United Kingdom
August 19, 2022
Delaying the drilling of oilseed rape (OSR) to allow soils to recover from drought conditions, can help growers capitalise on strong market prices next season.
David Harrod, arable business director at Timac Agro UK, stresses that it is important to not rush into drilling while the ground is still too dry.
“‘Well sown is half grown’ certainly rings true when it comes to OSR. The seeds are incredibly small with almost no reserves, making them susceptible to failing if the conditions aren’t right.”
“Waiting an extra week or two for adequate rainfall to replenish soils moisture will help to ensure you get the crop off to the best start,” Mr Harrod explains. “Don’t rush drilling, instead respond to your own conditions and not what you see everyone else doing.”
With prices soaring for diammonium phosphate (DAP), Mr Harrod suggests applying a more cost effective microgranular fertiliser such as PinKstart at drilling, to bolster nutrition as the crop goes in the ground.
“Using PinKstart will help the seed draw in more moisture from the soil and help produce stronger, thicker stems that give the plant more of a fighting chance over the winter.
“PinKstart contains immediately available potassium and phosphorus, as well as Physio+, a seaweed-based cytokinin, which increases the uptake of key nutrients such as calcium, zinc, nitrogen and trace elements from the soil,” he explains. “All of these nutrients help to provide even establishment and gives the plant that strong tap root that it needs to succeed.”
The investment in a starter fertiliser, with the foresight of high market prices for OSR, has already paid off for a farm in Gloucestershire, who have seen remarkable yields of 2.3 tonnes/per acre this harvest. The farm bought into PinKstart last year based on the impressive trial results they had seen in an Omega Crop report.
The report compared OSR fields that had received an application of Timac Agro UKs PinKstart with fields that didn’t receive a starter fertiliser application. The report highlighted that fields which received PinKstart, significantly outperformed the comparison fields, achieving greater early-stage growth trajectories and/or establishing a superior peak canopy score before and during winter.
“Ultimately, investing in the early stages of planting to maximise good establishment and prioritising soil health, should pay off next season,” Mr Harrod concludes.
Timac Agro is a manufacturer specialising in soil, plant and animal nutrition/welfare. For more than 60 years, Timac Agro, a subsidiary of the Groupe Roullier, has been constantly innovating to offer agronomic and animal nutrition/welfare solutions that improve agricultural performance in an environmentally friendly way. Working with research institutions across the world, Timac Agro provides solutions to the farmgate which are backed by world-leading research.
For more information, visit: www.uk.timacagro.com
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