In 2018 oilseed rape was grown on 330,000 hectares in Hungary; in 2023 on barely 189,000. While the EU rapeseed area stabilised after the 2019 dip and has even grown, in Hungary it shrinks year after year. What happened, and is there a reason to reconsider?

How did oilseed rape disappear?

Several causes piled up. In 2018 the outdoor use of neonicotinoid active substances was restricted, in 2019–2020 chlorpyrifos was withdrawn, 2020 and 2022 brought historic droughts, fertiliser prices soared, and in 2022 the oilseed market was turned upside down. From 2023 the EU is also restricting first-generation biofuels. Farmers were put off by tougher crop protection, the climate and the market all at once.

Why is it missing from the rotation?

Oilseed rape is an excellent rotation crop. In narrowed Hungarian rotations, where in many places only sunflower and cereals alternate, doing without it for long is a real luxury. What is more, it fits well into regenerative farming too.

What has changed since?

In recent years new hybrids have appeared, the range of seed treatments and microbial products has changed, and the market and regulation look different than a few years ago. Whether this is enough for a comeback differs from farm to farm.

Four questions before you sow oilseed rape again

1. How many years has it been since oilseed rape was on your fields, and what replaced it?
2. How could you protect emergence and the autumn stand with today’s range of products?
3. Is late-summer and autumn rainfall in your area enough for reliable emergence?
4. Who would you sell the crop to, and at what price?

Bringing oilseed rape back is not a variety choice but a rotation and crop protection decision.

In detail

I wrote in Parasztvakítás about the year-by-year story of oilseed rape’s nosedive in Hungary, and what speaks for its return today: Ideje a repcét újra játékba hozni? (for subscribers). We also discussed the topic on the Fekete Technológia podcast.

How I can help

I work as an independent plant doctor: I don’t sell plant protection products and I take no commission from distributors. My advice is guided by one thing only: what pays off for your farm.

• Phone consultation: a quick, well-founded answer to a specific question, followed by a written summary.
• Consulting for the whole season: systematic support so that problems come to light in time.

Request a callback, and let’s see what this means for your farm.