How long does it take to grow fodder beet?

Paddock Selection. Soil tests should be done using a deep probe (150 mm) and the fertiliser company informed that its end use will be fodder beet. Soil pH is critical to the success of your paddock and can take some time to correct 12-18 months in some cases.

Is fodder beet hard to grow?

Fodder beet is very sensitive to weed challenge and is very uncompetitive in its early stages. This has been made worse by the loss of the herbicide desmedipham. This has changed the thinking behind weed control. Growers should now be looking at taking the pressure off post-emergence herbicides.

How much fodder beet can a cow eat in an hour?

3-4 kg
Offering a higher allocation and using a time-based approach to transition cows is not recommended: cows can consume 3-4 kg fodder beet per hour if the feed is available.

Is fodder beet annual or perennial?

Both leaf and bulbs are an excellent food source, keeps on growing until the plant starts to seed….$10.00.

Annual or Perennial	Annual
Space between plants	35cm
When to sow	Spring, Summer
Weight per packet	Approx 100 grams

How do you start a fodder beet?

Fodder beet is normally sown at 80,000–90,000 seeds per hectare (8-9 seeds sown per m2) – 50cm row spacing and 25cm between plants in the rows. The optimum sowing depth is around 2cm. For harvesting types, increase the sowing rate to suit the variety, the drilling environment, the drill spacing, and type of harvester.

How do you grow fodder beets?

A crop of fodder beet can thrive on a wide range of soils, but a light to medium, a free draining field is ideal. A soil pH of 7 is the target, and good accessibility is vital for heavy harvesting machinery. SEEDBED & SOWING METHODS: Aim for a firm, fine tilth with pre-Christmas ploughing.

Can you fatten cattle on fodder beet?

When fed to cattle over 500kg, beet should not exceed 25kg FW/head/day and, as for weanlings, a suitable protein supplementation and mineral should be provided, though at higher rates. Due to its low fibre content silage or straw is required when feeding high levels to ensure digestive upsets are not caused.

What is the feed value of fodder beet?

Fodder beets have a relatively low DM content, from less than 12% to 20%. They are mainly an energy feed due to the high content of water soluble carbohydrates (55 to 70% DM, mostly sucrose).

How much nitrogen does fodder beet need?

A typical optimum nitrogen rate for beet yield is approximately 120 kgN/ha. However, increasing nitrogen often reduces the sugar content.

Can you direct drill fodder beet?

Fodder beet is not a candidate for direct drilling, and to help ensure a good strike of both fodder beet and weed seeds (so you can kill them), you need to deep plough and work until you get a firm and fine seedbed. We recommend you select paddocks coming out of grass.

What’s the difference between fodder beet and sugar beet?

Many farmers are still opting to grow fodder beet, which can often yield more t/ha (tonnes per hectare) than sugar beet. On the other hand, fodder beet has a lower dry matter yield than sugar beet. However, sugar beet can provide more energy per tonne.

What can I feed fodder beets with?

Supplementary feed While fodder beet is the primary diet, a small supplement of grass, silage, hay or, in the case of suckler cows, straw, is needed. But restricting feeding of fodder beet or giving more or unrestricted supplement to avoid rumen acidosis or subclinical acidosis is not needed.

How deep should you plant fodder beet?

Plant at a depth of 2-3cm, ideally in a field that has grown brassicas over the winter to provide a clean seedbed; seeds need to be planted in a ploughed field, not direct drilled.

When should fodder beet be drilled?

The period from late March through to April is the prime time for sowing fodder beet which can be a very useful livestock food source, offering one of the highest yield potentials of any other arable fodder crop.

Is fodder beet good for cows?

What is fodder beet and what are the benefits? Beet is a high energy, highly palatable feed source for cattle and provides an excellent source of sugar energy to help rumen function and drive dry matter intake.

Which tree gives best fodder?

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Sr No	Common / English Name	Scientific name
1	Subabool	Leucaena leucocephala
2	Gliricidia	Gliricidia sepium
3	Ardu	Alianthus excelsa
4	Agasthi	Sesbania grandiflora

How to grow fodder beets?

Full cultivation practices and precision sowing are essential for good fodder beet establishment. A precision planter is recommended for sowing fodder beet as it ensures that seeds are planted with appropriate spacing’s, enabling each bulb to grow to its potential.

How much fodder beet do I need to feed my cows?

Table 7B helps convert this total requirement of fodder beet per cow into an area of fodder beet required to be sown based on some assumed yields. The area of fodder beet given is per 100 cows. As an example, to feed for 50 days plus transitions (on and off) requires 696 kg DM/beet/cow.

How do you measure fodder beet yield?

Estimating fodder beet yield is important to accurate allocation. Determine the row spacing of the crop by measuring across ten rows of crop from the centre of the first row; divide the distance by ten. Collect at least five yield samples that are representative of the paddock.

Is feldherris a good fodder beet?

Feldherris a high-yielding, monogerm hybrid fodder beet with a light orange bulb colour. It has a low bulb drymatter percentage (12-15%)*, which some farmers prefer for grazing. Feldherr can produce large bulbs and high yields for its type and is suitable for all classes of stock; particularly young stock, older animals and deer.