As harvest is moving along well for most growers, Crops Specialist at Teagasc, Ciaran Collins takes a closer look at the performance of winter oilseed rape, reminding growers of some of the key benefits of the crop.

After a short stop last weekend, the combines are back out this week and some farmers are already close to finishing. Overall, it’s been a good harvest so far, with many crops beating their 5-year average yields.

The star performer so far is winter oilseed rape. Yields of 5t/ha are common this year, with some fields pushing over 6t/ha. At these yields, and with good prices compared to cereals, oilseed rape is shaping up to be one of the most profitable tillage crops of 2025.

With straw being cleared quickly, many growers are already planning their winter oilseed rape area for next season.

Planning for winter oilseed rape

One reason oilseed rape has been so reliable in recent years is improved breeding. Most modern varieties now come with pod shatter resistance and good disease resistance built in. As a break crop, it also offers big benefits while its deep taproot helps improves soil structure. It’s also very efficient at making use of organic manures, which can save a lot on fertiliser and help build a strong canopy.

Winter oilseed rape also opens the door to using different herbicides for controlling tough grass weeds.

Herbicide resistance testing

Some growers have noticed weeds, particularly wild oats, still showing up at harvest, weeds that should have been controlled earlier in the season. There’s still time to get them tested for herbicide resistance. If you spot problem patches while combining, gather some seed and send it to Teagasc Oak Park for testing.

Testing will be carried out as a part of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine funded EVOLVE research project. This information is invaluable if you have a resistance problem but is also very important to the research project in mapping resistance evolution.

Information on how to collect samples is available here, or alternatively scan the QR code below: