Therefore, plant rapeseed in the same field only once every 4 years. Other brassica crops also are susceptible to the diseases of rape-seed. If brassica crops are part of the summer rotation, you probably should not use rapeseed as a cover crop. Rapeseed is susceptible to sclerotinia stem rot, which also infects potatoes, beans, and carrots. Be sure to consider sclerotinia effects on crops in your rotation system.
Flea beetles can seriously damage seedlings.
If flea beetles are a problem during establishment, you may need to use seed insecticide treatments or foliar sprays. The best rotational control before potato involves planting summer non-host crops for 2 years, and then a winter rapeseed cover crop. Incorporate rapeseed in mid-March of the spring potatoes are to be planted. Note that the ability of rapeseed to decrease nematode populations is specific to the nematode type. For example, Dwarf Essex has not successively reduced the populations of root lesion or dagger nematodes in berry field trials.