A forecast 30% rise in the UK oilseed rape area is looking good in the field, with well-established crops thriving as spring approaches.
After several difficult seasons, growers returning to the crop report reduced pigeon damage and lower pressure from cabbage stem flea beetle across many key arable regions. But disciplined agronomy remains key.
For James Warner, managing director of farmer-owned cooperative United Oilseeds, the improvement reflects a turning point for a crop that fell out of favour just a few years ago – and a victory for the industry-led OSR Reboot campaign.
“Addressing the rapid decline in area since the neonics ban in 2018 was an immediate necessity, given the UK’s future need for increased food security and to protect the UK jobs and infrastructure we have in place to produce home-grown rape seed oil.
Great strides
“We’ve made great strides with crop genetics advancing rapidly and breeders responding brilliantly to the challenges ahead with new varieties offering improved genetic traits to support and defend rape crops against key pests and diseases.”
Mr Warner points to more flexible drilling dates, closer attention to soil moisture, companion cropping and rapid post-harvest cultivations to disrupt the flea beetle lifecycle as practical steps helping restore confidence.
Marc Lanham, northern seed manager with Agrovista, agrees that the crop is regaining trust among farmers. Grown successfully, oilseed rape is still one of the highest gross margin break crop options – and still rotationally important, he says.
“Things have definitely improved in the last two years, linked largely to better establishment conditions, kinder weather, adoption of flexible drilling strategies as well as more focus from both growers and agronomists on varietal selection.”
Shifting market
The market has shifted towards hybrids in recent seasons. But Mr Lanham argues there remains a role for conventional rape. Additional resistant genes found in many new hybrid varieties such as RLM7, LepR1 and RLMS come at a price, he says.
“When growers are dealing with a heavily front-loaded crop in terms of cost, I believe there’s a strong case for combining both hybrid and conventional varieties in rotations as part of a risk mitigation strategy.”
The best performing conventionals can still compete with hybrids in terms of early vigour and yield, adds Mr Lanham. Conventional varities can be sown at up to 100 seeds/m2 – an important consideration when establishment conditions favour a higher seed rate option.
Mixed approach
Beckii Gibbs, seed manager at United Oilseeds, also supports a mixed varietal approach. Having assessed the new conventionals currently in their final year of trials, she sees Ocean, from Elsoms Seeds, as a replacement for older varieties such as Annika.
“It has the all-important Turnip Yellows Virus (TuYV) resistance gene, has consistently achieved high yields across several trials and should fill a key gap in our current portfolio once it is approved by the Recommended List later this year.”
Elsoms Seeds crop manager Kurtis Scarboro says good establishment remains critical to crop success.
“Avoiding drilling around the dates of peak flea beetle migration is a must, and, if there’s not adequate moisture in the soil then the best advice has to be ‘don’t drill’. Oilseed rape is still a fantastic crop and, despite being frontloaded on input costs, there are a number of ways that growers can successfully manage the risks involved at that critical early development stage.
“However, if soil moisture levels are right and flea beetle pressure is low then growers must have a positive approach and commit fully to early herbicide and nitrogen inputs giving the crop the best chance possible to establish well.”