Swedes

[AT Aloss]

How much nitrogen do folk put on their swedes for forage? I put 70 kg N/ha on in June & I'm just wondering if they could've done with a bit more. They went backwards with a bit of powdery mildew in August in a bit of a dry spell, but have been pushing out new tops in the recent rains & strated growing again. Normally do stubble turnips but thought I'd give some swedes a try this year

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Potash is more important
I used 100 units K 30 30 p N acre
Fresh yield 40 ton acre

 

[neilo]

How much nitrogen do folk put on their swedes for forage? I put 70 kg N/ha on in June & I'm just wondering if they could've done with a bit more. They went backwards with a bit of powdery mildew in August in a bit of a dry spell, but have been pushing out new tops in the recent rains & strated growing again. Normally do stubble turnips but thought I'd give some swedes a try this year

I seem to remember reading somewhere that they roots tend to split if you put too much N on, but always wondered if they’d utilise a late application in early Autumn?

 

[AT Aloss]

Potash is more important
I used 100 units K 30 30 p N acre
Fresh yield 40 ton acre

I seem to remember reading somewhere that they roots tend to split if you put too much N on, but always wondered if they’d utilise a late application in early Autumn?

Thanks, helpful information. I was a bit concerned about deficiencies & read about Boron deficiency causing brown heart. I've cut a few open & they're ok. K availability is always poor on the wolds in a dry time. They have perked up quite a bit with recent rains

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Thanks, helpful information. I was a bit concerned about deficiencies & read about Boron deficiency causing brown heart. I've cut a few open & they're ok. K availability is always poor on the wolds in a dry time. They have perked up quite a bit with recent rains

Boron Deficiency strikes fast ,lost nearly 50 % of the crop one year before i sprayed
If you treat Swedes like an arable crop and not a cheap to grow forage crop the yield potential is enormous, more than Fodder Beet Fresh weight , they stand frost a lot better ,on the downside they wont do in a dry time

 

[neilo]

Boron Deficiency strikes fast ,lost nearly 50 % of the crop one year before i sprayed
If you treat Swedes like an arable crop and not a cheap to grow forage crop the yield potential is enormous, more than Fodder Beet Fresh weight , they stand frost a lot better ,on the downside they wont do in a dry time

Swedes are a far better ration for sheep than fodder beet, which only provides (very cheap) maintenance ime, due to it’s low protein. Swedes, if they keep their tops, are a near perfect complete ration for strip grazed in-lamb ewes ime.

I only gave up on swedes here because they need consistent summer rain showers to get any potential from them. Far too inconsistent a crop here.

There must be some good crops around this year, given the distinct lack of summer.

 

[capfits]

Hot and sunny Fodder beet wins everything.
Damp and grey the Swedes will do it.
Boron is crucial for swedes.
Clean weed free for both aids both.
Roe deer love swede more than beet...

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Swedes are a far better ration for sheep than fodder beet, which only provides (very cheap) maintenance ime, due to it’s low protein. Swedes, if they keep their tops, are a near perfect complete ration for strip grazed in-lamb ewes ime.

I only gave up on swedes here because they need consistent summer rain showers to get any potential from them. Far too inconsistent a crop here.

There must be some good crops around this year, given the distinct lack of summer.

I used to graze beet tops with lambs before i havested the beet ,they would hardly touch the roots and soon went off fat

 

[neilo]

I used to graze beet tops with lambs before i havested the beet ,they would hardly touch the roots and soon went off fat

No doubt, as you fed all the protein and minerals. You were then left with a 6% protein root to lift at £100/ac.

As a grazed fodder crop, it provides very cheap maintenance to adult sheep, but that's about all IME. Swedes, utilised in the same way, provide a far better balanced diet.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

2 points
I havested my own with a harester that cost me £1500
I used to feed the beet add lib on grass ,i took it they would get their protein needs from the grass
Havesting and machine pasture feeding at lambing , i could not lamb all those sheep on folded roots

 

[capfits]

Went down to the field today to get one for a neep lantern.
They are looking tremendous and still putting weight down, and will continue for next few weeks with forecast.
Picked a few Cauliflower and some broccoli that we grow alongside.
Soup sorted for the week. Few given away as goodwill too.

 

[Kidds]

Very impressive. Impressed you are using one for a lantern too, I thought those days were gone.

 

[Oldmacdonald]

Very impressive. Impressed you are using one for a lantern too, I thought those days were gone.

The level of impressedness will depend on whether he uses the traditional knife and spoon, or cheats with power tools!

 

[Welderloon]

Very impressive. Impressed you are using one for a lantern too, I thought those days were gone.

He's obviously not the one hollowing it out with a dessert spoon

 

[capfits]

The level of impressedness will depend on whether he uses the traditional knife and spoon, or cheats with power tools!

Ok knife,spoon and the unseen traditional auger drill.

Tra la!

 

[Yale]

These last few years I’ve struggled to grow a good crop of swedes. About 10 years ago I grew the best crop we’d ever seen. Timing is everything!

 

[Bogweevil]

It's not truly Halloween without that burnt cabbage smell, pumpkins are just not the same.

Granfer grew wondrous Swedes in the South west on chalk, cannot get them to thrive on sand in the SE.

 

[AT Aloss]

These last few years I’ve struggled to grow a good crop of swedes. About 10 years ago I grew the best crop we’d ever seen. Timing is everything!

Ours went backwards with a bit of powdery mildew during August that got overlooked due to other cereal harvest. Does anyone apply fungicides in these situations & is it a viable thing to do? I'm wondering if some of the problem was due to poorer rooting from direct drilling rather than there being a bit of tilth? I gave them another 20 kg of late N & there's a lot more new leaf now & I hope the bulbs that are small will catch up with the bigger bulbs now...

 

[neilo]

Ours went backwards with a bit of powdery mildew during August that got overlooked due to other cereal harvest. Does anyone apply fungicides in these situations & is it a viable thing to do? I'm wondering if some of the problem was due to poorer rooting from direct drilling rather than there being a bit of tilth? I gave them another 20 kg of late N & there's a lot more new leaf now & I hope the bulbs that are small will catch up with the bigger bulbs now...

I had alternaria (likely from neighbour's OSR crops?) in some maincrop turnips a few years ago and went through with a cheap OSR fungicide. It stopped the disease in it's tracks and new, healthy leaves emerged and got the crop growing again. The year before I didn't treat for same and it lost several months growth IMO, just as the bulbs should have been filling most. I suspect a light frost would help at this time of year, but not in August.

I wouldn't hesitate to use a cheap fungicide, and probably chuck some foliar feed (my chosen way of applying boron anyway) on at the same time.

 

[Yale]

I had alternaria (likely from neighbour's OSR crops?) in some maincrop turnips a few years ago and went through with a cheap OSR fungicide. It stopped the disease in it's tracks and new, healthy leaves emerged and got the crop growing again. The year before I didn't treat for same and it lost several months growth IMO, just as the bulbs should have been filling most. I suspect a light frost would help at this time of year, but not in August.

I wouldn't hesitate to use a cheap fungicide, and probably chuck some foliar feed (my chosen way of applying boron anyway) on at the same time.

On the non sprayed Welsh scheme…….