Maincrop Turnips

[polk_farmer]

Having a think about feeding the ewes this winter. Past few years been growing Swedes which is great nutrition wise for the ewes. Only trouble is it ties up the land for quite a time, we want to put something in after weaning really, as we normally spray off now for swedes, but cant really afford to lose the grass so early. Also the Swedes are quite hard on their teeth.

Got a couple fields in SB that are going in stubble turnips, but got one field that we want to break this year. Might space silage bales out in the ST to make it last abit longer when energy demand isn't so great in January. My bro in law does this for cows and works well, no idea what it's like with sheep?

For breaking the field the latest plan running through my head is maincrop turnip/green globe, but have no experience of them. Anyone have much success? How late can these be sown to get a decent crop? Bearing in mind we are in the sunny tropics down south. And what sort of yeild compared to swedes?

Looking to utilize January and February.

 

[neilo]

Having a think about feeding the ewes this winter. Past few years been growing Swedes which is great nutrition wise for the ewes. Only trouble is it ties up the land for quite a time, we want to put something in after weaning really, as we normally spray off now for swedes, but cant really afford to lose the grass so early. Also the Swedes are quite hard on their teeth.

Got a couple fields in SB that are going in stubble turnips, but got one field that we want to break this year. Might space silage bales out in the ST to make it last abit longer when energy demand isn't so great in January. My bro in law does this for cows and works well, no idea what it's like with sheep?

For breaking the field the latest plan running through my head is maincrop turnip/green globe, but have no experience of them. Anyone have much success? How late can these be sown to get a decent crop? Bearing in mind we are in the sunny tropics down south. And what sort of yeild compared to swedes?

Looking to utilize January and February.

I grow swedes and stubble turnips, amongst other things. Last year, as the Winter barley was off earlier than usual, I took the opportunity of a longer growing period to put some green globe in. I mixed a bit of stubble turnip with it to make up enough seed. Come the winter, the stubble turnips were far larger (bulbs and tops) than the green globe. It was also noticeable that the sheep would eat the stubble turnips before the green globe bulbs, almost needing starving into eating those and to me, they seemed harder than the swedes I had in another field.

I wouldn't bother again, especially at several times the seed price of stubble turnips. After cereals, it's a job to beat simple, cheap stubble turnips IME. Put in earlier (June), maincrop turnips might be better, but I wouldn't be sure. I had a few volunteer stubble turnips that emerged in a field of Brigadier beet last year. By the winter they were huge and as big as the beet, similar in DM, and higher in protein. I did wonder whether a crop of stubble turnips, drilled at a low rate in May/June, would be a better job than the beet. It would certainly be a far cheaper crop.

 

[polk_farmer]

I grow swedes and stubble turnips, amongst other things. Last year, as the Winter barley was off earlier than usual, I took the opportunity of a longer growing period to put some green globe in. I mixed a bit of stubble turnip with it to make up enough seed. Come the winter, the stubble turnips were far larger (bulbs and tops) than the green globe. It was also noticeable that the sheep would eat the stubble turnips before the green globe bulbs, almost needing starving into eating those and to me, they seemed harder than the swedes I had in another field.

I wouldn't bother again, especially at several times the seed price of stubble turnips. After cereals, it's a job to beat simple, cheap stubble turnips IME. Put in earlier (June), maincrop turnips might be better, but I wouldn't be sure. I had a few volunteer stubble turnips that emerged in a field of Brigadier beet last year. By the winter they were huge and as big as the beet, similar in DM, and higher in protein. I did wonder whether a crop of stubble turnips, drilled at a low rate in May/June, would be a better job than the beet. It would certainly be a far cheaper crop.

What rate do you show your ST at? I generally do half what the agronomist recommends otherwise they end up like golf balls

 

[neilo]

What rate do you show your ST at? I generally do half what the agronomist recommends otherwise they end up like golf balls

I usually DD about 1kg/ac for that reason, so yes, about half what the seed salesmen tell you.

 

[Great In Grass]

Stubble Turnips, Forage Rape or Hybrid Kale? Or a mix of all three? Sow at full rate.

 

[Happy]

What is everyone using for weed control in their swedes/turnips/kale these days?
Doesn't seem to be anything any use left compared to Treflan/Butisan days.
Many up here given up on Swedes for this reason and i reckon neonic ban will see many of the rest give up on them too.

 

[polk_farmer]

What is everyone using for weed control in their swedes/turnips/kale these days?
Doesn't seem to be anything any use left compared to Treflan/Butisan days.
Many up here given up on Swedes for this reason and i reckon neonic ban will see many of the rest give up on them too.

We use sultan, abit hit and miss. Done swede after swede last year and I'd just as well have p***ed on them rather than put pre em on them, dreadful crop because smothered with weeds, lesson learned on that one

 

[Happy]

We use sultan, abit hit and miss. Done swede after swede last year and I'd just as well have p***ed on them rather than put pre em on them, dreadful crop because smothered with weeds, lesson learned on that one

Is it legal on swedes again then?
Nearly lost 3% of my farm payment a few years back as it's MAPP number had been renewed at that time and no longer had an EAMU for use on swedes

Been using Sprinbok since then but more expensive & less effective.

 

[Kevtherev]

I usually DD about 1kg/ac for that reason, so yes, about half what the seed salesmen tell you.

1kg an acre is all I sow too
Don’t listen to the bagman....

 

[neilo]

What is everyone using for weed control in their swedes/turnips/kale these days?
Doesn't seem to be anything any use left compared to Treflan/Butisan days.
Many up here given up on Swedes for this reason and i reckon neonic ban will see many of the rest give up on them too.

I gave up on pre-emergence sprays a couple of years ago, after doing half a field with Butisan and nothing on the other (Glastir unsprayed roots). I couldn't see the line where I'd stopped spraying. If it's dry, it doesn't work very well anyway, and if you get a late flush of weeds, it doesn't seem to work for them either. I have been using a stale seedbed since (or two glyphosate sprays, a month or so apart on pp) and the crops have been cleaner (& vastly cheaper) for it.

 

[Kevtherev]

Stale seed bed is THE best way for swedes ime

 

[hendrebc]

Ive grown green globe a few times. Last year i did a field half maincrop and half stubble after the maincrop seed i ordered didnt all turn up so i finished with the stubble turnip. Stubble is better they grow faster and get bigger. I found the green globe wasnt as frost hardy either they turned to mush pretty quickly. I wont be growing them again.

 

[Kevtherev]

Green globe never seem as palatable for lambs from what I’ve seen

 

[MJT]

Grow green globe / Kale / Swede mix here for our lambs, never notice any difference in them grazing turnips or swedes first. All planted in June, and start grazing January and through until April.They grow and work well in our system so will keep on growing them .