Establishment - Volunteer Oilseed Rape
Avoid disturbing weed seeds when drilling. Note comments on previous cultivations depths in the cultivation principles section. Employ the following measures to achieve this:
(i) Control speed of drilling to minimise upward soil movement.
(ii) Make the stale seedbed preparation sufficiently consistent to avoid unnecessary tillage when drilling.
(iii) Ensure the drill tractor wheel/track slip is minimised by setting tyre pressures and ballast levels optimally. This will limit additional unnecessary surface soil movement when drilling.
NOTE: When establishing with minimal disturbance, offset the low levels of mineralisation by zone placement of N with the seed and where appropriate P plus other needed trace elements. Zone fertiliser placement also reduces fertiliser availability to any germinating weed seeds.
