OSR Diaries: Tom Hoggan
Meet Tom Hoggan as he shares his journey trying to balance challenges from the weather, weeds, pests and diseases with growing a profitable OSR crop.
About Tom
Tom is a graduate trainee manager at McGregor Farmers. He discovered his passion for farming through some family friends.
Having previously studied at Bishop Burton College and Newcastle University, Tom is now training for his BASIS qualification. With four harvests under his belt, – three at McGregor farms and one in Australia - Tom has practical experience too.
He loves the variety of office and field work but dislikes the winter months.
McGregor Farms comprises 14 farms and 3,200 ha of arable land, located in the Scottish Borders.
The enterprise also has solar and self-storage lets.
The home farm sits on silt clay loam but the contract farms, which straddle the Border and Tweed valley, have heavier soil types.
Oilseed rape has been an important crop in the rotation for over 25 years. Despite citing Sclerotinia, club root, slugs and pigeon as the most troublesome pests and diseases, McGregor Farms still grows over 700ha of OSR. They value its profitability. Currently, pressure from cabbage stem flea beetle is low but they are monitoring the situation closely.
At McGregor Farms they grow three hybrid varieties including InVigor. As well as the early robust growth, these varieties are less susceptible to pod shatter, and offer more resistance to club root. They aim for a 5t/ha. The current five-year average is 4.9t/ha.
Wheat, winter barley, spring barley, winter OSR, potatoes, vining peas, spring beans and spring oats.
About the farm
Cropping
Farming Philosophy
Tom’s farming philosophy is about getting the basics right.
Tom uses a one pass Simba SL to establish most crops.
The wide crop rotation at McGregor Farms includes a variety of spring and nitrogen-fixing crops. It also includes potatoes.
Establishment is the biggest agronomic challenge for Tom and the team at McGregor farms. Slug pressure and club root are also close contenders.
Cultivation and drilling approach.
Rotation
Biggest agronomic challengesto growing OSR
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OSR Diary 1
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OSR Diary 2
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OSR Diary 3
