Low Biomass Variety Produces Top Gross Margins

Farm Business Manager, Doug Pickup explains that the professional farming company, Sentry Ltd farms 18,000 hectares on behalf of clients and their key aim is to deliver added value and to create profits for their farmer clients. He manages 7 farms covering 1800 hectares. "We pride ourselves on producing good yields and gross margins for our farmers through constant attention to detail and by careful analysis of all aspects of crop management. Last year we introduced winter oilseed rape onto our farms because peas had become unreliable and linseed less profitable. We decided to grow the low biomass variety Astrid as it had performed very well on many of our other farms across the UK and my farm manager colleagues had found it easy and economic to grow. It was gratifying that our decision was rewarded with an excellent gross margin of £922/ha. The only crop which exceeded this in terms of margins was potatoes."

"These excellent gross margins have arisen from a combination of high yields of 4.9 tonnes per hectare, improved pricing, of course, plus the choice of the low biomass variety Es Astrid where use of inputs can be optimised. Our focus is on crops that produce high outputs but using lower inputs and hence producing positive margins. Another reason I am keen on low biomass varieties is that they produce a more even crop which helps with yield and oil content," says Doug Pickup.

"Creating such a crop must start with good establishment. Establishment is the most important part of rape management, laying down the potential for a high yielding crop. We chop straw and deep cultivate to a depth of 10-11 inches using a Sumo Trio. Headlands and tramlines would have been sub-soiled beforehand. Rape is drilled, using a Simba Horsch Pronto drill, ideally between 25th August and the 4th of September. By producing excellent seedbeds we reduce seed rates to between 45-55 seeds/metre². If drilling gets any later, seed rates are increased to take account of potential pigeon and/or slug damage. Particular attention is paid to pigeon control during the winter months."

Crop management is designed to create an optimal crop canopy and includes the use of metconazole (Caramba) as a PGR and fungicide. "Although Astrid has excellent Phoma resistance we use metconazole to help with apical dominance and to promote side branching so that the optimal canopy can be created and yields optimised. Flusilazole is used in the autumn for disease control and Filan (boscalid) for Sclerotinia control at flowering," says Doug.

In addition it remains the highest rated conventional variety for resistance to Phoma stem canker. Its stem canker resistance is 7.2 compared to just 4.3 for Winner, 4.4 for Catana, 4.7 for Flash, 5.0 for Excalibur and 5.9 for Castille. The high multigene resistance to Phoma in Astrid could also, in some instances, obviate the need for one treatment in a fungicide programme or at least allow a less robust, cheaper programme to be used, with no detrimental effects on yields. It also allows flexible timing of the fungicide as delays will be less critical," says John.

"Astrid also has an eight rating for resistance to lodging, an eight rating for shortness of stem and an eight rating for stem stiffness. This all adds up to a high performing, reliable rape variety that is easier and more cost-effective to manage and one that produces very acceptable, high gross margins," concludes Mr. Hardy.

View the Farming UK story by clicking here.

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