Oilseed variety of radish. How to use as green manure, autumn planting

Appearance and characteristics of the culture

The homeland of the annual oilseed radish is Asia. Now the culture is widespread.

Description of appearance:

• Plant. The height of the plant in adulthood is 1.5-2 m.
• Root system. Core, deeply penetrating. It has a thickened upper part with powerful branches on the sides. There is no root crop.
• Flowers. Appear in May. On loose inflorescences there are many flowers of lemon or snow-white color.
• Fruit. When the flowers fade, fruits form. There are 3-5 seeds in a pod. The pods do not burst, which allows harvesting in wet weather.
• Seeds. Small, spherical, reddish or brownish in color. 1 thousand pieces weighs about 12 g.

The seeds contain up to 50% fat. They are used to obtain vegetable oil, which is the raw material for the production of biofuel.

Characteristics of oilseed radish:

• suitable for growing in regions with difficult farming conditions;
• the yield of green mass with several cuttings is 200-600 centners per 1 ha.

OIL RADISH (Raphanus sativus L. var. oleifera Metzg.)

A crop that grows satisfactorily on poor soils and in areas with limited thermal resources.

The root is taproot, thickened in the upper part, branched. Stems are straight, branched, strongly lodging, green, sometimes with anthocyanin, pubescent, up to 120 cm high. Leaves are pinnately divided, lyre-shaped, green, sometimes with an anthocyanin tint, strongly pubescent. The inflorescence is a loose raceme. The flowers are small. The color of the corollas is varied, with different shades: white, light lilac, pale purple, pinkish. Flowering is extended. The fruit is a pod: cylindrical, elongated-oval, pointed, with thickened walls, filled with parenchyma tissue. The seeds are round-oval, reddish. Weight of 1000 seeds is 8-12 g.

Oilseed radish is a long-day plant, early ripening, cold-resistant, and characterized by intensive growth. Seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of 2-3°C, the rapid emergence of seedlings is noted at 7-8°C. Seedlings tolerate frosts down to -3, -4°C, and adult plants tolerate lower temperatures.

Oilseed radish is demanding of moisture and does not tolerate drought well. Relatively undemanding to soils. Tolerates slight acidity. Responds well to organic and mineral fertilizers. 1 kg of green mass contains 0.14-0.15 units. and 12-22 g of digestible protein. In the State Register of the Russian Federation since 1983. 1 variety included:

Bred on the experimental field of the educational farm named after. M.I. Kalinin TSHA by transfer to the tetraploid level with subsequent selection.

Plant height up to 170 cm. Foliage 39-70%. The color of the corollas is white or pale lilac. The seeds are irregularly oval in shape, light brown. The duration of the period from germination to mowing is 43-48 days, until the seeds ripen - 104 days.

Oilseed radish is a fast-growing, deep-rooting crop that tolerates late sowing very well, used as a green fertilizer, and in areas of unstable agriculture - and as a forage plant. The intensive growth of radish contributes to the rapid closing of crops; its requirements for climate and soil are low. Sowing from early July to early September ensures maximum yield, although in herbs sown before mid-August, generative organs develop rapidly: plants form more stems and fewer leaves. The seeding rate for oilseed radish is 2.5-3 million viable seeds or 18-25 kg/ha, seeding depth is 3-4 cm for row sowing. In mixtures with oats, the seed ratio is 75%: 25%. A mandatory technique is rolling the soil before and after sowing.

To obtain a high yield, 60-80 kg of nitrogen per hectare is required. Harvesting begins 8-10 weeks after emergence, from the beginning of the flowering phase until the pods appear. Depending on the duration of the growing season, you can collect 40-50 quintals of dry matter from 1 ha. Animals are reluctant to eat fresh oilseed radish; it is better to ensile it. It improves the structure of the subsoil layer, does not respond to re-sowing in the same area to a lesser extent than rapeseed, promotes the spread of beet nematode and is more resistant to clubroot than other cruciferous crops.

Use as green manure

One of the ways to restore and improve the soil after the gardening season is to use green manure or green manure. As a green fertilizer, crops are used that can withstand thickening, slight but prolonged cold snap, quickly germinate, grow and produce a large vegetative mass.

The green mass of plants (usually two to three weeks after mass germination) is mowed and buried under digging.

Until recently, fodder and annual lupine, rye, oats, triticale, winter rape, and white mustard were mainly grown as green manures. In recent years, oil radish has also been used as a green fertilizer.

Oilseed radish is an early ripening, cold-resistant (tolerates frosts down to minus 3°) crop, capable of producing seeds and green mass almost at the latitude of the Arctic Circle. Grows well on neutral and slightly acidic soils of any type, including drained peat bogs and heavy loams. In addition, in terms of yield of green mass, oilseed radish is more than twice as high as lupine, white mustard and rye. That's why it's a great green manure.

Oilseed radish of the Tambovchanka variety is used as green fertilizer. It is sown in continuous rows from early spring (as soon as the soil thaws) until autumn (including September). However, when sown in August and September, it produces more leaves and they are larger than when grown in early summer. The seeds sprout on the 4-7th day, and three weeks later the buds appear - this is the best time to mow the radish. The mass is left to dry for a week, then embedded in the soil. In total, about 30-40 days pass from sowing to digging.

When cultivating oilseed radish, the infestation of the site with weeds, including creeping wheatgrass, is reduced by more than half. The number of soil pests and pathogenic microorganisms, such as root rot pathogens and nematodes, is reduced by 1.5-2 times. Pollution of groundwater with nitrates is reduced by 10 times, and difficult-to-digest nutrients from soil minerals become available to vegetable crops. In addition, the soil structure improves and its reaction (pH) is normalized.

USEFUL PROPERTIES OF GREEN FERTILIZER

To sow one hundred square meters of land, only 180-220 g of seeds are required. More dense sowing is used if the biomass will additionally be used for animal feed. Crops have a very high development speed, so they can be sown at a variety of times, from May to September. The best time to obtain a high harvest is June-July. In practice, it is re-sown 2-3 times per season. Flowering occurs 30-40 days after germination and lasts until the end of autumn. Flowering plants can withstand frosts down to – 6…8° and even – 12° C.

The green mass of plants contains the same amount of nutrients as cow manure: nitrogen - 0.5%; phosphorus – 0.25%; potassium – 0.6%. The mass of plant residues grown on an area of ​​100 m 2 contains the following amount of mineral fertilizers (in conventional terms for chemical composition): 3-5 kg ​​of ammonium nitrate; 2.5-3.5 kg of superphosphate; 3.5-5.0 kg of potassium salt. In addition, green mass, when incorporated into the soil, deoxidizes it, acting similarly to the addition of lime, since it has an alkaline content of cell sap.

The underground part of plants has the ability to absorb nitrogen from the air, like clover and lupine. Root secretions dissolve mineral inclusions in the soil and convert microelements, phosphorus and potassium into a form accessible to subsequent crops.

The decomposing biomass of cruciferous vegetables releases substances into the soil that inhibit and suppress the growth and development of weeds. On a substrate rich in organic matter, saprophytic microflora rapidly develops, which displaces pathogens of agricultural crops from the soil.

After harvesting the green mass, along with crop residues, stimulants of plant growth and development from the class of brassinosteroids remain in the soil, increasing the yield and improving the quality of marketable products of subsequent crops.

The best varieties

Breeders, developing new varieties of oilseed radish, are working to increase its honey production, enlarge the root system, and improve its green manure properties.

Tambov resident

This is an old proven variety, bred about 40 years ago. Resistant to frost and drought. Able to withstand temperatures as low as minus 5°C. The stem is distinguished by strong foliage, so the variety is advantageous to use as food.

Nika

Created by Belarusian breeders by crossing previously bred varieties. Productivity – 2.5 tons per 1 ha. The growing season is 90-120 days.

Brutus

German variety with a growing season of 90 days. Resistant to blackleg. This is a medium-sized variety, reaching a height of 1.2 m.

Sabina

High-yielding Belarusian variety. Produces a lot of seeds. Up to 3.5 tons are collected from 1 hectare. They are used in complex plantings with peas and silage corn. Also added to silage.

Advantages and disadvantages

Oilseed radish is an important industrial crop with many advantages and only a couple of disadvantages.

Pros:

• Ability to grow on heavy, clay soils.
• Increases fertility. If radishes are not mowed before winter, they can trap snow and prevent the soil from freezing.
• All parts of the crop contain essential oils, the characteristic odor of which prevents the proliferation of pests in the soil - nematodes, wireworms.
• Increases the number of earthworms and beneficial microorganisms.
• Tolerates cold, drought and high humidity.
• It has stable productivity.
• Tight closure of crops prevents the growth of weeds.
• Green manure, being mowed, nourishes the earth with humus.
• Continues growing season at +5…+6°C.
• Not afraid of frost down to minus 4°C. Stronger plants can tolerate temperatures as low as minus 7°C.

Minuses:

• Does not grow well in acidic soils. Before sowing radishes, add wood ash or slaked lime to the area.
• It is difficult to make silage from the crop, since its leaves and stems contain a lot of essential oils, so preservatives are added to the silage.

Pancake week vegetable or mustard - which is better?

Mustard, along with oilseed radish, is the most popular green manure. Both plants belong to the cruciferous family, so they are similar in functionality - they perfectly prepare the ground for:

1. potatoes;
2. tomatoes;
3. zucchini;
4. cucumbers;
5. sweet pepper.

Mustard also cannot be grown as a precursor to cabbage. The main difference between vegetables is their use on different types of soil: for example, white mustard does extremely poorly in acidic, swampy areas. Radish is undemanding; it copes with even the heaviest soil.

When to sow radishes?

Oilseed radish is sown in rows. Radish can be sown from April to September, but the highest yield is typical for April sowings.

Autumn

When sowing winter crops, you must have time to remove the green manure. There should be a short time interval between mowing the radishes and sowing winter crops so that the green mass has time to rot. Moreover, the grass must be mowed before the seeds form.

In autumn, the seeding rate is doubled. The autumn norm is from 4 to 8 g of seeds per 1 square meter. m. This planting allows you to increase the density of crops.

Spring

Sowing starts in April or earlier. You need to focus on the soil temperature. If it has warmed up to +10°C, you can start sowing. If the temperature is unstable - from time to time it drops below the specified minimum, then it is recommended to increase the seeding rate.

Summer

With the arrival of summer, sowing can be done at any time. Plantings are watered during the sprouting period. You can sow areas immediately after harvesting vegetables.

When the time comes to sow greens - salads, arugula, etc., the radishes will already be mowed, and the soil will be enriched with useful elements.

Oilseed radish is planted in front of:

• cucumbers;
• tomatoes;
• pepper;
• potatoes;
• raspberries;
• strawberries;
• grapes

Terms of use

Oilseed radish is an undemanding crop in terms of care that can grow in absolutely any weather conditions. Sowing the seeds of this radish is carried out on any type of soil. Due to the characteristics of the roots (they grow mainly vertically), watering of the plantings is not carried out. Plants themselves are able to extract water from the deep layers of the earth. However, when grown on alkaline soils, the plantings will need feeding.

Planting is possible in any region of the country, as the plant tolerates negative temperatures well. Pods and shoots actively develop both in the shade and in the sun.

The use of the Shrovetide variety of radish is most often carried out after harvesting early spring, vegetable and winter crops. However, complete decomposition and transformation into fertilizer occurs only in the presence of high humidity.

It is best to sow this crop from early spring to mid-September. However, remember that planting seeds from the second half of August will only fertilize the soil by half. This is due to the fact that the formation of green mass will not be as intense as in spring and summer. It is forbidden to sow the seeds of this green manure before planting cabbage.

Plants should be mowed before flowering begins. The green mass is crushed using a shovel. After which the humification process is carried out. Complete decomposition of biomass occurs in 2–3 weeks. You can speed up the process with the help of EM drugs.

As you can see, the Shrovetide variety of radish is an excellent green manure. After all, this crop has many positive properties and effectively prepares the land for the next season.

Site selection and preparation

Radish is unpretentious and undemanding to the composition of the soil. However, to achieve this goal, it is necessary to bring the area intended for sowing into compliance with agrotechnical standards.

How to improve soil quality:

• a deoxidizing agent – ​​slaked lime or dolomite flour – is added to soils with high acidity;
• It is recommended to add a mineral complex or organic matter to soils with low fertility.

The soil for radish can be plowed or dug up, depending on the scale of the crop. A small area can also be loosened using a flat cutter.

Plowing is more necessary for heavy clay soils; for others, surface loosening is sufficient. Planting depth – 4 cm.

To increase productivity, the soil can be fertilized with a preparation containing microorganisms - “Baikal EM-1” or “Siyanie-1”. You can also add organic matter to the soil to increase fertility.

Other green helpers

In addition to oilseed radishes, mustard or beans are often grown between the beds as green manure. These plants perfectly enrich the soil with nutrients and restore its “respiratory function.” These crops also attract pollinators with their flowers.

Surprise decontamination plants for gardeners include clovers, dannaberries or daisies. They actively repel pests and decorate flower beds with bright flowers and rich colors.

Growing plants and caring for the land for the benefit of yourself and nature is a skillful combination of green plants and the knowledge of many generations of gardeners. Nature has provided humanity with everything necessary to obtain a bountiful harvest even from a small plot of land.

How to sow oil radish?

The rate of seeds for sowing depends on:

1. Sowing time. In autumn and spring, the norm is increased by 1.5-2 times. Conditions at this time are not the most favorable, and germination may decrease.
2. Sowing technologies. There are two ways to plant radish seeds:
   In the ranks. Sowing rate – 2-3 g per 1 square. m.
3. Scattered. 3-4 g per 1 sq. m.

To sow 1 hectare, 20 to 40 kg of oilseed radish seeds are required.

Features of sowing:

Step-by-step instructions on how to plant in the ground

The soil must first be loosened; deep digging is not required. A Fokina cultivator or flat cutter will do an excellent job. It is advisable to plant on a cool, rainy day. When planting in hot weather, seed productivity can be halved. The sowing depth is 2-4 centimeters, the distance between rows is 0.15 meters - if the purpose of sowing is green manure or growing livestock feed, 40 cm - if planting is for honey collection or obtaining seeds.

For ease of sowing, seeds can be mixed with coarse sand; on an industrial scale, a CH-16 seeder is used.

We invite you to watch a video on how to plant oilseed radish on your site:

Care

Seeds sown in the ground begin to germinate on the 4-5th day. And after 30-40 days, the plant forms a rosette, which blooms 60 days after sowing.

During the growing season, the crop requires virtually no care. The only thing that may be needed is fertilizing with organic matter if the soils are infertile.

When industrially growing crops, the following activities are carried out:

• after sowing, roll the soil;
• if necessary, harrowing before emergence;
• weed control.

The biggest enemy of oilseed radish is the cruciferous flea beetle. They fight it with insecticidal drugs. Also among the crop pests are cabbage moth and cabbage fly. And the most common diseases are powdery mildew and peronosporosis.

For what crops is it used?

Green manure can be used to improve the composition of the soil in front of many cultivated plants. An excellent harvest will please:

• potato;
• berry crops, shrubs (raspberries, strawberries, currants, blackberries);
• tomatoes;
• carrot;
• pepper;
• greenery;
• onion;
• garlic;
• cucumbers

Oilseed radish is an excellent predecessor if you plan to grow a vineyard on the site. The seedlings quickly take root, actively develop and grow young vines. Green manure can be planted even between mature bushes - grapes respond sensitively to green fertilizer and please with rapid growth.

There are also a number of crops that are undesirable to grow after radish. These are cabbage, radishes, and other plants of the Cruciferous family. These plants have common pests and diseases. The risk of infection after green manure increases sharply, which will affect the condition and fruiting of agricultural crops.

Should you dig up oilseed radishes in the fall?

Radishes are dug up before winter or left for the winter. If sowing was done late, it is recommended not to dig up the radish.

Radish left for winter:

• traps snow on the field, allowing the soil to accumulate more moisture;
• accumulation of moisture prevents soil freezing.

In the spring, as soon as the snow melts, the above-ground part of the plants begins to rot, enriching the soil with useful elements.

If you dig up radishes, then this should be done 45 days after sowing. It is important to dig up the crop before flowering begins. If time is lost, the cut stems are not left on the field, but are put into compost to remove seeds from the field.

To make it more convenient to dig up the soil, the radish must first be mowed. If the work is carried out manually, the plant stems are crushed with a shovel and dug up, embedded in the ground.

Digging of oilseed radishes should be completed two weeks before the onset of frost.

When and how to clean?

Oilseed radishes can be harvested when they have reached their maximum growth but have not yet begun to bloom. It is allowed to mow it during flowering, but before the formation of pods.

Its ripening time is about 30 days, during which time it manages to grow a large amount of green mass. The above-ground part is mowed and sorted. Less dense shoots must be chopped into several parts and dug up with the top layer of soil. The rhizome is also dug up with soil, and the thick stems are suitable for making compost.

Mowing

Radishes are mowed a month after germination. If the crop is planted as green manure, mowing is carried out 30 days before planting vegetable crops.

Harvesting the crop for food begins at the budding stage and ends before the pods form. Mow the stems, leaving a cut 6-7 cm high, so that they grow faster.

Harvesting for seeds begins after the pods have fully matured. The finished seeds are light brown or red-brown in color, depending on the variety. Store the seed in paper or linen bags.

What else to consider when cleaning:

• If you mow the crop when it reaches a height of 20-30 cm, then you can get green mass three times during the season.
• If the crop is planted before sowing winter crops, then mowing should be done 20-25 days before sowing the seeds.
• To obtain humus from plant mass, it must be moistened.
• If the crop is used as a preparation for spring sowing, it is harvested after the first frost.

Cleaning

Pancake radish is a green manure that is characterized by intensive growth rates. 80-85 days are enough for seeds to ripen If the crop will be used as fertilizer, it is recommended to mow the crop during the period from the appearance of flowers to the formation of legumes. In most cases, the crop is mowed 9-11 weeks after sowing.

The entire volume of green mass must be cut off, some of it must be embedded in the upper layers of the soil, and the rest must be used as compost or animal feed.

In case of late sowing, it is recommended to mow it approximately 14-16 days before the first frost. If the oilseed radish blooms or has outgrown as a fertilizer, it must be mowed, after which all the green mass must be placed in a compost pit. This will help prevent self-seeding.

Many gardeners advise crops that were sown late to be left uncut for the winter. This will help effectively retain the snow layer on the soil surface, which prevents deep freezing of the soil and promotes maximum accumulation of vital moisture.

Video: Green manure plants in autumn

Main Applications

Due to its properties and qualities, oilseed radish can be used for various purposes. Requiring no special care, hardy and unpretentious, this crop is a generous honey plant, fodder and green manure.

Areas of application of oilseed radish:

• Green manure. Soil enrichment occurs in two ways. Thanks to powerful roots that pull up nutrients from the deep layers of the soil. Greens turn into fertilizer containing humus and organic matter. The culture protects the soil from erosion. It also improves soil looseness, air and water permeability.
• Phytosanitary. Essential oils protect not only the plant itself, but also the soil in which it grows from insects and fungi. The culture helps eliminate potato scab, nematodes and wireworms. By shading the soil, it suppresses the growth of weeds. Oilseed radish is actively used in weed control.
• Fodder crop. On average, 30-70 tons of green mass are collected from 1 hectare. No more than 50 days pass from sowing to the crop being ready for mowing. You can mow radishes three times in one season. The green mass is fed to livestock fresh and also in the form of silage. Also, haylage is made from oilseed radish. It is part of various herbal mixtures.
• Honey plant. Oilseed radish produces nectar even on cold days. Plants are ready for honey harvesting in early spring and summer. The nectar of the culture contains sucrose, fructose and glucose - in an amount of 20%. Radish honey is very aromatic.

Why do you need green manure?

Today, green manure crops are used to enrich the land with organic matter, as well as complete nitrogen. Indeed, unlike mineral nitrogen, high-grade nitrogen is much better absorbed by plants.

Green manures have a root system that is capable of extracting from the deep layers of the soil the elements necessary for adequate nutrition of garden crops: calcium, phosphoric acid, magnesium, etc. Microorganisms process plant residues of green crops, thereby turning them into humus. At the same time, green manures are plants that are quite familiar to us. Their sowing and care of plantings is simple, and the benefits are invaluable.

It is worth noting that such crops can be sown not only to improve the performance of the land, but also to obtain a harvest. After all, many such plants are actually vegetables or grains (for example, Pancake Day radish). However, the ability of such crops to enrich the soil was discovered relatively recently.

The features of green manure include the following points:

All of the listed properties and features are also characteristic of Shrovetide radish. Oilseed radish green manure is not only a vegetable crop, but also an excellent fertilizer. Therefore, after growing this plant, other crops demonstrate better germination and produce more yield. After all, after sowing has occurred, the plants quickly form green mass. After it is mowed, it rots and turns into a natural fertilizer rich in organic matter. Therefore, it is necessary to sow such green manure in areas where the soil is already depleted.

Oilseed radish is also characterized by effective soil protection from erosion, which is especially strong in the autumn and spring periods. If this crop is not removed but left for the winter, it will retain snow. As a result, the soil will be saturated with moisture, but will not freeze. Therefore, spring sowing of a new crop in this place will give greater intensity of plant growth.

Planting radishes of this variety helps to effectively enrich the soil. If sowing was carried out on 1 hectare of area, then the following will accumulate in the ground:

• 85 kg nitrogen;
• 100 kg potassium;
• 25 kg phosphorus.

This crop is also sown if vegetable crops in the area are often sick. For example, the Shrovetide variety of radish is an effective way to combat cabbage clubroot. It suppresses the development of nematodes and other parasitic insects. If you plant this crop next to grapes, they will grow more actively and form vines.

It is worth noting that after Shrovetide radishes you should not grow cruciferous vegetables. But all other crops will show excellent results in terms of yield.

As you can see, the use of green manure, including Shrovetide radish, is quite rich. However, before sowing radish seeds, it is necessary to find out the rules for using this crop. After all, it is not recommended to use the same plant as green manure for many years.

Where else are radishes used?

In addition to agronomy, oilseed radish is in demand in:

• Cooking. An inedible, at first glance, product can be used for vitamin dishes. Radish leaves soaked in water make an excellent base for salads. Duration of soaking – 1 hour. Green shoots can be added to cabbage soup. They contain ascorbic acid, which saturates dishes with vitamin C.
• Food industry. Radish contains unique essential oils, which makes it possible to obtain enriched vegetable oil from the crop. True, this process is labor-intensive and produces very little oil. Protein is used to produce sports nutrition. Radish leaves should not be overused; they contain glucosides that can cause poisoning.
• Pharmacology. Essences obtained from radish serve as the basis for the production of medications. They are mainly used to make vitamins. Herbal infusions that have a calming effect are prepared from the green mass. Drinks based on rare leaves relieve stress and relieve headaches.
• Cosmetology. Essential mixtures obtained from oilseed radish are added to massage oils. Products with rare emulsions have a relaxing and mild warming effect.
• Production. Diesel fuel oil used in combines and other technical machines is obtained. It is also used to make an anti-corrosion emulsion.

Reviews

★★★★★
Leonid B., 67 years old, pensioner, Kursk region. Thanks to oilseed radish, I was able to revive a completely depleted plot.
It took three years to restore fertility. ★★★★★
Anton D., 58 years old, amateur gardener, Murom. I grow oilseed radish under strawberries.
Before planting the berries, I sowed green manure for two years before winter. On soils fertilized with radish, the berries ripen very tasty. I also use the crop to feed fruit trees. Hide

Add your review

By using oilseed radish as green manure, you can save on mineral fertilizers. Thanks to this hardy, practically maintenance-free crop, you can not only significantly improve the quality characteristics of the site, but also obtain vitamin-rich feed for livestock.

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