United Kingdom
March 4, 2014
Growers were reminded that this season's big oilseed rape crops need active management if they are to yield well. The advice came today from Agrovista's Mark Hemmant at a partnered event with BASF at Stoughton.
"The building blocks for good yields are there - establishment was good, crops have come through the winter very well so far and for those crops drilled using deeper min-till, rooting looks like it has been strong," Mr Hemmant explained. "But, we still have some way to go with many crops certainly lodging-prone. Also, the excess biomass present in many crops will create shaded canopies with limited branching potential, shown in our Grow Crop Gold trials to limit seed set and pod fill."
He suggests that there are three types of crops this spring - quick established crops that are running out of steam and declining rapidly, low seed rate crops with good structure and biomass and, thirdly, high seed rate crops which are going to be vulnerable to lodging and shaded canopy issues.
"The main agronomic attention going forward needs to be to minimise pigeon damage, delay nitrogen applications but ensure well-timed sulphur applications and the application of a robust growth regulating fungicide programme."
Mr Hemmant sees Caryx as an important ally this spring. "Launched last spring, this is the only plant growth regulator for oilseed rape. ADAS work has shown that it is very good at reducing lodging risk as well as managing canopies. Caryx can only be applied once in a season, so if the target is lodging prevention, then applications should be made at stem extension. For canopy manipulation to improve architecture for light penetration, then applications should be at yellow bud stage along with a strobilurin for sclerotinia management."
According to manufacturers BASF, Caryx contains metconazole and mepiquat chloride, active ingredients with complementary modes of action and consistent performance - even in low temperatures - and that trials have delivered positive rooting effects and very good crop height reduction.
Mr Hemmant suggested that 1.0 l/ha of Caryx is likely to do a similar job to full rate of metconazole, but added that on high-risk, high fertility sites, a full rate of 1.4 l/ha would be his recommendation.
BASF's Will Reyer sees Caryx and the assessment of GAI as crucial this spring. "A plant's seed numbers are set in the two to three weeks after the end of flowering, the challenge thereafter is to ensure seeds fill well, by keeping plants healthy to maximise photosynthesis, which can be achieved by having a green area index (GAI) of 3.5-4.0 at flowering."
BASF and Agrovista launched an updated GAI App for iPhone at the event. Mr Reyer described how it works. "The App gives you an accurate assessment of an OSR crops’ GAI from a digital photograph taken with your phone. The size of the oilseed rape crop canopy is a critical indicator for growth regulation application decisions on both conventional and wide-row crops."
In addition to the App, growers and advisors can also upload photos from any digital camera or smartphone to the following link: Oilseed Rape GAI Online
Mr Reyer said that growth stage is very much king in managing oilseed rape; "you should measure Green Area Index (GAI) in March even if you intend to apply fungicides in April. Our trials suggest that just prior to onset of stem extension is the right time to measure canopy size."
He added that Caryx should then be applied at late green bud at the higher rates (1.0 – 1.4 l/ha) on bigger crops (GAI >2) or 0.7 – 1.0 l/ha if GAI > 0.8.
The Caryx App can be downloaded from the iTunes App store.
Caryx is a registered trademark of BASF. Caryx contains metconazole and mepiquat chloride
Agrovista UK Limited is one of the leading advice and supply companies in British agriculture and provides specialist agronomy, technology and crop protection products to arable, vegetable, fruit, amenity and specialist horticultural growers.
Agrovista’s roots were firmly established over 60 years ago, yet the company still maintains its traditional values of professionalism, cutting edge technology, and customer service.
The business is part of Agrovista BV, a leading European organisation in the field, itself part of the international Marubeni Corporation. This makes Agrovista UK a significant UK supplier of crop protection inputs and advice, with over 20% of the crop protection market.
Agrovista UK is totally committed to providing unrivalled value and innovative solutions for British farmers, both now and in the future. This commitment is focused on customer service, research driven advice and technical innovation. It relies strongly on the dedication, expertise and professionalism of all employees as well as the company’s many global and local suppliers. It also embraces care for the wider countryside with an understanding of the politically important environmental role now played by farmers. www.agrovista.co.uk
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