Any growers with winter cereals or looking to plant new crops for their farming system should seriously consider growing oilseed rape (OSR) in 2022.

What's more, is with the majority of straw now removed from fields of winter barley, we have the perfect slot for sowing OSR.

Why should you grow OSR?

When sowing OSR, it is important to get the basics correct: Ensure pH is above 6.5, sow into a fine firm seed bed with good seed-soil contact from mid-August to the first week of September. Sow approximately 1.5cm deep and aim to establish 30–50 plants/m².

To ensure an optimal establishment, incorporate the appropriate fertiliser to the seedbed based on up-to-date soil indices. Selecting a good variety is next.

Drummonds will be offering a range of the highest-performing oilseed rape varieties to its growers for the 2022 growing season. It is important to select a proven variety, as there is no point taking risks with such a high value crop.

PT303, PT279CL and DK ExStar are proven and consistent varieties that perform exceptionally well under Irish weather conditions.

Pioneer's new PT303 Winter oilseed-rape hybrid with tolerance to Sclerotinia is an excellent variety to choose. It has topped the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board's (AHDB's) UK Recommended List trials for yield three years in a row.

PT303 delivers the highest gross output yields in each AHDB region – including a UK region yield of 111%. It has consistently given top yields across multiple trial programs and provides tolerance to a disease that is associated with the increasingly common high rainfall events experienced in Ireland.

It also combines proven TuYV resistance and multigenic Phoma resistance for a best-in-class overall disease resistance rating.

Planting PT303 in autumn 2022 allows growers to equip themselves with Sclerotinia resistance into their crop management armoury.

What is Sclerotinia?Sclerotinia is a soil borne fungal pathogen that affects a number of important crops – including OSR, potatoes, peas, beans and carrots. It can survive in the soil for up to eight years. It is the main disease to impact the OSR crop at the important flowering stage.

It can be a major problem in a humid climate with extremely wet summer seasons, something we are becoming increasingly accustomed to. In severe infections, yield losses can be up to 50%. There are localised infections most years, which is why it is important to select a variety with genetic tolerance.

PT303 facts:

PT279CL is the most thoroughly tested Clearfield hybrid available in Ireland to sow for 2022. If you already grow with the Clearfield system or are thinking about moving over, PT279CL oilseed rape is your best choice.

PT279CL has high resistance to lodging, with good stem stiffness at maturity, and is relatively early maturing. It has the Highest gross output over three years of NIAB TAG Clearfield trials.

It:

DK Exstar combines high yields and oil content with the best agronomy package ever seen in a DEKALB OSR variety.

Along with pod shatter resistance, this variety has a ‘nine’ rating for lodging resistance and ‘eight’ ratings for both stem canker and light-leaf spot.

It:

All varieties contain pod shatter resistance genes.

For more information on planting oilseed rape in 2022, please contact your local Drummonds Advisor or call Drummonds Drogheda on; 041 983 8986.

Or click here, to visit the Drummonds' website.