Barclay Crop Protection

Efficient Harvesting of Oilseed Rape

Crops of Oilseed Rape crop can be difficult to harvest in a way that both minimises losses in the field and produces a clean easily storable sample. The key factors involving successful dessication involve applying sufficient herbicide in the most effective form at the optimum crop stage.

Standard formulations of Gallup perform adequately in many situations but the Biograde ones frequently give:

• 20% better results in challenging conditions such as when rain showers occur within 6 hours of application or it is to be used in hot, dry weather or in cold, dry weather or in hard water.
• 25% better on certain difficult weeds like polygonums and oilseed rape stems.
• Speedier, more consistent performance on all varieties which results in full desiccation after the minimum 14 days harvest.

In order to ascertain the best timing for an application use the following as a guide: 

1. Randomly select an area of the crop to obtain a representative sample and take at least 20 pods from the middle of the main racemes.
2. In each pod you will find seeds with a range of colours from green (unripe) to brown (ripe).
3. If at least 65% of the seeds are brown then the correct stage has been reached and an application of Gallup Biograde should be made ideally within 5 days.
4. If only 50% of the seeds are turning brown, the crop should be ready to spray in 3 days, but repeat the procedure to check that the correct stage has been reached.

Use a minimum of 3lts/Ha and up to 4lts/Ha of Gallup Biograde. In thick crops use 250lts/Ha but 200Its/Ha will be sufficient and use a medium to coarse spray quality.

If an application is made earlier or later than this poor dessication may result.

It is then important to wait at least 14 days for the Gallup Biograde to work thoroughly before harvesting.