Harvest 24 Review: Oilseed Rape. Risks and Rewards.
Dr Becca Doherty
Throughout writing the Harvest 24 Review, one thing has become clear to me: Oilseed rape (OSR) remains one of the most polarising crops in UK arable farming.
It’s high-risk but high-reward. A crop that can deliver some of the strongest gross margins when things go right, but also tests the patience and resilience of farmers when things go wrong.
In 2024, OSR proved once again why it remains one of the most debated crops in UK arable farming.
Costs of Production: Easing the Pressure
If you’re an OSR grower, you’ll know fertiliser is the dominant cost driver. The good news for 2024? Fertiliser costs finally dropped after the dramatic price hikes of recent years.
Between 2022 and 2023, fertiliser spend on OSR shot up by 46% to a record £410.77/ha. In 2024, it’s lowered by 41%, bringing the average to £291.72/ha.
Varietal Choices: What Worked and Why
Choosing the right OSR variety is about finding the right balance for your farm’s unique needs. Three varieties dominated the YAGRO platform in 2024, each with distinct characteristics:
Ramses: A hybrid High Erucic Acid Rapeseed (HEAR) variety, Ramses achieved the highest average yield at 3.3t/ha. With potential for premium contracts, Ramses offers the highest gross margin potential among the varieties analysed.
Campus: A conventional variety with early vigour, Campus stood out for its cost efficiency. With a cost of production at just £208.90/t, Campus was 13% more efficient to grow than Ramses as calculated by comparing £/ha costs to £/t performance. This was largely driven by lower seed costs (65% less than Ramses) and fungicide costs (68% lower than Ramses).
Acacia: Another conventional variety, Acacia recorded the lowest average yield at 2.07t/ha but offers agronomic benefits like disease resistance and genetic diversity that can shine in tough conditions.
Establishing OSR remains one of the biggest hurdles, particularly in the face of pests like cabbage stem flea beetle. Some farmers have found success by drilling earlier or incorporating companion cropping techniques to improve establishment rates and yields.
These shifts in practices following the 2018 Neonic ban have been visualised in our Chemical and Fertiliser Review.
The Harvest 24 Review underscores resilience. OSR’s role as a break crop, combined with its potential for high gross margins, keeps it a key player in rotations despite the many challenges. Because, for those willing to persevere and adapt, OSR can still deliver impressive results.
What Could Your Data Reveal?
The lessons from 2024 are clear: success starts with understanding your numbers. By leveraging accurate data, you can make informed decisions about input spend, varietal selection, and establishment strategies.
If you could see your farm’s performance in this level of detail, what insights might you uncover?
The Harvest 24 Review is packed with actionable insights to help you navigate the complexities of modern farming. Download your free copy today and start turning data into decisions: Click to Access.
Becca is our weather data expert. With an MBiol in Plant Development and a PhD from the John Innes Centre focusing on how temperature affects Oilseed Rape. Becca has experience working with both large datasets and smaller individual farm datasets. Citing the weather as just one of many variables which a farmer must factor into their operation, Becca states that enhanced weather data can support predictions on establishment and yield, in addition to aiding the monitoring of risks posed by crop disease.