Organic Fodder beet/maize any experince?

[robot Jerseys]

Looking at trying either or both to try and get extra milk from the cows. Any body tryed growing either?

 

[ForageFred]

Both very uncompetitive crops in the establishment phase. Weed control critical in both crops.
Your only option would be inter-row weeding/hoeing, possibly ok for beet but a no go for maize due to the risk of crop damage.
Personally I wouldn't risk it

 

[Great In Grass]

Customer of mine grew over 100 acres organic maize some years ago, birds had the lot, don't do it! Oh, nor the fodder beet.

 

[Great In Grass]

What do you want to achieve in a crop, where are you.?

 

[robot Jerseys]

Were in sunny shropshire, nice light boys ground would have a good dose of fym under as well. Had been told that the Dutch will harrow (opico type) maize up untill its 9" tall. Regular interrow is on the cards. Has nobody manged to grow it? I have seen beet advertised in the past so must be possible.

 

[ajcc]

A neibour of mine grows fodderbeet organically for milking cows. He does it,and does it very well. They use a contractor with mid-mounted laser guided inter row hoe probably 2/3 times.

 

[robot Jerseys]

Thats good to hear that it is possible! Do you know what sort of yields he gets?

 

[Sid]

A neibour of mine grows fodderbeet organically for milking cows. He does it,and does it very well. They use a contractor with mid-mounted laser guided inter row hoe probably 2/3 times.

If its the guy I'm thinking of he grazes it in situ throught the winter?

Thats good to hear that it is possible! Do you know what sort of yields he gets?

Not as much as he liked last year, had to buy some in. ground is free draining

 

[robot Jerseys]

Well that makes 2 people that can grow it then! Even if yields are variable. guess last year could not had dry days to get the hoe in.

 

[Elmsted]

Well that makes 2 people that can grow it then! Even if yields are variable. guess last year could not had dry days to get the hoe in.

Don't know nowt bout animals but can't understand why you can't grow organic maize. Of the 3 million hectares grown here of maize. Only 1.5 million sprayed for weeds rest hoed. Of that most has dung underneath.

 

[stuart]

Why not grow tritakaley? Not sure on spelling and wholecrop it

 

[Great In Grass]

Triticale & Lupins or SW & Lupins both make excellent forage.

 

[Sid]

They do indeed but organically I'd sooner stick with a crop that performs every year rather than one that can be a disaster and leave me short of forage.

 

[Great In Grass]

They do indeed but organically I'd sooner stick with a crop that performs every year rather than one that can be a disaster and leave me short of forage.

Yes indeed, some of the best crops I've seen growing organically have been arable silage mixtures which included some or all SB/forage pea/maple pea & vetch under sown with grass, good dense growth weeds hardly get a look in!

 

[robot Jerseys]

For smothering weeds our lucerne seems to top the list. After the first year not even docks get a look in.

 

[Great In Grass]

For smothering weeds our lucerne seems to top the list. After the first year not even docks get a look in.

Yes, I can well believe that, quite a few acres are going to be down sown down here soon.

 

[jimmer]

chap up the road from here grows organic maize on heavy clay quite well the odd field not so good but on the whole not too bad

 

[jimmer]

we been told that we are too close to the coast for lucerne cos it doesnt like salt on its toes is that correct

 

[Great In Grass]

we been told that we are too close to the coast for lucerne cos it doesnt like salt on its toes is that correct

Not to sure about that Jim, I've attached a very informative lucerne growers guide produced by BSH if anyone is interested.

 

[jimmer]

we got four acres of seed in the shed we might give it a go then