There haven’t been many positives so far this harvest but one is OSR.
A number of United Oilseeds growers are reporting yields close to 6.0 t/ha. Not only are yields up, but harvest has also come noticeably earlier this year in many areas, providing a further boost for growers keen to get crops cleared and ground prepared in good time for autumn drilling.
Among the most striking early results is from Tom Monk of AF Monk (Rookley) Farm Ltd in Hampshire, who has recorded an impressive 5.8t/ha in one field of Attica OSR. “We’re extremely pleased with the results so far, particularly in this one field which has an exceptional yield,” he says.
Tom attributes the uplift in part to avoiding a desiccation spray, a strategy that has delivered results in the past. “We applied sludge before sowing and sowed the OSR with buckwheat. In previous years, we’ve seen probably half a tonne uplift by not spraying the crop off, which has helped push our yield further this year.”
A long-term OSR grower, Tom says the crop remains a vital part of his rotation. “Apart from the soil benefits, it really does help spread our workload throughout the season, and with these higher yields, it’s set to do very well for us this year.”
Another long-term OSR grower, Andrew Pearcy of North Yorkshire, is seeing similarly encouraging returns. “We’re looking at around 5t/ha, which I’m very happy with.”
Despite concerns over the dry spring, Andrew reports that the crop remained healthy. “I think the only significant rain we had was about 10–11mm in a four-month period,” he notes. His OSR, sown in early August with buckwheat and including the dependable variety Acacia, held up well.
“As yet I’ve not seen any cabbage stem flea beetle at all, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed it stays that way!” he adds. Encouraged by strong reports from PI Pinnacle, Andrew has already ordered the variety for the new season.
