Stubble turnips in arable rotation

[Johndeere]

I'm thinking of letting some land to grow stubble turnips as part of my arable rotation followed by a spring crop, do the turnips offer much benefit to my land? Is there much interest from people with sheep in renting some ground for stubble turnips?

 

[neilo]

We always reckoned the Spring Barley that followed turnips was the most profitable crop at Moreton. Decent yield off very low inputs. So yes, it does the ground some good. Not called the 'Golden Hoof' for nothing.

Plenty of graziers in your neck of the woods. Going rate would be about 50p/hd/wk round there, with the grazier doing fencing & lookering, more if you want to do it and take sheep from further afield.

 

[Stoxs]

if it is grazed properlly you will have some great ploughing behind the turnips!
on the light chalky .land down here it used to be a treat!
Used to grow all SB behind turnips some real good crops in the right year.

 

[smbflame]

if rape is in rotation just be careful

 

[Brisel]

I grow a couple of fields of fodder brassicas for out wintering my mature breeding suckler cattle on. The surface gets quite compacted but it ploughs up well. I find that it controls weeds well & cleans up the ground well - what the cows don't graze off is trampled underfoot.

Do consider what it might do to your rotation - what is the gross margin of an osr crop foregone? What if the stock aren't off the field until April & you lose 1 t/acre from the following spring barley then delay its harvest too?

 

[hindmaist]

I grow a couple of fields of fodder brassicas for out wintering my mature breeding suckler cattle on. The surface gets quite compacted but it ploughs up well. I find that it controls weeds well & cleans up the ground well - what the cows don't graze off is trampled underfoot.

Do consider what it might do to your rotation - what is the gross margin of an osr crop foregone? What if the stock aren't off the field until April & you lose 1 t/acre from the following spring barley then delay its harvest too?

Not just an OSR crop.Youre missing out on a first wheat too.

 

[cowboysupper]

we would sow turnips straight after winter barley. last year was not a good year for it but in general it works well. plenty of fodder for our flock over winter plus a bit extra to rent out to neighbours. leaves the soil in lovely condition come March. we would then pile on poultry litter and sow out spring barley. lovely clean weed free crop within minimal fert inputs. yields very well too.

 

[Brisel]

Not just an OSR crop.Youre missing out on a first wheat too.

Well, delaying it anyway.

 

[South Downs Farmer]

We'd follow Stubble Turnips (or Kale/Forage Rape/Hybrids) with Peas here - it allows us to graze right through into late March without the yield penalty you'd get with Spring Barley drilled then. Peas have performed well, as has the following Wheat.

Going into a brassica catch crop, ideally you'd be looking to follow a July-combined non-brassica crop for maximum yield, ie Winter Barley or even Winter Linseed. We work on a cut-off date for Stubble Turnips of mid-August, and the end of the month for Forage Rape and Hybrids.