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Oilseed radish is a well-known plant of the cruciferous family. It is not suitable for food, however, vegetable growers consider oilseed radish an invaluable fertilizer. In addition to the fact that it is a green manure with unique properties, it serves as a forage crop and honey plant. Grown in private and private farms. Helps prevent soil depletion after vegetable crops, which draw out useful components during their development.
Fans of the culture are adherents of organic farming, which involves the absence of chemicals on the plots.
Photos of oilseed radish crops are presented below:
Description of oilseed radish
The oilseed variety is not found in the wild. This is an annual plant whose homeland is considered to be Asia. Now distributed throughout Europe and North America. Latin name: Raphanusoliefera.
The height of an adult plant reaches 1.5 m. The root of the oily radish looks like a rod with a thickened upper part and strong branches on the sides.The root is powerful, penetrates deeply into the soil, extracts moisture and nutrients from the deep layers of the earth.
The oilseed species does not form a root crop; this is the main difference from ordinary radish. The fruit forms a pod filled with reddish-colored seeds. Oilseed radish seeds are small, 1000 pieces weigh no more than 12 g.
One box contains 2-5 pcs. seeds The pod does not crack. This makes it possible to harvest when the seeds are ripe during wet weather. The pods do not need to be dried.
Shrovetide radish seeds contain up to 50% fat. Vegetable oil is obtained from them, which serves as a component in the production of biofuels.
The stem is highly branched and heavily leafy. The leaves are large, rugged, and there are especially many of them at the base of the stem. Therefore, identifying the main stem is quite problematic. The length of one reaches 6-8 cm, width 4-6 cm. The green mass grows intensively in cold weather. By the way, some housewives still use the leaves as a salad.
Numerous clusters on the stems are radish inflorescences.
They are loose in structure, consisting of flowers of various colors - white, lilac, pink, pale purple. With a good agricultural background, they grow large and often white.
Oilseed radish: green manure
The use of oilseed radish as green manure is determined by the characteristics of the plant. The most popular benefits for gardeners are the advantages of radish compared to other green fertilizers. The Maslenitsa species is valued for its ability to:
- Good soil structure. The strong branching of the root system loosens the soil.This characteristic of radish is indispensable in heavy clay soils, where it is difficult for plant roots to receive air and moisture. Additionally, the roots are good at preventing the spread of erosion (wind or water) and prevent the top layer of soil from drying out.
- Saturate the earth with useful substances. In Shrovetide radish, the nutritional value of the tops is equal to the effect of legumes. The stems contain large amounts of protein, organic matter, calcium, humus and phosphorus.
- Reduce nitratesentering the soil from groundwater.
- Repel vegetable pests from the area and disinfect against the spread of fungal infection. It is very valuable that this representative of cruciferous plants suppresses nematodes. The content of essential oils in oilseed radish is very high. This was the reason for choosing the name for the plant.
- Suppress growth and development weed. The rhizome of an oilseed crop can prevent even wheatgrass from developing. Less vigorous weeds aren't even worth worrying about.
In addition to the listed advantages, the plant quickly gains green mass even at low air temperatures.
Sowing rate of oilseed radish per 1 ha
In order for sowing oilseed radish to bring maximum benefit, there are standards for sowing green manure seeds. Depending on the crop area, use (in increasing order of indicators):
- 1 sq. m – 2-4 g of seeds;
- 10 sq. m – 20-40 g;
- 100 sq. m (one hundred square meters) – 200-400 g;
- 1000 sq. m (10 acres) – 2-4 kg;
- 10000 sq. m (1 ha) – 20-40 kg.
It is recommended to adhere to seeding norms for any area. When sowing in early autumn, increase the norm in order to distribute the seeds more densely.
When to sow green manure oilseed radish
Depending on the goal pursued by the vegetable grower, sowing oilseeds is possible during the entire growing period of the plants - from April to mid-October. Due to the fact that the plant is cold-resistant, it is recommended to use it during autumn green manuring. In this case, the seeds are sown immediately after harvesting vegetables with early fruiting - early varieties of potatoes, winter garlic, onions.
It is not practiced to sow oilseed radish under winter rapeseed, since these crops have common pests.
Oilseed radish cultivation technology
The bed for sowing oily radish begins to be prepared immediately after harvesting the vegetables. The soil is dug up or loosened, and the fields are plowed. The seeds are planted to a depth of 2-3 cm. Before sowing, small seeds are mixed with dry soil or sand to distribute evenly over the area. A simplified method is to scatter the seeds over the surface of the soil and harrow.
Shoots will appear in 4-7 days, after 3 weeks the plant will already have formed a basal rosette, and after 6-7 weeks it will bloom. The entire growing season does not require watering, loosening or fertilizing. An exception would be growing on slightly alkaline soil. In this case, the seedlings will have to be fed with organic matter. The yield of oilseed radish seeds directly depends on the correctness of fertilizing.
Is it necessary to dig up radishes for the winter?
The grown plant can be dug up, or it can be left for the winter without mowing. When sowing late, it is better to leave the radish to winter.The stems and roots will hold the snow cover on the beds, allow the soil to accumulate more moisture, and prevent the soil from freezing to a greater depth. After the snow melts, the plant begins to decompose on warm days and saturates the soil with useful components.
When to dig up oily radishes
The best time is considered to be 1.5 months after sowing. During this period, the seedling will grow green mass. The main thing is not to miss the moment of flowering. The plant needs to be mowed and dug up before flowering. If, however, the moment is missed, then the stems are mowed and put into a compost pit. This is necessary to prevent insemination of the plant in the beds.
When digging is done on time, it is recommended to mow the green mass for convenience. Then chop the stems with a shovel and dig into the soil. In addition to embedding in the soil, the plant is used as:
- mulch;
- compost pit component;
- pet food.
You need to finish digging green manure 2 weeks before the first frost.
Oilseed radish as a forage crop
It is beneficial to plant Maslenitsa radish not only as fertilizer. The plant is of great value as a fodder crop. This is due to its rapid ripening, abundant germination and nutritional value. With proper agricultural technology, 400 kg of green mass is obtained from 1 hectare; with additional nutrition, the figure increases to 700 kg.
Rapid maturation allows for 4 mowings per year.
Animals are fed not only fresh, but also dry. Flour, haylage, silage, granules, and briquettes are prepared from the crop. By preparing a mixture with other crops, such as peas, corn or oats, livestock breeders increase milk yield, increase the weight of pets and reduce the incidence of disease.
Late sowing allows animals to be walked before frost sets in.
When grown for food, oilseed radish is combined with sunflower crops, legumes and cereals. In terms of energy indicators, the plant is not inferior to clover, alfalfa and mixed feed. Oilseed radish serves as a supplier of iron, potassium, zinc, and vitamin C for animals.
The value of oilseed radish as a honey plant
For beekeepers, the crop also has an advantageous characteristic - the duration of flowering. Therefore, growing it as a honey plant is also very common. The flowering period is more than 35 days, and nectar is produced even when the temperature drops or there is a lack of sun.
The long duration of flowering allows bees to obtain pollen even at a time when other plants are already bearing fruit. The high content of essential oils makes the resulting honey medicinal. Beekeepers should be aware that Shrovetide radish honey is subject to rapid crystallization, so it should not be left in hives over the winter or for long-term storage.
The crop should be sown as a honey plant with an interval of 40 cm between rows.
What is better to sow: mustard or Shrovetide radish?
Both plants:
- belong to the cruciferous family;
- They withstand cold weather and at this time grow green mass.
They differ in the ability to grow on different types of soil. Gardeners who have highly acidic soil on their property should sow Pancake Day radish.
The plant is also useful in heavy clay soils. However, on poor land the crop will not give good results. Mustard is good to sow where the soil is not too fertile. It restores and nourishes poor soils. Mustard is suitable for loams.Helps get rid of pathogenic microorganisms that cause scab, late blight and rot in crops. Radish is good at clearing areas of nematodes and fungal pathogens.
Mustard is often used as a companion plant, protecting plantings of other crops when grown together. Oilseed radish forms a plant much larger than mustard.
Vegetable growers should choose a plant for sowing depending on the composition of the soil on the site, the purposes of green manure and the desired result.
Conclusion
Oilseed radish is a very effective “green fertilizer” for the soil. It does not require any special care and grows well even without the intervention of vegetable growers. Allows you to significantly improve the agricultural background of the site for growing useful crops.
