Drilling our Fodder Beet Trials
Selecting the best Fodder Beet varieties for the UK
DLF have been committed to developing new varieties of grass in the UK for 40 years in both forage and amenity since setting up our R & D station in the Cotswolds in 1976. The facility has gone from strength to strength over this period of time, being at the cutting edge of technology as well as a centre of excellence for the trialling and evaluation of grasses for the UK.
We also trial and evaluate many different types of products and mixture prescriptions.
This enables us to observe and evaluate performance in the field so that we can select the best varieties and mixtures for future use.
Our customers may rest assured that they are dealing with a forward thinking company which invests heavily in R & D and whose aim is to ensure that you receive the best possible products at all times.
Fodder Beet is grown as a main root crop, which requires similar husbandry to sugar beet. It can produce substantial yields of high quality fodder and is an excellent supplement to grass silage. The roots are very palatable to stock and have superb feed quality. Specialist harvesting equipment is required to lift the roots and storage is required unless they are strip grazed in situ.
Medium dry matter varieties tend to have a higher percentage of root above ground and can be lifted with a top lifter and therefore have a relatively low dirt tare. These highly palatable roots can be fed whole to stock. High dry matter varieties tend to sit further in the ground and require a sugar beet harvester to lift them. Due to the higher dirt tare and hardness of the root, these varieties may need to be chopped and washed before feeding. After wilting, the tops may be fed to stock and can contribute a further yield of 3-4 tonnes of protein-rich dry matter per hectare.