RGT Blackmoon – strong early vigour to suit the late-drilling slot

It’s a very fitting slogan, given the variety’s rapid establishment and strong early vigour, says ProCam technical manager Nigel Scott.

These characteristics make RGT Blackmoon an ideal choice for growers who want to delay drilling to avoid peak cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB) pressure, he adds.

“Flea beetle is something we can no longer control, but we can try to mitigate the problem, and late drilling is one way of doing this.

“Good autumn vigour is the first thing I look for when delaying – we can’t afford any growth checks if we want the crop to go into the winter in optimum condition.

“I’ve seen Blackmoon race away when drilled in September. It has really strong early growth and has been outstanding in trials.

“Drilled alongside an alternative hybrid, it was chalk and cheese, and Blackmoon’s vigour was ultimately the difference between success and failure. Its field performance is equally impressive.”

Variety choice is essential when drilling late, but vigour information is hard to find as it is not measured in official trials. “We’re having to go direct to the breeders to try to get the information we need,” says Nigel.

“RAGT are looking at this and are happy to share where they see their varieties fitting best.”

Growing oilseed rape successfully is all about marginal gains, starting with the right variety, a moist good seedbed, sound drilling technique and, increasingly, a companion crop, says Nigel.

‘Doing everything correctly can make the difference between having a crop or not. If you don’t stack everything to your advantage, you’ve already compromised potential yield.”

Crucially, peak flea beetle migration needs to have ended when drilling in September. Nigel sets traps in fields to monitor CSFB numbers and checks them daily. “Once the population stabilises, peak migration has finished and flea beetles are much less likely to move into newly emerging crops. At that point, we can drill.

“I’m happy to go to mid-September up here in the north with a variety like Blackmoon, but I’d grow it anywhere in the East/West region.

“I will stick to lower seed rates as this helps crops form a bigger root collar, which can help withstand some larval loading if it does occur, and you get better light penetration into the canopy later in the season.”

Limited amounts of RGT Blackmoon seed are available from ProCam and other selected merchants.

RGT Blackmoon – key points

• Very strong autumn vigour
• Very high yields
• Good phoma and LLS resistance
• TuYV resistant
• Good pod shatter resistance
• Very stiff straw

New companion crop mix

Nigel is testing a new companion crop mix from RAGT to reduce flea beetle damage. GreenPack Bronze is mixture of tartaric buckwheat, which helps shield small and vulnerable oilseed rape plants from flea beetles, and fenugreek, which emits a curry-like odour that deters the pest.

“A companion crop is a no-brainer for SFI payments anyway – 80% of my OSR crops will have a companion crop this season,” says Nigel. “But choosing the right species and variety is critical to support our CSFB strategy.

“RAGT make a point about variety selection, and there is absolutely no doubt that they do pick the right ones in terms of seed size and quality, and the constituents are packed in right quantities, helping to achieve a good even stand.

“This year we are also looking at drilling the companion crop first then drilling the OSR into the protective canopy, to see if that improves flea beetle protection and crop performance further.”

Click on the pictures below and scroll for RGT Blackmoon growth timeline