Establishment Principles – Volunteer Oilseed Rape

Avoid disturbing weed seeds when drilling. Note comments on previous cultivations depths in the cultivation principles section. Employ the following measures to achieve this, although volunteer oilseed rape can be effectively controlled in the next crop generally.

(i) Control speed of drilling to minimise upward soil movement.

(ii) Make the stale seedbed preparation sufficiently consistent to avoid unnecessary tillage when drilling.

(iii) Ensure the drill tractor wheel/track slip is minimised by setting tyre pressures and ballast levels optimally. This will limit additional unnecessary surface soil movement when drilling.

NOTE: When establishing with minimal disturbance, offset the low levels of mineralisation by zone placement of N with the seed and where appropriate P plus other needed trace elements. Zone fertiliser placement also reduces fertiliser availability to any germinating weed seeds.