My name is Richard Scantlebury and I farm at Parvilles near Hatfield Heath. I'm intending to grow a crop of spring hybrid oilseed rape for seed production and I'm looking for bees to cross-pollinate the male and female plants. The crop is not genetically modified. The seed that comes to harvest will be a hybrid variety from the cross-pollination of the two varieties that are sown. One variety, so called the female plant, will be sown in a 7.5m wide strip; there will then be a 1m bare strip before a 2.5m strip of another variety, the male plant, followed by another 1m bare strip. This sequence will be repeated across the field. The aim is to get the male plants, in the 2.5m strips, to pollinate the female plants, in the 7.5m strips. Once flowering has finished the male plants are cut down and the female plants are left to set seed, ripen and then harvested.
The crop will be planted in March and will come to flower late May/June. The crop area is 15 hectares and I have been advised to have 2 hives per hectare.
I’m very happy to answer any other questions. If you are able to help then please email me at richard@parvillesfarm.fsnet.co.uk
