Wednesday, 22 April 2015 14:58

Homing in on oilseed options

Written by 
FAR’s Jen Linton demonstrates pgr effects on oilseed rape trials at the arable site, Chertsey, late last year. No significant difference was recorded. FAR’s Jen Linton demonstrates pgr effects on oilseed rape trials at the arable site, Chertsey, late last year. No significant difference was recorded.

FAR cultivar and herbicide trials with resurgent crop oilseed rape promise to help growers hone their agronomy on the resurgent crop.

A much tighter range of yields in cultivar trials shows selections are closing in on types that suit New Zealand, FAR’s Jen Linton told farmers at the Timaru meeting.

At Waimate there was no significant difference between the six hybrids and one conventional cultivar, DK Cabernet, in the trial which averaged 5.04t/ha. Cabernet top yielded at 5.19t/ha.

It was the same story at Fairlie with the conventional topping the 5.52-6.07t/ha yield range and a site mean of 5.8t/ha. “It shows we are picking and choosing the right varieties to grow,” Linton said.

Overall yields were about 2t/ha higher than the previous year when high winds caused severe seed loss prior to harvest.

This year the short cultivar DK Exstorm was the lowest yielding at both sites but Linton said if the plots had been hit by high winds again, “as the name suggests [Exstorm] would have been the best one.”

The headline message from a 10-treatment herbicide trial targeting hairgrass in oilseed rape at St Andrews was to get the first spray on in May. At that timing all treatments gave over 90% control but when application was delayed to July the best control was 55% and the worst only 3%. “There were massive populations [of hairgrass] in some areas.”

Defoliation as a means of plant growth regulation and feed provision continues to be investigated in oilseed rape with this year’s results from trials at Chertsey showing no significant difference in yield between plots defoliated by cutting hard at the green bud stage, given a light mow at yellow bud, or treated chemically with plant growth regulators (pgrs) Cycocel, Folicur or Moddus.

“There was no significant difference but it’s pretty exciting that we could grow 5.5t/ha at the arable site,” said Linton.

On this occasion the feed potential of defoliations was limited. “We only took half a tonne off. In the past we have taken two-and-a-half tonnes [per hectare] off but at the arable site it’s been hard to get the crop that bulky.”

More like this

FAR CEO to step down

Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) chief executive Dr Alison Stewart is stepping down in June this year after seven years in the role.

Harvest samples sought for crop nutrient project

Arable growers are being invited to supply samples of their harvested crops as part of a project which uses an alternative approach to determining how well they are managing their biggest input - fertiliser.

Featured

NZ household food waste falls again

Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.

Editorial: No joking matter

OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.

DairyNZ plantain trials cut nitrate leaching by 26%

DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.

National

Machinery & Products

Tech might take time

Agritech Unleashed – a one-day event held recently at Mystery Creek, near Hamilton – focused on technology as an ‘enabler’…

John Deere acquires GUSS Automation

John Deere has announced the full acquisition of GUSS Automation, LLC, a globally recognised leader in supervised high-value crop autonomy,…

Fencing excellence celebrated

The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards,…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

A step too far

OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…

Save us from SAFE

OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter