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 broadcast up to 36m into standing wheat.

A key application could be to establish companion crops for oilseed rape. Trial results using the technology were showcased during an open day held at RAGT’s demonstration site at Ickleton in Cambridgeshire.

RAGT managing director Lee Bennett said: “To create enough physical mass to deter flea beetle, a companion crop ideally needs to be planted and left to establish before sowing oilseed rape into it, but no-one wants to drill twice.

“But everyone has a fertiliser spreader, so they will be able to broadcast the companion crop straight into standing wheat, let it establish and drill rape into the established companion crop after harvest.

“The big advantage is that broadcasting costs just £5/ha compared with £33/ha for direct drilling. And it takes about a quarter of the time, so we have created massive cost and time savings and much better establishment.”

Cost reduction

For growers keen to take as much cost as possible out of oilseed rape production, pelleting oilseed rape and companion crop seed together and sowing into a standing wheat crop could aid establishment.

These techniques will be further tested on six farms this autumn against standard farm practice, said Mr Bennett. “The more we think about it, the more uses we are finding for this,” he added.

A pelleted long-term companion crop mix of vetch, oilseed radish and phacelia was broadcast into wheat just before harvest on 6 August 2023.

It  went on to produce 7.4t/ha of dry matter, compared with 2.4t/ha from non-pelleted seed direct drilled into stubble nine days later.

Further applications include establishment of short-term cover crops between cereals and long-term covers between winter and spring crops, as well as establishing companion crops for wheat. RAGT has patented the technology and is also conducting trials on pelleted stubble turnips.

First-time grower praises newcomer Pinnacle

A Cambridgeshire farmer who grew top conventional oilseed rape variety Pinnacle for the first time this year says the crop looked promising going into harvest.

James Dunlop farms 360ha of mainly brash soil at Grange Farm, between Wansford and Wittering. His five-year rotation includes wheat, followed by winter barley or rye, oilseed rape, wheat and then combinable peas.

As Anglia Farmer went to press, Mr Dunlop said his 20ha of Pinnacle was looking well and had done all season. But the real result would be at harvest, he added, with potential to outyield other rape varieties on the farm.

A loyal Campus grower for the last nine years, Mr Dunlop enjoys growing conventional rape because he saves his own seed. Conventional seed is less expensive than hybrid and can be drilled at a higher rate to combat slugs and flea beetle, he adds.

“Pinnacle is the top conventional variety in the AHDB Recommended variety list this year, so it caught my eye,” says Mr Dunlop.

“When selecting an oilseed rape variety, I chose high yield and oil content as my top criteria and Pinnacle fits the bill here.”

Top spot

Pinnacle took top spot for conventional varieties in Recommended List trials. It yielded 103% gross output in the East and West regions (with 104% treated yield) and 101% in the North (with 102% treated yield).

Bred by independent plant breeder Mike Pickford for Grainseed, Pinnacle’s 44.3% oil content is also attractive.

“A top performing conventional variety can easily outperform some hybrid varieties,” says Mr Pickford.

Mr Pickford’s strategy for creating a successful variety is to improve individual yield components, such as increasing seed size. He tries to maintain clean green stems when ripening to ensure efficient photosynthesis during grain filling.

As well as yield, Mr Dunlop says he was also attracted by Pinnacle’s disease resistance and standing power.

The variety  is verticillium resistant and has a score of 8 for lodging resistance and a score of 9 for standing power.