- How long does rapeseed need to germinate after sowing?
- What does the rate of germination depend on?
From three days to two weeks?
The time it takes for rapeseed to emerge is not a strict standard. In the most favourable conditions, we can see that it breaks through the soil after 3-4 days, although these are exceptionally good conditions. Rapid emergence can be considered when plants appear on the surface after 4-5 days. And a certain standard in this respect is 6-7 days. Generally, plants should emerge within a week of sowing, but it also happens that this stage lasts longer. Unfortunately, this is sometimes associated with thinning out the planting. If the emergence stage lasts longer, sometimes even about 2 weeks, then it will usually be associated with problems.
Sowing depth is important for germination
The speed of rapeseed emergence depends on several factors. Here, one must take into account, among others, the depth of sowing. Generally, rapeseed is sown to a depth of 1-2 cm in the case of heavier sites and 2-3.5 cm in lighter soils. Of course, the shallower we sow, the faster we can expect emergence. Nevertheless, the sowing itself must take into account moisture conditions – the seed must be placed relatively shallowly, but on the other hand deep enough to have the appropriate moisture necessary for swelling, germination and then emergence. If rapeseed is sown too deep, then after germination the plant has a longer way to reach the light, to the surface. In the process, it loses more energy.
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How deep should rapeseed be sown?
The speed of emergence depends on humidity
Of course, the aforementioned soil moisture is important, which is crucial for germination and then emergence. Although rapeseed does not need much water in this process (due to its small volume), germination will be disrupted at low moisture levels. At very low moisture levels, it may happen that in extreme situations the seeds will not even be able to start germinating. However, this is an extreme situation. However, it often happens that the seeds have started germinating, but in very dry soil we do not observe emergence. We may be dealing with a situation where the minimal moisture has been used for germination, and there is no moisture for emergence. Then, if there is no rainfall, the plant may dry out in the soil before it reaches the surface. However, what is important – heavy rainfall is not recommended in this case, especially if the soil was previously dry.
Dry soil – in addition to soil compaction due to heavy rainfall – is the most common cause of uneven emergence. Even if the stock is full, emergence is often uneven, which will significantly complicate both potential post-emergence herbicide protection and regulatory treatments.
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Strip-till: the ideal crop for rapeseed?
"Concreted" soil
Extended rape emergence may be the result of the aforementioned soil crusting. Unfortunately, this not only extends this phase, but also thins out the plants. Some of them will not be able to break through the concreted soil. Others will be significantly "tired" already at the emergence stage. It also happens that some plants emerge even after more than two weeks – they manage to break through the soil layer only when it loosens to some extent.
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Heavy rains have crusted the soil, possible overseeding of rapeseed
Therefore, in the optimal variant, we should observe rapeseed emergence after a maximum of 7 days from sowing, usually it will be about 5 – 6 days, and even faster in very good conditions.
