Tim Lamyman of Worlaby Farms, near Louth in Lincolnshire, harvested the 9ha of the conventional variety, Acacia on 16th August. He was optimistic when he started combining as the crop stood at just under 5ft tall and was brimming full of pods.

“The crop combined exceptionally well for such a thick crop of rape with tree trunk type stems that were up to 2 inches wide. For a conventional variety, the seed looked exceptionally bold,” he says.

Acacia is the highest yielding variety on the 2020-2021 AHDB Recommended List (RL), and set a new benchmark for oilseed rape yields when it joined the RL. The open pollinated variety is an Anastasia cross, inheriting key agronomic characteristics of strong autumn and spring vigour, solid disease resistance and short, stiff straw, combined with high oil content. “The field hasn’t had a rape crop on it for the last 20 years,” explains Tim. “Previously the field had continuous spring barley. I chose Acacia for its short straw, fantastic standing power, vigour and being the highest yielding variety on the AHDB list – if we were going to beat the previous best of 7.01 t/ha on the farm it had to be this variety.”

The Acacia was drilled into soils that had been worked with a Lemken Terra-Disc, a Vaardestad Carrier and drilled at 5kg/ha and then rolled. “As the crop established, the cabbage stem flea beetle moved in, but through a combination of its genetic vigour and an application of Bionature Delta fertiliser, that went on with the insecticide spray (lambda-cyhalothrin) it seemed to give it that extra boost, explains Tim. Delta is a stabilised nitrogen fertiliser with potassium for improved rooting, stress tolerance, crop quality and yield production.

“This combination of insecticide for the flea beetle and the fertiliser for promoting rooting and combatting stress saved the crop. No system is fool proof, particularly with oilseed rape, and especially if you are drilling into a dry seed bed with no prospect of rain, so it’s important to give it every possible chance.” Tim believes his approach has paid off – and it has been more than worthwhile investing in the crop all the way through.

Autumn programme:

• To mop up a few remaining barley volunteers, Tim went on with 0.75 l/ha Fusillade Max (125 g/l fluazifop-p -butyl) and also included a second application of 2.5 l/ha Delta K.
• The final autumn spray focussed on light leaf spot control with 0.5 l/ha tebuconazole and a further application of insecticide (lambda-cyhalothrin).

“By this stage it had started raining, and it felt like it would never stop- but in Jan we had a break from the weather and went on with 1.7 l/ha Astrokerb (500 g/litre propyzamide + 5.3 g/litre aminopyralid) plus 2.5 l/ha Delta K.”

Spring programme:

• A March application of prothioconazole and Hallmark were combined with a final application of Delta, to encourage extra branching.
• At stem extension 0.35 l/ha Toprex (250 g/l difenoconazole 125 g/l Paclobutrazol) for canopy and light leaf spot control
• 2.5 l/ha TipTop (20N20P20K) and 0.5 l/ha Rainbow wave (boron & molybdenum)
• Early flowering 1 l/ha Azoxystar & 0.5 l/ha tebuconazole was applied. 1 l/ha Xstress and 0.5 l/ha Calflux were applied again to increase biomass and pod survival to maximise seed size and numbers.
• Programme was finished off with a mid-flowering application of 0.4 l/ha proline and 1 l/ha X stress and 0.5 l/ha Calflux to keep the crop growing through the extreme drought pressure!

Mr Copestake says there is a larger hectarage of maize being grown on arable farms this year, mainly as farmers looked for a crop to spring sow following the disrupted autumn drilling season.

“With winter cereal drillings down, maize fitted the bill in many areas allowing a spring crop which would allow a return to a normal autumn rotation,” he comments.  “It also allowed a cereal break and in most parts of the country demand for maize silage, for livestock feed or AD plants, remains high.

“With crops in the ground and growing very well, the focus must turn to making the most valuable crop possible, and as with other arable crops the quality of the harvested material is paramount.”

Mr Copestake explains that users of maize silage want a high energy feed with a good level of dry matter which has been well fermented, all of which are affected by harvest date. At the same time, growers will want an early harvest to allow timely establishment of the successor crop.

Once the crop has got to 32% dry matter, there is little benefit in delaying harvest, as it will increase it’s dry matter content, but not bulk up any more. In addition, if the crop is too dry and has senesced too far, it will be more difficult to ensile.

Cutting too soon can mean an earlier harvest but can produce a lower dry matter product. Furthermore, sugars will not have been converted to starch, while the fibre to starch ratio will be higher which is equally undesirable in terms of quality.

“As a crop matures it dries out. Once dry matter increases above 32%, the digestibility of the vegetative part of the plant which contains 50% of the total energy declines as the plant lignifies, reducing overall energy content.”

He says that harvest date is greatly influenced by the variety grown. Early maturing varieties require fewer heat units to reach maturity.

“As there is a range of over 20 days between the time the earliest and latest varieties will be fit for harvest, the first thing to do is check the maturity class of the variety you are growing so you can understand where it sits in the range.”

He says the ideal time to harvest the crop is at a dry matter content of 32-35% and when cobs are mature and starch yield is maximised, with the target of a minimum 30% starch content.

“Harvesting crops too dry at above 35% can result in ensiling problems, which is something that must be avoided.”

As crops start to dry down at a rate of around 2% per week from the beginning of September, Mr Copestake advises walking and inspecting crops weekly and carrying out two simple tests.

“Walk well into the crop and look at plants in several locations in the main field. The first test is the dry matter of the growing plant. You should be looking to harvest when the stover is around 24% DM, when the lower part of the stems no longer have any moisture freely running from them when twisted. In addition, the leaves level with the cob will be beginning to turn brown.”

Regarding the cob, he says it should be around 55% DM which can be assessed by the thumbnail or milk line test, where grains in the middle of the cob will no longer bear the imprint of a thumb nail when pushed into it. Grains at the top of the cob will have a consistency of soft cheese while those at the bottom should be like hard cheese.

“Regular assessment of the growing crop will improve the precision of timing of harvest but it is also vital to keep talking to your contractor in the lead up to harvest to ensure the crop is actually harvested at the optimum time.

“Also make sure all steps are taken to make the best quality feed by focussing on the ensiling process as this will determine the quality of the end product and help reduce aerobic spoilage. There is little point harvesting at the optimum stage if the crop is poorly ensiled and fermented”, Mr Copestake concludes.

Conditions

Establishing oilseed rape, as with all crops, begins with drilling into the correct conditions. Drilling OSR into a dry seedbed is one of the most damaging starts the crop can get. Drilling should be into a seedbed with warmth, moisture and adequate nutrition, so that the plant can germinate and keep growing. Oilseed rape seeds harbour much less energy stores than other species, so ensuring plants can establish roots quickly and that those roots then have access to moisture and nutrition, is key for strong autumn establishment and vigour.

Drilling Date & Variety Choice

With OSR, there has been a tendency to drill by calendar date, with growers looking to drill as early as possible, particularly in areas highly affected by cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB). Whilst these early drilled crops, if well-established, can better withstand attack from adult CSFB, it makes them more vulnerable to larval damage: meaning that drilling early for flea beetle may not be the way to go.

As part of a current research project, funded by AHDB, Dr Sacha White (Senior research entomologist at ADAS), has analysed 1,100 sites dating back 14 years, looking at the correlations between drilling date and damage from CSFB. One clear trend that emerged, was that later drilled sites had markedly less larval damage.

In recent seasons, the most severe damage to OSR crops has been caused by the CSFB larvae, rather than the grazing damage by adults. Later drilling means that the crop misses the main influx of adult CSFB during migration; resulting in later egg laying with cooler temperatures – slowing development of eggs and larvae. This results in lower larval numbers in the autumn and in the following spring.

With later drilling, there is a need for a greater attention to variety choice, with growers needing to choose varieties that can establish quickly and cope with the risks of drilling later. These risks include the potentially damaging effects of phoma on smaller crops, and increased risk of winter damage. Aim to have plants established with a sufficiently large biomass to overwinter, to aid with overall robustness and increased spring growth, which in turn can help to grow away from spring larval damage.

The precision breeding approach from Limagrain, means that LG’s fully loaded hybrids; Ambassador, Aurelia and Artemis, fit this position perfectly. They have amongst the highest early vigour scores in RL harvest in 2019, and in Limagrain’s own internal trials. The presence of the RLM7 resistance gene gives exceptional resistance to phoma (which can be more problematic in later drilled crops). This combines with the added security of resistance to Turnip Yellows Virus (TuYV) and pod shatter resistance, to protect against seed losses at harvest.

In areas where CSFB is less of a concern and drilling conditions tend to be wetter, such as in the north or west, varieties such as; Aurelia, Artemis, Aardvark and Aspire, fit an early drill window perfectly. In the correct conditions, these varieties will establish well and not leave too big of a canopy to manage over the winter. Remember when drilling early, to drill when seed bed conditions are right, not by calendar date.

Seed Rates

One method growers’ have tried to mitigate for CSFB damage, is to drill at higher seed rates. Dr White also investigated this and found that higher seed rates produced the same number of larvae per plant as there were in plots drilled at lower seed rates. This meant that there were higher larval numbers in plots drilled at higher seed rates, potentially causing higher pressure in nearby OSR crops the following year. Also, higher seed rates can lead to overly large canopies that require management to deal with an increased risk of lodging. With vigorous varieties, seed rates should target 25-30 plants/m2 and in the case of less vigorous varieties, aim for 40-45 plants/m2.

Key Messages

• Drill to conditions – seed bed with adequate moisture and nutrition allows OSR to establish and keep growing
• Pick a vigorous variety suitable for your chosen drilling window
• More seed can lead to more problems – thicker seed rates can lead to more CSFB larvae and lead to difficulties managing canopies

Further link: ahdb.org.uk/csfb

“Wild bird seed mixtures such as Jack Russell is suitable for CSS options AB9 and OP2, attracts farmland birds and also offers game bird cover,” says Limagrain’s Martin Titley. “It comprises spring triticale, millets, oilseed radish, grain sorghum and sunflower and each species plays its part.”

Triticale and millet offer a seed source at variable heights, and the inclusion of grain sorghum gives structure and promotes the mixture’s winter hardiness, with millet seed shed from early autumn  and oilseed radish providing later feed.

The standing power of this grain sorghum provides cover for many birds and is particularly popular with shoots because of its ability to provide driving cover.

James Grantham, based in south Lincolnshire, agrees that the uncertainty surrounding shooting this year is putting some growers off relying too much on game maize, and many want a crop that is better for conservation and meets the specifications if they are on the Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS).

An Agrii agronomist, James also helps to run his family’s arable unit and small family shoot and grows Jack Russell in blocks on the farm.

“This crop isn’t used just for a cover crop for game birds, but also because it’s a useful crop for feeding game and wild birds. It also suits some of the environmental schemes that we’re in,” he explains.

“Jack Russell is suitable for the CSS option AB9 and, because it’s attracts and supports farmland birds and insects, it helps us to meet both Entry Level and Higher Level Scheme requirements. And my clients who also grow the mixture for game cover would agree that it also helps them to tick the environmental scheme boxes.

James has a client who switched from growing maize as a game cover crop to Jack Russell because he had a large population of deer on his farm. “In dry conditions, like those we’re experiencing at the moment, food can be scarce for deer and newly emerging maize shoots are very inviting. Deer love this crop and will graze it hard.

“But they don’t seem to like sorghum, which is a key component in this mixture. And I have a client who has grown it in place of maize for the past two years and it gives plenty of game cover, plus the other environment benefits of growing a more diverse crop.”

He adds that for commercial shoots – with or without a deer problem – Jack Russell is an attractive option for game cover, simply because it ticks more boxes.

“Around 75% of my clients would be growing Jack Russell as game cover and the remaining 25% to meet CSS requirements.”

James grows the crop in blocks, rather than field margins, sowing in May, once there’s been sufficient rain. “There has to be moisture in the light sandy Lincolnshire soils to ensure germination. And sorghum doesn’t like cold soil, so I’m looking for temperatures above 10OC.” 

Another attraction is the lack of kale in the mix. “Some game crop and environmental mixtures include kale. Jack Russell doesn’t,” he adds. “Growers like this – particularly in Lincolnshire – because kale can attract flea beetle which is a UK-wide problem and it’s certainly a serious issue for OSR growers in Lincolnshire.

“You can spray for flea beetle but, again, spraying an environmental crop with an insecticide is as daft as it sounds. Growers don’t want to be doing that – it’s time consuming and expensive.”

He does think that some potential growers are also put off because the mix contains several species and is more difficult to ‘keep clean’ with a herbicide, but Stomp Aqua is an option if necessary.

“That’s why some prefer to stick with maize, despite it not helping with CSS or wild-bird and insect populations. They want a weed free crop with a clear ‘bottom’ to allow birds to move around more easily.

“But I have some clients who have switched to a multi-purpose mixture this year due to uncertainly around Covid-19 restrictions. They’re looking to tick other boxes this year, rather than simply focusing on game birds.

“They’re thinking in broader terms about the environment and looking improve biodiversity on their farms. Mixtures that are very good for the environment – that attract and support insects and wild birds – are great options.”

High feed value fodder crops sown from May to August can bring a wealth of advantages to beef and dairy units. Not only can they extend the grazing season, by providing a fresh forage in mid summer, but they can provide a valuable break in grass and arable rotations, facilitating pest and disease control and bringing soil health benefits. So, what’s on offer?

“Dairy and beef farmers can sow brassicas, such as forage rape, kale and brassica hybrids, plus stubble turnips, from May to August – or a mixture of the two,” says Limagrain’s forage crop director Martin Titley.

The flexibility of sowing time, fast growth, long grazing season or in some cases harvest options, and their relatively low cost, makes these crops especially attractive. “There’s no doubt farmers are realising the benefits of these crops,” adds Mr Titley.

Rape/kale hybrids like Interval or Unicorn sown in May will be ready to strip graze by dairy or beef cattle 12 or 14 weeks later, so by late August. If grass is running short or the plan is to encourage grass regrowth, then this crop offers a fresh, high feed value forage to graze in situ. It ensures a quality forage is continually available.

Both Interval and Unicorn have been bred for feed value and in Limagrain field trials, where a wide range of commercially available hybrids were compared, they scored highest for relative dry matter yields with Unicorn 11% and Interval 17% above the control. Both hybrids have top scores for mildew resistance too.

“There is also the option of sowing these hybrid brassicas into winter barley stubble. They are really good crops to follow harvest,” adds Mr Titley. “They are easy to grow and benefit from farmyard manure or slurry pre sowing, or an application of 60kg to 90kg of nitrogen with 25kg each of potassium and phosphate per hectare.”

Launched in 2019, Unicorn is a recent addition. Trial results show that this variety is a high energy crop, reliably producing 11 MJ per kilogramme of dry matter, or almost 50,000 MJ per hectare, and a dry matter content of 12.4%. This is a lot of feed value from 12 to 14 weeks of growth.

“Another recent addition to the hybrid brassica range is Skyfall that produces a very fast-growing, leafy and palatable crop for cattle to graze in summer. It produced between 30 and 35 tonnes/ha of a palatable soft-leaved forage in crops sown in July in UK trials.” Mr Titley adds that this crop is unique as it has a deep root enabling it to thrive in drier soils  – that can be seen in mid summer – and ‘bounce back’. “So if it’s sown in  May, it can be grazed in August then closed up for regrowth before a second grazing period later in the season.”

Most stubble turnip crops are sown after cereal harvest – at the end of July or beginning of August – and are then ready to graze from October onwards.

“The real benefit of these mid summer sown turnip crops is that they can be fed in autumn and winter,” says Mr Titley. “Forage rape and the hybrid crops are winter hardy and are capable of carrying stock well into January and even early February.”

Brassicas and stubble turnips offer good feed value and their growing and feeding flexibility offer distinct advantages among forage crops. “These summer-sown forages are well worth considering,” he adds. “They can boost home grown forages, especially in a dry or difficult season, and provide a break to break disease cycles and improve soil health.”

BRASSICA AND STUBBLE TURNIPS KEY FACTS

• Flexible sowing dates – May until late August
• Fast-growing leafy catch crops
• Ready to graze in 12-14 weeks
• Flexible use – summer grazing or over-winter fresh forage
• Provide a break in crop cycles with pest and disease control and soil fertility benefits
• Improved feed value offered from modern varieties and hybrids

Turnip Yellows Virus (TuYV) is becoming increasingly challenging to control as the main vector, the peach potato aphid (Myzus persicae) has developed resistance to pyrethroids, and the disease is becoming more widespread across the British isles.

This corresponds to increasing levels of infection; since 2016, Limagrain UK along with industry partners – Agrii, Openfield and the AICC – have been monitoring levels of TuYV in crops across the UK.

Sampling is carried out twice during the growing season, with an initial small-scale survey conducted in Oct-Nov, followed by extensive testing carried out in early spring.

Dr Vasilis Gegas, European Oilseed Rape Portfolio Manager

“TuYV incidence reached its highest level ever last season, with 84% of non-TuYV resistant UK crops infected in early spring 2019. Almost all sites had an infection rate between 81-100%,” explains Dr Vasilis Gegas, Limagrain’s European oilseed rape portfolio manager.

“Incidence was highest in East Anglia and south east England.”

What’s the solution? Genetic resistance, points out Dr Gegas.

This year’s AHDB Recommended List for oilseeds has eight varieties with TuYV resistance.

“Over the past few years, there’s been huge genetic improvement in breeding for TuYV resistance, meaning that Limagrain’s TuYV resistant varieties have moved from the bottom of the yield pile since the launch of Amalie in 2014 to the top by quite a margin. Today, TuYV resistant varieties sit amongst the highest yielding varieties on the 2020-2021 AHDB Recommended List,” says Dr Gegas.

What to grow? The first decision to make is whether to go for a conventional or hybrid variety.

Hybrids; Ambassador, Aurelia and Artemis as well as conventional Aspire, all offer TuYV resistance and sit amongst the top six highest yielders on the RL.

Yielding 106% over control, Aspire is the only conventional variety on the RL that carries the TuYV resistance gene. Aspire is short and stiff-stemmed and therefore easier to manage which we know is one of the key reasons growers opt for conventional varieties.

Aurelia and Ambassador are both good hybrid choices, suitable for September sowings. Both are trait-loaded varieties that provide high resistance to pod shatter, TuYV and stem canker. Aurelia is the only variety with twin “8” ratings for light leaf spot and stem canker on the AHDB Recommended List 2020-21.

Ambassador has the edge on vigour, while Aurelia is slightly shorter and stiffer, suited better to fertile sites.

Source: AHDB Recommended List Winter oilseed rape 2020/21

For more information on any of these varieties, click here

“Jack Russell is attracting a lot of interest this year,” says Limagrain’s Martin Titley.

“The uncertainty surrounding shooting this year is putting some growers off relying too much on game maize, and many want a crop that is better for conservation and meets the specifications if they are on the Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS).

“This wild bird seed mixture can offer it all. It is suitable for CSS options AB9 and OP2, attracts farmland birds and also offers game bird cover.”

James Grantham, based in south Lincolnshire, agrees. An Agrii agronomist, he also helps to run his family’s arable unit and small family shoot and grows
Jack Russell in blocks on the farm.

“This crop isn’t used just for a cover crop for game birds, but also because it’s a useful crop for feeding game and wild birds. It also suits some of the environmental schemes that we’re in,” he explains.

“Jack Russell is suitable for the CSS option AB9 and, because it’s attracts and supports farmland birds and insects, it helps us to meet both Entry Level and Higher Level Scheme requirements. And my clients who also grow the mixture for game cover would agree that it also helps them to tick the environmental scheme boxes.

“It’s a multi-tasker – that’s just one reason why it’s an attractive option for growers. It offers three things – game cover, wild-bird feed and CSS compliance.”

James has a client who switched from growing maize as a game cover crop to Jack Russell because he had a large population of deer on his farm. “In dry conditions, like those we’re experiencing at the moment, food can be scarce for deer and newly emerging maize shoots are very inviting. Deer love this crop and will graze it hard.

“But they don’t seem to like sorghum, which is a key component in this mixture. And I have a client who has grown it in place of maize for the past two years and it gives plenty of game cover, plus the other environment benefits of growing a more diverse crop.”

He adds that for commercial shoots – with or without a deer problem – Jack Russell is an attractive option for game cover, simply because it ticks more boxes.

“Around 75% of my clients would be growing Jack Russell as game cover and the remaining 25% to meet CSS requirements.”

James grows the crop in blocks, rather than field margins, sowing in May, once there’s been sufficient rain. “There has to be moisture in the light sandy Lincolnshire soils to ensure germination. And sorghum doesn’t like cold soil, so I’m looking for temperatures above 10OC.”

The mixture of species in Jack Russell brings multiple benefits. Sunflowers offer a very colourful crop, and the triticale and millet offer a seed source at variable heights.

The inclusion of grain sorghum gives structure and promotes the mixture’s winter hardiness, with millet seed shed from early autumn  and oilseed radish providing later feed.

The standing power of this grain sorghum provides cover for many birds and is particularly popular with shoots because of its ability to provide driving cover.

“Shoots can tick all the boxes without taking too much land out of commercial use – this is a multi-tasker,” adds James.

Another attraction is the lack of kale in the mix. “Some game crop and environmental mixtures include kale. Jack Russell doesn’t. Growers like this – particularly in Lincolnshire – because kale can attract flea beetle which is a UK-wide problem and it’s certainly a serious issue for OSR growers in Lincolnshire.

“You can spray for flea beetle but, again, spraying an environmental crop with an insecticide is as daft as it sounds. Growers don’t want to be doing that – it’s time consuming and expensive.”

He does think that some potential growers are also put off because the mix contains several species and is more difficult to ‘keep clean’ with a herbicide, but Stomp Aqua is an option if necessary.

“That’s why some prefer to stick with maize, despite it not helping with CSS or wild-bird and insect populations. They want a weed free crop with a clear ‘bottom’ to allow birds to move around more easily.

“But I have some clients who have switched to Jack Russell this year due to uncertainly around Covid-19 restrictions. They’re looking to tick other boxes this year, rather than simply focusing on game birds.

“They’re thinking in broader terms about the environment and looking improve biodiversity on their farms. Mixtures that are very good for the environment – that attract and support insects and wild birds – are great options.”

WILD BIRD SEED MIXTURE ADDS VALUE AT RSPB FRAMPTON

The value of growing Jack Russell as an environmental crop for attracting wild birds was demonstrated at the RSPB reserve at Frampton Marsh, near Boston in Lincolnshire, where three acres were grown in 2019, supplied by Limagrain UK.

“We were pleased with how the mixture performed,” says RSPB Frampton’s warden Toby Collett. “The sunflowers are the obvious feature and attract bees and other pollinators, including hoverflies and butterflies, during the summer.”

As the heads mature and produce seed the insects are replaced by seed-eating birds. “At Frampton this means particularly large flocks of declining house sparrows, but also good numbers of greenfinches.”

He adds that the other species in the mixture provide feed for pheasants, partridges, finches and buntings.

“The plants seed at different heights to suit different species and they shed seed from early autumn and through until Christmas,” he says, confirming that, due to its success, Jack Russell is being used again in 2020.

Limagrain is at the forefront of bringing varieties to market that are able to better withstand seasonal yield variability by ‘bundling’ genetic traits – and this is the very latest development to come out of this approach, explains Dr Vasilis Gegas, Limagrain’s European oilseed rape portfolio manager.

The first commercially available variety  containing this trait is Ambassador, the highest yielding hybrid on the 2020-2021 AHDB Recommended List. New candidate variety, LG Aviron, also has the nitrogen efficiency trait, N-FLEX.

“We know that yield variability in oilseed rape is a challenge on farm – that is the difference between the genetic yield potential of the variety and what’s in the trailer at harvest.”

“One of the key challenges in meeting yield potential in oilseed rape is the way that the plant utilises nitrogen and the difficulty in achieving optimal N; there are many factors that influence this as OSR has a yield potential that’s set not just by its genetics, but also the parameters of its site.”

“Soil structure, biology and weather conditions lead to leaching and low solubilisation or mineralisation. Rotations and cover cropping also affect nitrogen levels, and of course legislative guidelines dictate how much can be used and where.”

Our challenge was to look at how we could use genetics to cope with these ambiguities and introduce varieties that would be able to maintain high yields in lower than ideal nitrogen conditions by optimising every unit of available nitrogen.

“For OSR the key factor is nitrogen use efficiency – this is how well a plant assimilates and mobilises nitrogen from the soil moving it up into the pods and ultimately the seed.”

“A high yielding oilseed rape variety has to mobilise a lot of N during pod fill. Too little and pods don’t develop and fill, too much and it can kill off the canopy.”

We have focused on how OSR moves plant protein from the stems, leaves and pods into the seed- transforming N into yield – this is the basis of the N-Flex trait.

Hybrids containing the trait use each unit of available N more efficiently than those which don’t have the trait. In the field, this translates into varieties with the N-Flex trait producing more stable yields year to year, with less in field yield variability.

This claim is backed up by a series of trials across Europe conducted by Limagrain, where leading varieties including Ambassador were given optimal, medium and high N-stress.

In all three scenario’s, Ambassador containing the N-Flex trait, was able to maintain its yields over and above varieties that did not contain the N Flex trait.

Source: Limagrain Europe; Three years’ trials (2017-19) at 15 locations in France, UK, Germany, and Hungary; Comparisons – average of Optimal N calculated by N balance method; Medium N stress had N reduced by 50-80 kgN/ha; High N stress had N reduced by 80-130 kgN/ha.

The rotation at Winfield farm varies but is generally based on winter barley, oilseed rape, winter wheat followed by a break crop, back into wheat, and then winter barley again. The break crop can be clover, oats, or winter beans.

“We use rape as an entry crop to our winter wheat, and usually have around 53ha in the ground, depending on where we are in the rotation. Yields have averaged 4.7t/ha over the last five years, with anything above 4.5t/ha considered acceptable,” Robert points out.

“Fingers crossed we don’t see too much of an issue with CSFB – it’s certainly something we hope we never do, as we have a lack of break crop options, such as sugar beet.”

“We tend to grow two varieties at a time, which gives us a good comparison if we want to try something new. Key attributes in any variety we choose to grow are pod shatter resistance – we are on a disused airfield so the wind can be brutal – and vigour.”

“We need to have a decent amount of ground cover in the back-end, and it also needs to be quick off the blocks in the spring, once it is able to get hold of early nitrogen.”

For this reason, Mr Fleming has always opted to grow hybrids, and this year he is trying Aurelia for the first time, on the advice of his seed specialist; Douglas Bonn of Nickerson Seeds.

“We chatted through our options with Douglas and explained that we are looking for a variety that would offer the vigour and pod shatter that we needed, but also wanted a variety that wouldn’t get too high and would sit at a better height for combining.”

Aurelia is one of the highest yielding varieties on the 2020/21 AHDB Recommended List for the UK, with very high yields for the north (109%) explains Douglas.

“The variety offers an excellent set of genetic traits; including pod shatter resistance, TuYV resistance and also the best disease resistance profile out there, with an ‘8’ for light leaf spot and stem canker.” “It offers pretty much the whole package!”

“It’s vigorous and also has the standing power needed in Robert’s circumstances,” he explains.

Robert planted about 18ha of Aurelia last autumn, and so far, he is pleased with how it is looking, having come through the winter well, with good ground cover.

“The crop was drilled on 27^th August, slightly later than we would normally drill, but we were behind on account of the wet weather. It went in at a seed rate of 3.2kg/ha, following cultivations with a 5-leg subsoiler.”

“The previous barley straw was all removed to help reduce the slug pressure. A starter fertiliser goes down the spout with the seed, the Aurelia got 130l/ha of liquid 7-20-0; we find that this gives it a good push to get going.”

“We have tended to move away from a pre-emergence herbicide to a post-emergence option, as it is often too dry to get maximum efficiency, with a follow-up of propyzamide if conditions allow. This means there is enough viable crop for us to spray, and allows us to identify any further issues in the crop.”

“Generally, we aim get some tebuconazole on in the autumn for light leaf spot control, as if we can’t then get on early in the spring, we have some protection. However, the high light leaf spot score of Aurelia, an ‘8’, may lead us to re-thinking our autumn fungicide plans this year – we shall see what conditions are like at the time.”

“It’s TuYV resistance is another tick box, allowing us to move away from pyrethroid insecticides, which is a massive bonus – we have a good relationship with the local beekeeper who places hives around our oilseed rape fields.”

Working east-facing farmland at about 200m above sea-level can be challenging; autumn weather can be very wet, and soils slow to warm up in the spring.

As a result, the Preece’s have hard and fast rules on strategy, but make decisions according to conditions on the land at the time.

On the recommendation of James Hood of United Oilseeds, last year they followed early-maturing wheat variety Graham with oilseed rape hybrid LG Aurelia, and they are very pleased with the result so far.

LG Aurelia is one of the highest yielding hybrid varieties on the 2020-2021 AHDB Recommended List, with an extremely high gross output across all regions of the UK at 108% over control. These levels of output are backed up by excellent agronomic characteristics; TuYV resistance, pod shatter resistance and the highest disease resistance ratings of 8 for both light leaf spot and phoma.

“We had 5-6mm of rain and planted the rape on 6-7 September, with just enough moisture to get it away. It survived well and now as we go forward in spring, it is looking very healthy,” Philip says.

“In comparison, another variety drilled just a few days later on 10-11 September had to be ripped up, as it did not have the vigour or moisture to establish.”

John & Philip Preece’s Shopshire crop of LG Aurelia OSR

Approach to drilling

Soils at Red Lion Farm are treated with sewage cake before planting first wheats. “The crops do better with the sewage cake underneath. When wheat is followed with oilseed rape, there is still some residue that helps get the crop established,” explains Philip.

“However, application of biosolids means more traffic on the land, so conditions need to be dry at application. We may look at using digestate in the future, if it is available.”

Soils are cultivated just enough to be able to drill without losing too much of the precious moisture, as this helps the crop establish more quickly. Planting is done with seed rate of 2.7kg/ha, and a starter fertiliser of 30kg/N, followed by a post-emergence herbicide.

“We prefer the later planting slot because we have found that although we have smaller plants going in to winter, it reduces the threat from cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB),”says Philip.

Even so, the Preece’s have found the need to apply an insecticide, spraying it in the evenings to mitigate the impact on the environment. “We need to adapt to changing circumstances since the loss of neonicotinoids, so quicker vigour in our oilseed rape varieties is very important.”

When choosing a variety the Preece’s look at the overall agronomy package, looking for vigour and disease resistance to stem canker and phoma.

“We are very happy with our move to growing LG Aurelia, and will definitely grow the variety again, and this year we may also try it behind spring barley.”

How important is vigour?

Beckii Gibbs, seed manager with United Oilseeds, considers vigour to be one of the most important traits in any oilseed rape variety, along with a strong resistance to disease.

“Choose a trait-loaded variety that demonstrates good autumn and spring vigour as it will help your crop grow away from flea beetle and establish quickly,” she advises. “On this basis, LG Aurelia is a true stand out variety, as it was rated the top variety for vigour in the AHDB 2019 harvest trials.”

“It is a trait-loaded variety that provides high resistance to pod shatter, TuYV, light leaf spot and stem canker – in fact it’s the only variety with a twin “8” ratings for light leaf spot and stem canker on the AHDB Recommended List 2020-21.”

“Combined with a high gross output, this variety is clearly a major step-up in oilseed rape growing.”

Farm Facts:

• Third generation
• Farm size: 285ha, 126 owned, 159ha rented
• Crops grown:
  • 100ha winter wheat (this year 70ha because of the wet autumn weather)
  • 65ha winter oats
  • 26ha sugar beet (fluctuates on rotation between 26-30ha according to the rotation)
  • 80ha spring barley
  • 26ha winter oilseed rape (planted 40ha, but ripped up 14ha of Incentive)
• Typical weeds: Black-grass, broad-leaved weeds, annual meadow grass, ryegrass, speedwell, pansies and mayweed
• Equipment: McConnell discaerator