Visitors to Opico’s stand at the Cereals 2010 can learn how to apply fertiliser in bands when seeding oilseed rape to boost yields by up to 0.3t/h – and also save time and money with this one-pass cultivation.

Opico now offers a full range of applicators for precision placement of fertiliser – from the Ferticast unit for granular fertiliser to the Nitrojet skid unit for liquid N, which can be mounted onto any make of cultivator.

Applying fertiliser at sowing increased oilseed rape yields by 4.7%, from 4.73t/ha to 4.95t/ha in a trial at Masstock’s Lincoln SMART farm. Further, banded application of fertiliser produced an average yield 4.1% higher, at 5.05t/ha – an increase of 0.2t/ha over the broadcast method.

Opico’s James Woolway says: “Applying fertiliser at seeding to where it is immediately available to the emerging crop, and placing it in bands which effectively concentrates the nitrogen, resulted in an overall yield advantage of 0.32t/ha – an extra 6.8% compared to not fertilising at seeding.

“Although plots in this trial were unreplicated, results are in line with previous findings. Research is continuing this year with 14 trials around the country on different soil types and with different varieties.

“While yield benefits are the ultimate aim of taking this one-pass, time-saving technique, it’s also a ‘belt and braces’ approach to ensuring good autumn establishment of oilseed rape crops.”

There are now a variety of configurations of tanks and nozzle options in the Nitrojet range including a new skid unit model which can be mounted onto any make or type of cultivator.

A typical 1000 litre capacity Nitrojet skid unit with five nozzles and an RDS control system retails at £9,462. Users of granular fertilisers will also have a selection of models to view at Cereals from Opcio’s Ferticast range.

• Cereals 2010 exhibitor information as supplied by Opico.