Fodder Beet As Winter Feed

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32321, 12 June 1970, Page 8

Fodder Beet As Winter Feed

PROPOSED NATIONAL WOOL STANDARDS FOR FINENESS AND DESCRIPTION

Farmers attending a field day on fodder beet at Pendarves in Mid-Can-terbury last week were told that there was 50 per cent more feeding material in fodder beet than in mangolds and while it was relatively expensive to grow that it had a yield advantage over most other crops and permitted a high level of utilisation.

The field day on the property of Mr B. K. Cameron attracted more than 200 farmers. Some of the economic aspects were of particular interest, Mr Cameron saying that wintering his ewes with fodder beet cost one cent a head a week compared with 4.2 c with turnips. Mr J. S,Dunn, senior research officer of the Agricultural Engineering Institute, Lincoln, told ' farmers that some of the basic points involved in growing the crop were the type of seed bed and the level of acidity. He recommended that ploughing in preparation for a crop of fodder beet be done early in the winter, although fodder beet could follow a winter green crop or roots. But where old pasture was concerned, the ground should be ploughed early so that the weather could get into it Particular attention should be paid to the level of acidity. Correct pH was vital, as fodder beet was sensitive to acidity. The minimum level of pH was 5.8. If it was below this figure, lime should be applied in good time, or the pH level would not come up in time to benefit the crop. Discussing fertiliser requirements, Mr Dunn said ordinary superphosphate should be adequate, although he preferred an application of nitrogen to give

the crop a good start Potato manure was recommended after a straw crop. The Dutch harrow—a straight-tined implement—had been designed for preparing ground for fodder beet. It worked the ground from the top down, so conserving moisture in an area like Mid-Canterbury where there were often drying nor-westers. Only sufficient tilth was required to get the crop established. Mr Dunn said the English precision drill being used by the Agricultural Engineering Institute was a proved implement. Each seed was handled individually and it could space seeds up to lOin apart. There would be odd misses, as it was not possible to get 100 per cent germination. Ridging is not favoured by Mr Dunn. Drilling in ridges, he said, required more soil, and there was also a greater loss of moisture. He preferred sowing fodder beat on a flat seed bed with uniform depth, and adequate moisture. Fodder beet, he said, was more sensitive to moisture shortage than other seed. Weeds could be a problem, but Mr Dunn warned farmers not to use herbicides as fodder beet was not a brassica. Some farmers bad used fodderclean and had lost their fodder beet. The post-emergence spray —betanal—was being used by the institute, but it was not persistent Also, it was not residual. It was applied

in a band directly over the rows, so that costs were reduced. Cultivation was advisable for weed control between the rows. By fitting a hoe- in front of a tractor, a greater acreage could be covered. The institute had also been doing everything associated with fodder beet in five-row units from sowing on. Springtails were the main insect problem, but they could be controlled satisfactorily with one of the stronger insecticides. The point was to be prepared for this, so that half the crop was not lost before the grower found out what to do about it. Mr Dunn said that ton for ton, there was 50 per cent more feeding matter in fodder beet than in mangolds. “The earlier you can sow your crop the better,” he said. Fodder beet seed would germinate in a soil temperature of 40 degrees. Fodder beet was not a crop which grew for only a certain period like wheat or oats. It would continue to grow as long as conditions were suitable. “If you sow early in October, you have all the season ahead of you. If you do not sow until early November, that means several tons have gone down the drain.” Discussing the management of fodder beet, Mr Cameron said break feeding was satisfactory, but he was considering a machine for lifting and feeding fodder beet. It was a substitute for erecting and shifting break fences. For ideal sheep health, he recommended that a run twice a week on Tama ryegrass was beneficial. Mr Cameron said the potential yield on his farm was 60 tons an acre. He had two crops this year which had yielded 40 tons and 60 tons respectively. There were good reasons, he

thought, for the variation, such as the heavy crop having nitrogen and irrigation, and the paddock also having previously been a winter run-off. Of the advantages of fodder beet, Mr Cameron said it was “negotiable.” It could be sold off the property. One could not do the same thing with chou mollier. Further, fodder beet could be stored and could be useful in dry periods. Swedes did not thrive well in his area, and as far as chou mollier was concerned he could not irrigate it as he could fodder beet. Mr Cameron said irrigation had improved fodder beet by 10 to 15 tons an acre. He estimated the cost of irrigation at $1 per acre-inch. Mr B. J. Ryde, of the farm management department at Lincoln College, made some comparisons in the costs of various winter feeds, and pointed to the good utilisation possible with fodder beet. While fodder beet was the most expensive to grow per acre, its yield still placed it at an advantage over most of the other crops. To obtain 10,0001 b or more of digestible organic matter per acre, it would be necessary to grow 3.2 acres of. lucerne, 4.25 acres of barley, 5.1 acres of oats, 1.78 acres of swedes, 3.45 acres of turnips and 1.6 acres of chou mollier. The total costs—both direct and “opportunity”— to obtain this quantity of feeding would then be: Lucerne, 3.2 acres at $54 an acre, $174: barley, 4.25 acres at $54, $230; oats, 5.1 acres at $55, $280; swedes, 1.78 acres at $3O, $53; turnips, 3.45 acres at $l3, $45; chou mollier, 1.6 acres at $32, $5l; fodder beet, I acre at $7B, $7B. Turnips wePe the cheapest crop to grow, but reliability had to be taken into account. On utilisation, he said that fodder beet permitted 100 per cent feeding, compared with only twothirds with chou mollier.