Pure Yield Challenge Winners 2006

Nottinghamshire farmers, Brian Crawford and Neil Stubbs are the winners of the 2006 Pure Yield Challenge for producing an oilseed rape crop with an average yield of 4.37 tonnes per hectare and a Gross Income of over £653/hectare.

"The Pure Yield initiative aims to increase overall yield, oil content, oil quality and returns of the winter oilseed rape crop through the use of the latest varieties, inputs and technologies and by using Frontier's expertise throughout the rapeseed production chain", explains Charlie Whitmarsh, Arable Inputs Director of Frontier Agriculture.

The winning crop of Winner produced an average yield of 4.37 t/ha with an oil content between 42.46 and 44.09% over the 45 hectares grown. Based on a price of £140.82/tonne including the Pure Yield premium, it gave a gross income of £653.10/ha and a margin over fungicide and fertiliser of £399.97/ha.

Attention to detail is the essence of the Pure Yield initiative and it is this detailed and meticulous approach that Messrs Crawford and Stubbs demonstrate across all aspects of growing their rape crop, explains John Brooke, who advises on behalf of Frontier.

"Grown on a three or four year rotation, the winning rape crop was established using a Shakerator, followed by drilling and rolling. This gave an excellent seedbed from the high fertility medium loam soil. Weed control started in September with Katamaran (metazachlor + quinmerac) plus Shogun (propaquizafop) with Toppel (cypermethrin) and manganese. At the end of October this was followed by Aramo (tepraloxydim) to continue the black-grass control, with Punch C (flusilazole + carbendazim) for Phoma and Light Leaf Spot control and the second spray of Toppel," outlines John. MORE…….

"In February a further fungicide treatments of Punch C was applied and at the end of March Folicur (tebuconazole) was applied for growth regulation and canopy manipulation. However having seen further work comparing triazoles, we will be recommending Caramba (metconazole) this year as Frontier trials have shown that this triazole has a much stronger growth regulator effect. The growth regulator was mixed with Photrel and of Hallmark (lamda-cyhalothrin) for control of pollen beetle."

"At the end of April/beginning of May, Filan (boscalid) was applied for the control of Sclerotinia and Alternaria. This was mixed with a second dose of Hallmark. Finally the crop was desiccated with Roundup Gold (glyphosate)."

"The most significant difference that we introduced into the winning crop of rape, compared with what we had done in the past, was the amount of growth-regulating fungicide used. Growth regulation does seem to be a key element in producing a consistently high yielding crop. The crop produced over 0.75 t/ha extra yield as a result of using this Pure Yield protocol," concludes Mr Brooke.

"We congratulate Brian Crawford and Neil Stubbs for producing such an excellent crop and for supporting the Pure Yield initiative. Like us at Frontier, they work hard to manage the crop to the highest levels and as a result have successfully increased their average yields and oil contents. They demonstrate in a practical way that oilseed rape is not just a break crop but should be managed as a key cash crop and then the rewards will be realised. The Pure Yield initiative, which is supported by BASF and Yara, aims to be at the forefront of oilseed rape development and aims to increase the professionalism of all involved with growing the crop," says Charlie Whitmarsh.