Stubble turnips for seed

Mixedupfarmer · Apr 3, 2020

We have a field of stubble turnips which are now starting to flower, it is a clean crop with small bulb, and was due to be grazed earlier and go to Spring barley. I am wondering if it would be worth leaving to combine for seed, to provide entry for a first wheat? Has anyone done this before?

neilo · Apr 3, 2020

Mixedupfarmer said:
We have a field of stubble turnips which are now starting to flower, it is a clean crop with small bulb, and was due to be grazed earlier and go to Spring barley. I am wondering if it would be worth leaving to combine for seed, to provide entry for a first wheat? Has anyone done this before?

I know of someone that left half an acre of similar to combine once. Running 2000 ewes he grew a few acres of turnips, but reckoned the seed he harvested sorted him for about 10 years (& it still grew ok for 10 years apparently).

Not sure what the seed police would make of it though.?

Mixedupfarmer · Apr 4, 2020

neilo said:
I know of someone that left half an acre of similar to combine once. Running 2000 ewes he grew a few acres of turnips, but reckoned the seed he harvested sorted him for about 10 years (& it still grew ok for 10 years apparently).

Not sure what the seed police would make of it though.?

can't find anything about levies on stubble turnip seed. Got 10 acres, would keep me supplied for a few years!

neilo · Apr 4, 2020

Mixedupfarmer said:
can't find anything about levies on stubble turnip seed. Got 10 acres, would keep me supplied for a few years!

You’d have enough to supply other growers too. *cough*

Mixedupfarmer · Apr 4, 2020

neilo said:
You’d have enough to supply other growers too. *cough*

Could I sell a bag of spuds with half a tonne of free bird seed?

yellowbelly · Apr 4, 2020

Mixedupfarmer said:
Got 10 acres, would keep me supplied for a few years!

No idea what stubble turnips would yield but say a very conservative 1 ton/ac.
Let's say you made a 'balls up' combining /storing them (don't wish to cast aspersions on your farming ability, but this is all new territory

) and finished up with 10 cwt/acre.

10 cwt x 10 acres = 5 tons = 11,200 lbs

Let's 'blather 'em on really thick (might be dodgy germination :scratchhead:

)@ 5lbs/ac for easy reckoning.

11,200 lbs would do a very conservative 2240 acres ?

If they yielded like rape and you put them on at a more normal rate you could do about 13500 acres

There's no wonder seed merchants drive big cars ????

Mixedupfarmer · Apr 4, 2020

yellowbelly said:
No idea what stubble turnips would yield but say a very conservative 1 ton/ac.
Let's say you made a 'balls up' combining /storing them (don't wish to cast aspersions on your farming ability, but this is all new territory )

You obviously know me

spin cycle · Apr 4, 2020

Mixedupfarmer said:
Could I sell a bag of spuds with half a tonne of free bird seed?

you could sell it as bird seed anyway....as a component of ab12

Mixedupfarmer · Apr 4, 2020

spin cycle said:
you could sell it as bird seed anyway....as a component of ab12

Yes this is what I was thinking

. could do TFF special deal.

steveR · Apr 4, 2020

neilo said:
I know of someone that left half an acre of similar to combine once. Running 2000 ewes he grew a few acres of turnips, but reckoned the seed he harvested sorted him for about 10 years (& it still grew ok for 10 years apparently).

Not sure what the seed police would make of it though.?

Ignorance is Bliss...

steveR · Apr 4, 2020

Mixedupfarmer said:
Yes this is what I was thinking . could do TFF special deal.

Perfect excuse for a trip to the West, pay/trade your B&B nights with a few bags of WB seed, as you go...

Mixedupfarmer · Apr 4, 2020

steveR said:
Perfect excuse for a trip to the West, pay/trade your B&B nights with a few bags of WB seed, as you go...

sounds great, just need to successfully harvest the seed and get the coronavirus to disappear. Don't know which is going to be easiest :scratchhead:

steveR · Apr 4, 2020

Mixedupfarmer said:
sounds great, just need to successfully harvest the seed and get the coronavirus to disappear. Don't know which is going to be easiest

A quick "cross-post" to the Arable section, and there will be an expert along shortly... Best herbicide and management regime too

Mixedupfarmer · Apr 4, 2020

steveR said:
A quick "cross-post" to the Arable section, and there will be an expert along shortly... Best herbicide and management regime too

How do that?

Breckland Boy · Apr 4, 2020

Ha ha,
We used to grow 500 acres each year and more recently I have grown turnips for seed for Barenburg.
Ideally they shouldn't bulb up in the autumn as it caused lodging. The crop is treated like osr but flowers earlier and harvest late June.
Yield of 1t/acre to 1.5 is doable.
Like any crop if you home save seed it should be declared and the royalty paid.
Our seed rate was 1.1kg/acre so 10 acres will go along way!

Mixedupfarmer · Apr 4, 2020

Breckland Boy said:
Ha ha,
We used to grow 500 acres each year and more recently I have grown turnips for seed for Barenburg.
Ideally they shouldn't bulb up in the autumn as it caused lodging. The crop is treated like osr but flowers earlier and harvest late June.
Yield of 1t/acre to 1.5 is doable.
Like any crop if you home save seed it should be declared and the royalty paid.
Our seed rate was 1.1kg/acre so 10 acres will go along way!

I cant find where the royalty rates are for stubble turnips? Presumably the seed shed at harvest would re grow and provide a bit of grazing before a October wheat?

steveR · Apr 4, 2020

Mixedupfarmer said:
How do that?

Done

Mixedupfarmer · Apr 4, 2020

steveR said:
Done

Thanks, still don't know how you did it

Breckland Boy · Apr 4, 2020

Mixedupfarmer said:
I cant find where the royalty rates are for stubble turnips? Presumably the seed shed at harvest would re grow and provide a bit of grazing before a October wheat?

Easy to combine
Just like rape, but smaller!
Yes the shed seed would grow but its success would depend on the combine driver.

steveR · Apr 4, 2020

Mixedupfarmer said:
Thanks, still don't know how you did it

Cheated. Popped a post in Crops and put a link in to this thread... More sophisticated stuff needs a Mod input

Stubble turnips for seed

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100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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