Serving the farming industry across East Anglia for over 40 years
How seed pellets aid establishment
Pelleted seed mixes can encourage cover crop and companion crop establishment while saving growers time and money. Developed by RAGT, the method involves “glueing” together up to four different seeds encased in a water-soluble coating. This produces a pellet with a similar mass to compound fertiliser which can be... Read more
Establishment: why it pays to be POSH resistant
Heavy rain late in the season is highlighting the need to consider pod shatter resistance when selecting oilseed rape varieties. Pod shatter (POSH) is a natural process for seed dispersion in oilseed rape. But it can result in significant on farm seed losses due to extreme weather – including... Read more
Stalwart oilseeds trader to retire
Commodity trading manager Owen Cligg is to retire after 15 years at farmer-owned cooperative United Oilseeds During his time with the company, Mr Cligg has overseen the trading of some 7.5m tonnes of combinable crops – including peas, beans, linseed, oats and rye – as well as oilseed rape.... Read more
Off-patent herbicide now for linseed
A new herbicide has been approved for post-emergence broadleaf weed control in linseed. Laya which contains 200g/kg metsulfuron-methyl is a sulfonyl urea herbicide by off-patent manufacturers Life Scientific. It is a reverse engineered formulation of Ally SX. Life Scientific specialises in bringing off-patent crop protection products to market with... Read more
Why resistance is ‘only way’ to combat verticillium
A new disease rating on the latest recommended list for oilseed rape aims to help growers choose varieties resistant to verticillium. This year  is the first time verticillium resistance ratings have been included in the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board list. Top conventional oilseed rape variety Pinnacle is rated... Read more
How digital water trap helps growers tackle flea beetle
An innovative digital support tool means growers can now remotely monitor the migration of key oilseed rape pests. Launched at Cereals 2024, MagicTrap from Bayer is a fully automated, nex- generation digital yellow water trap. It provides farmers and agronomists with continuously updated information on pest pressure. The trap... Read more
Rape still viable – but keep costs under control
Benchmarking performance and keeping an eye on input costs will be key for profitable oilseed rape production during the coming season. Big swings in rape prices, increasing input costs and variable yields mean net margins for oilseed rape have fluctuated considerably over the last five years, says the Agriculture... Read more
New system is ‘safety milestone’ for sprays

New safety caps will be available to growers on BASF’s oilseed rape crop protection products from autumn 2023.

Read more
Strong genetics as RAGT unveils latest varieties

Seed specialist RAGT has relaunched its oilseed rape programme with some promising varieties showcased at last months Cereals event.

Read more
How to get best results from pre-harvest desiccation

Farmers managing oilseed rape with glyphosate before harvest are advised to use a pod test to make applications at the optimum timing.

Read more