Growing Oilseed Remains a Crucial Part of Rotation for Inverurie Farmer

Murray Forsyth is a mixed arable-beef farmer with a total area of 1000 acres at Smiddyburn Farm in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire. He grows around 170-180 acres of oilseed, dependant on year and rotation, with the current rotation consisting of winter barley, oilseed, winter wheat and spring barley.

Murray Forsyth of Smiddyburn Farm

When clubroot first appeared on farm, he adopted a wider 5 year rotation, as well as choosing a clubroot resistant variety for afflicted fields.To keep his crops yielding and profitable, Mr Forsyth
takes a technical approach to his oilseeds. He has good average/medium type soil and a scheduled soil testing programme on his farm. He aims to keep the pH value around 6.2, by applying lime to the fields that have a lower pH; he also applies FYM to his fields to keep fertility high. In terms of cultivation, Mr Forsyth typically ploughs the field before drilling his oilseed, using a Horsch Express combination drill with DAP as fertiliser (down the spout – around 150 kg/ha). This is followed by a Cambridge roll and the addition of slug pellets as a precautionary tactic, since slugs are a bigger problem than flea beetle in his area.

Mr Forsyth’s average oilseed yields are between 1.7 and 2 tonnes/acre. In fields affected by clubroot, he is growing LG Anarion. He mentions the average yield is in line with the rest of the farm, which is currently LG Armada. He is convinced that varietal choice is keeping his yields at the same levels as the fields unaffected by clubroot.
Mr Forsyth is considering going back to a shorter 4-year rotation, as oilseed remains one of the most profitable crops on farm. He records his yields and profit margins across the years and notes that oilseed is not the cheapest crop to grow, however it remains a very profitable break crop. Maximising acreage for this crop and maintaining a decent yield are key to its success on farm.

Using a clubroot resistant variety such as LG Anarion helps oilseeds remain a crucial part of the farm’s rotation, allowing it to be grown in fields afflicted with high clubroot pressure. LG Anarion will also help alleviate the pressure, as resistance does not allow clubroot spores to multiply.