Avoiding pod shatter and seed loss at harvest

Winter oilseed rape is generally looking good, following good establishment and crops will be ready for harvest, probably starting at the end of next month. The favourable price of oilseed rape and yield being key to profitability of this major crop, growers should be finishing off the job properly and looking to minimise any losses at harvest by using an effective anti-pod shatter product.

In adverse conditions prior to harvest, potential loss can be as high as 50%, which represents a lot of money these days, says Alan East, Technical Manager for Interagro UK Ltd. "Trials work with our distributor partners Masstock Arable has shown that Iskay protects against yield loss due to pod shatter. Trials show that the use of Iskay can result in yield increases of over 0.52 t/ha, worth over £135/hectare, and increases of 0.3% oil content. It has been worthwhile doing in the last two very different harvests, 2008 and 2009."

Alan explains that Iskay is a specialist blend of polymers, emusifiers and surfactants, designed to minimise seed losses in oilseed rape due to pod shatter before and during harvest. "Iskay is a specialist pod sticker that reduces the number of cracked and split pods, so reducing seed loss, improving yield and reducing the number of volunteers after harvest. It works by forming a lattice or mesh over the fragile pods, which prevents the pod from splitting when maturing or during dry or rainy conditions. This means that the upper and lower pods are secured together, preventing the pod from opening up and so minimising seed loss," explains Alan.

"Iskay has no adverse effects on the crop and allows the pod to mature naturally, enabling the crop to achieve its maximum yield. It doesn’t affect the speed of desiccation and has no adverse effects on seed quality or seed maturity, enabling growers to manage harvest more efficiently," he says.

"Its use also has a knock-on effect of reducing rape volunteers in subsequent crops, which are becoming more difficult and expensive to control and which can encourage higher slug populations."

Iskay has been used successfully in Holland, Poland and other European countries in several podded crops including oilseed rape, peas, beans, linseed and flax.

Iskay is recommended at a dose rate of between 0.5 to 1 litres/ha in 150-400 litres of water as a medium quality spray. The higher dose rates and higher water volumes should be used in dense crops. Iskay is applied from when pods are green and bendy (BBCH 80) up to fully ripe, when nearly all pods are ripe and seeds black and hard (BBCH 89). It can be used alone or in tank mix with desiccants such as glyphosate or diquat. It is packed in a 5 litre pack and is available throughout the UK from Masstock.

For further details please contact Alan East, Technical Manager, Interagro on 01376 552703 or 07775 696268 (mobile).