If more and more crop protection products are taken off the market, you have to develop other measures to keep the insects under control. We may have found for you, the solution for the control of pollen beetles in oilseed rape (OSR). This new solution involves the mixing of two OSR varieties plus the adding of carefully selected companion plants, like fenugreek and ervil vetch.
A crucial part is the two OSR varieties. We have selected ES Capello, which is a bestseller with very good agronomic behaviour and an excellent insect resistance. The variety stands out because its high yields are very stable, it has a strong early vigour with no winter stem elongation and a good Phoma resistance.
And we combine that with another OSR variety: ES Alicia, which is a very early variety, and in that capacity functions as a pollen beetle trap.
Then, let’s take a look at the companion species: fenugreek and ervil vetch. Both these species are in the Fabaceae family (legume), which form a symbiotic association with some species of bacteria (Rhizobium spp…). This symbiosis gives Fabaceae the unique ability among field crops species to fix nitrogen from the air and feed on it, and then release it to the main ES Capello crop. Other advantages with these companion plants are that normal seed drills can be used by farmers, and they have a low frost tolerance, which makes them non-invasive for the main rapeseed crop.
You may wonder why we have developed this mix. Well, the reasons are numerous. First of all, it disrupts the insects in different ways, for example in autumn because of the presence of the companion plants which have a different aspect and a repulsive smell. And then later on, in spring by the presence of the pollen beetle trap ES ALICIA.
Second, we are noticing a reduction of weeds, thanks to the cover by the companion plants on the soil. The solution also improves the nitrogen in the soil up to 30 units for rapeseed. And last but not least, this mix also improves the soil structure through the cover, leading to less erosion because of the rooting of the companion plants.
Through its direct benefits and expense reductions, the Symbio offer improves the net rapeseed margin by up to €100/ha for farmers.
Some advice for the management of the companion plants: make sure you sow, at least 1 week earlier compared to classical WOSR sowing, then avoid fields with a high weed pressure. And don’t use herbicides including clomazone/napropamid, in order to keep the cover!
