REDUCING the risk of pod shatter in oilseed rape at harvest by taking action soon, could add up to an extra 0.5t/ha at harvest.

The insurance of applying the pod sealant, Pod-Stik, to OSR crops to protect against shatter losses at harvest, can save that half-tonne from dropping on the floor.

“All varieties benefit from a pod-sealant, including those claiming pod-shatter resistance,” pointed out Simon McMunn, Pod-Stik's maker, De Sangosse's commercial manager.

“Independent research shows that bad weather or delays at harvest can cause losses of up to 500kg/ha, but by protecting it with Pod-Stik can avoid that. Research shows that even shatter-resistant varieties benefit, typically by 320kg/ha, so the benefit is clear."

This season, with crops at varying stages of growth, maturity is likely to be highly inconsistent and, consequently, weather losses in the run up to harvest and header losses during combining could be significantly greater.

“It is typically the weather in the run up to harvest that is the greatest source of shatter losses, but mixed maturity means more advanced plants will be more susceptible by the time the majority of the crop is ready for harvest," he argued.

"Pod-Stik typically gives up to 12-weeks protection against shatter losses when applied at growth stage 80-82 (pods pliable),” says Mr McMunn.

In a typical year, the advice is to apply Pod-Stik around mid-June as a single application to avoid shatter in the tramlines when applying desiccant a few weeks later.