OSR DISEASE RISK WARNING

INTENSIFIED ROTATIONS of 50:50 wheat and oilseed rape will inevitably increase disease risk in oilseed rape crops, says ADAS OSR expert Pete Gladders.

 “Oilseed rape diseases are already a threat, causing yield reductions of around 0.7t/ha for phoma and 1.5t/ha for light leaf spot in the north. Expect that to go higher with intensified rotations.”

New disease threats such as verticillium could emerge, he suggests.