Brassicas & Beets

Agricom have been supplying fodder beet to farmers for a number of years, and in that time have conducted research into cultivar performance, crop husbandry and animal feeding techniques. More recently, Agricom has linked with a world leading French Fodder Beet breeding programme to access new genetics for improved yield and quality.

Forage brassicas are early maturing,

Kale is a tall, bulky brassica grown for winter feed. Kale maturity times range from 18-24 weeks. Kale can be sown from late mid-October through to mid-February depending on climate, desired feeding time and quality required.

Rape can be sown from mid spring through to late summer depending on when the feed is required. It can be used for both summer finishing and/or conserved for winter feed. Rape is very good in drier environments where it can carry high quality feed from spring through to late summer or from late summer through to winter.

Swede crops are a traditional winter feed in cool wet climates. Swedes have the advantage over turnips of carrying a larger bulb, greater yield, and better dry matter quality through winter.

The well-established role of turnips is reflected by the extensive range of cultivars available; from the yellow fleshed (hard) through to the white fleshed (soft), to the modern stubble/summer turnips, all with differing maturities, leaf: bulb ratios and feeding times.