Increasing sustainable protein production from oilseed rape and optimising the use of high protein rape-meal for animal feed

This proposal aims to increase the supply and sustainability of protein produced for animal feed from oilseed rape-meal by optimising nitrogen (N) fertiliser nutrition for oilseed rape to increase the yield of seed, protein and oil. Objectives include; 1) developing the Yara N Sensor technology to allow foliar N fertiliser to be variably applied to meet differences in crop demand between and within fields, 2) identify the optimum timing of foliar N and 3) quantify through the use of feed formulations the nutritional benefits of the additional protein within the rape-meal for farm livestock, 4) transfer new knowledge and technology to farmers. Innovations will include developing N sensor technology to allow foliar N products to be applied more precisely and quantifying the nutritional benefits resulting from changes in the protein content of the crop which result from crop management.