Is fodder beet a break crop?
Fodder Beet is a member of the Beta vulgaris and not of the Brassica family; giving it good crop rotation value to minimise the risk of brassica related diseases such as club root. It is a deep rooting crop – an ideal break crop before or after grass.
How long does fodder beet last?
It is possible to store fodder beet roots for 4 to 5 months provided they are healthy and were undamaged during harvest. Frozen beets can be left to thaw and must then be fed to animals as soon as possible.
Can you graze fodder beet?
Fodder beet can be grazed in multiple day breaks but it should not be pushed beyond three days. Breaks longer than this can lead to the sheep eating all of the leaf and then having several days of eating the root alone.
Why do farmers grow beets?
Profitability. Because beets are so fast to grow and the seed is fairly inexpensive, beets can be a great cash crop. I recommend spacing them well enough to get a consistent crop, fertilizing their beds well, adding boron (do a soil test first—a little goes a long way), and keeping the weeds out.
Is beet good for fattening cattle?
Beef finishing cattle can be fed anything up to 25kg/head/day of beet once a good source of long fibre is provided in the diet. A 300-400kg growing animal should receive 5-6kg of beet. Again, consideration for protein, mineral and vitamin and fibre balancing is very important.
Is fodder beet the same as sugar beet?
Sugar beet is nutritionally no different to fodder beet – the real difference is that sugar beet has one-third less water than fodder beet.
Is fodder beet good for beef cattle?
Also, because fodder beet is not a brassica, it provides another break in the rotation. Although it can be grazed by both cattle and sheep, Mr Morgan believes it is better suited to cattle. “Cattle eat their way through it more quickly so you haven’t got the issue of water pooling,” he says.
What protein is in sugar beet?
Suiker Unie noted every hectare of sugar beet produces between 20 and 30 tonnes of leaves, which contain 1-3% protein. This amount of foliage is therefore good for the production of between 180 and 280 kg of high-quality protein.
Can sheep eat dry sugar beet?
So if it’s the digestible fibre that’s vital for good rumen function, helping to maximise fertility, milk production and growth, it makes sense to provide any extra energy needed in the form of sugar beet feed, which is rich in digestible fibre. …
What happens if you don’t thin beets?
Of all the mistakes that are made growing beets, failing to thin seedlings is probably the most common. Rather than thinning by pulling, cut off the tops of the unwanted seedlings; this prevents injury to the root of the desired plants, and you get to eat a delicious reward of young beet leaves!
Which is the best fodder beet for dry matter?
Trial results show that Brick yielded 18% more dry matter than the control Magnum, followed by another recent addition to Limagrain, Tarine, which yielded 5% more than the control. “These varieties with high dry matter yields are adding significant feed value to the crop,” adds Mr Titley.
What’s the difference between brick and fodder beet?
The difference in dry matter yields is 8t/ha between Brick and the worst performing variety. This is estimated to have a feed value of nearly £900/ha, based on AHDB ’s relative feed value calculator that costs the dry matter in fodder beet at £111.69/tonne.”
What’s the difference between a Mangold and a fodder beet?
In the UK, the name “fodder beet” refers to varieties with smaller roots and high DM content, while types with broader roots that sit high in the soil are called “mangels” or “mangolds”. In Germany, “mangolds” refers to white varieties of leaf beets ( Henry, 2010 ).
How does eating fodder beet affect milk yield?
In lactating cows, the inclusion of fodder beet in the diet reduced silage DM intake but resulted in an increase in total DM intake and estimated ME intake. It had no significant effect on milk yield, though it increased milk protein content and milk energy output.