down.
But the speed of development for reaching over wintering biomass as quickly as possible is key. A variety in this situation will also benefit from a canopy in order to withstand potential pest problems, as well as harsh winter conditions.”
“Tried and tested varieties such as Aurelia and Ambassador have performed consistently in this slot, both on farm and in trial for a number of years. Newer varieties – such as LG Aviron, LG Auckland and LG Antigua – strengthen the options available.
With vigorous varieties, seed rates should target 25-30 plants/m², which is normally around 50 seeds/m². Growers should assess seedbed conditions and adjust seed rates accordingly to account for field losses, particularly if conditions deteriorate.
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