New test results show that when silicon-based biostimulants are used with subsequent planting, planting along with later planting has emerged as an effective tactic to protect fat-rape (OSR) crops from cabbage stem beetle (CSFB) damage.
Biostimulant expert Orion ft tried the approach using two silicon products: Hybrid OSR Black Moon and RGT paparazzi, Deneb and Sirius.
Treated crops showed stronger facilities, wider stems and reduced pest damage. This is an important marker of resilience to CSFB pressure.
Kate Finlayson, research agriculture scholar at Orion, said:
“Our trials showed that the plants became less attractive to CSFB with OSR, where silicon was treated with established thick, wide stems and thick cuticles.”
Slow planting aims to reduce larval pressure by slowing crop appearance until adults lay eggs.
Cool autumn conditions also help slow the development of beetles. While this approach alone has several advantages, studies suggest that supplementation with biostimulants can further enhance crop resilience.
“Planting later increases the risk that the plant will not be established quickly enough to withstand early cold weather,” Finlayson explained.
“Biostimulants help reduce this risk by helping OSRs to consume more nutrients faster. Silicon helps to improve the availability of nutritional availability in OSRs, allowing plants to establish stronger stems and deeper roots faster.”
The study data showed that OSR treated with Deneb at 0.25 L/ha and 0.5 l/ha resulted in a stem width increase of 38% and 56% after 2 and 4 weeks, respectively.
The mean CSFB damage remained similar at both rates, but at 4 weeks the higher dose reduced the range of beetle damage and improved consistency.
The benefits of silicon biostimulators surpass flea beetles, Ms Finlayson noted. “It’s not just the damage to flea beetles that silicone is useful. We conducted similar tests on slag, which also significantly reduced plant damage.
“By using biostimulants to make OSR stronger, it helps to strengthen and thicken cuticles and increase the density of leaf hair. It also increases plant squirrels and is not attractive to herbivorous insects.”
As CSFB continues to pose challenges for growers and chemical options, combining late planting with biological support could be a game-changing strategy.
“While planting has emerged as a good strategy in the UK, the establishment of OSR can be established faster to confront cold and challenging growth conditions, driven by biostimists to help pests,” Finlayson concluded.
