Failed OSR Crops this year

[CB008]

My local farmer planted acres of OSR right next to me this year and I was looking forwards to a bumper harvest and fun and games with swarmy bees. I learned today that the crop had totally failed, along with other farmers in Surrey. Appartently weather related but he will now have to plant oats and I have not heard of oat honey!

So there will be no OSR for my bees which is a new one for me. Has anyone else heard something similar?

 

[Illo]

The farmer who owns the land where my out apiary is sited told me a similar tale. He explained that OSR is a fragile seed, and there is a short window of opportunity when the planting must be done for the following years crops. Also, if the ground is too wet, then the seed may germinate but the seedlings will rot,and so the crop will fail before it really gets going. The summer was so wet in Cheshire that on this basis, he has not planted his OSR this year, and neither have any of the neighbouring farms.

No OSR for my bees either

 

[BeeBus]

Spring OSR may be planted instead. Slugs have played havoc with alot of the winter rape

 

[CB008]

Apparently they cannot allow teh land to lay unproductive so a crop such as oats will have to go in.

 

[TOBY-3652]

Few fields around here been ploughed in but still got 200 acres next to my hives

 

[BeeBus]

Apparently they cannot allow teh land to lay unproductive so a crop such as oats will have to go in.

Both would be harvested next summer so wouldnt be unproductive, but a crop sown before winter will yield better and rape needs to be in before mid sept whereas cereals are still being sown

 

[MuswellMetro]

The farmer who owns the land where my out apiary is sited told me a similar tale. He explained that OSR is a fragile seed, and there is a short window of opportunity when the planting must be done for the following years crops. Also, if the ground is too wet, then the seed may germinate but the seedlings will rot,and so the crop will fail before it really gets going. The summer was so wet in Cheshire that on this basis, he has not planted his OSR this year, and neither have any of the neighbouring farms.

No OSR for my bees either

same near me, all winter wheat has been planted this year, only one or two small fields of OSR on the higher fields

 

[iand]

The crops around here are variable, from dire to looking OK. I have not heard or seen anybody knocking a crop up as yet. The farmers are to busy with trying to get W wheat in, one I saw tonight drilling wheat & he was only able to combine his beans in that field last week.
A spell dry warmish weather is needed if some of these crops are to recover but its getting late. The next time for assessment will be towards spring, when you will see the farmer out with a spade checking the root system of the plants.
Then depending on the herbicide used (it may kill a cereal) the option maybe to drill spring rape. So all not lost for the beekeeper yet anyway.

 

[iand]

Apparently they cannot allow teh land to lay unproductive so a crop such as oats will have to go in.

One farmer I know has run one field as fallow for a number of years as one of his entries for W wheat.
It gives the bees a chance for a few volunteer flowers

 

[susbees]

Similar problems with autumn sown in S Shrops. Messenger said his local farms resowing with Spring sown. Haven't asked our local farmers - haven't seen any for a while...lol.