After a long period of drought of almost two months, the Middle Banat finally received rain, but only in small amounts, not enough to solve the problems of farmers. And while in other parts of Serbia, more abundant rainfall is announced, in the Middle Banat, we are still waiting for enough rain to prepare the land for the sowing of oilseed rape. This crop is traditionally the first to be sown in autumn, but current conditions make it impossible to prepare the land for sowing.
Sava Karanjac, a farmer from Konak, has been growing oilseed rape on about 30 hectares for six years. This fall, he plans to plant the same area again with this crop, but he is facing problems due to the dry and hard soil. The lack of precipitation significantly complicates the preparation of the land, and Karanjac expects that sowing will be possible only at the end of September, provided that a few more abundant rains fall.
Although the optimal date for sowing oilseed rape is usually the end of August and the beginning of September, in recent years due to dry conditions, that date has been moved. Last year, sowing did not start until October, but the yields were nevertheless satisfactory, thanks to the stable price and the fact that the later sowing helped to avoid the worst effects of the drought.
Seed houses: rapeseed sowing “postponed” due to the climate
Representatives of seed companies confirm that farmers are currently indecisive when it comes to sowing rapeseed. Ivica Živanov, the promoter of the seed company Pionir, addressed the media for a word on this topic. He notes that the interest in purchasing seeds is less than last year. But, he emphasizes, a few more abundant rains could significantly influence farmers’ decisions. Some, due to poor yields in the current season, gave up sowing altogether. However, more favorable weather conditions could change that decision, he points out.
Agronomists agree with producers that drought is the biggest problem. Dejan Sekulić, agronomist PD Graničar from Konak, states that for high-quality soil preparation, at least 50 liters of rain per square meter is necessary, without which sowing is practically impossible. Although in previous years rapeseed sowing was often carried out outside the optimal terms, experts warn that it is difficult to predict how later sowing this year will affect the yield. Everything depends on the weather conditions during the winter and at what stage the plants will enter the cold period.
In Serbia, rapeseed is grown on about 25,000 hectares, but there is potential for expansion to 60,000 hectares. It is most often exported as seeds, while in Europe it is a key source of edible oil. At the world level, the largest producers of oilseed rape are China, India, Canada and the countries of the European Union.
Source: Farmer
Source: boljazemlja.com
