Brassica & Forage Crops
Instantly download our Brassica & Forage Crops Guide for practical management advice.
Advantages
- Good regrowth potential with excellent winter keeping properties
- Good aphid tolerance
- Fast growing leafy catch crop
- High protein content
- Longer lasting than stubble turnips
- Flexible sowing period
- Sheep, dairy or beef production
Expert Advice
Plant two-thirds of the cropable area in early maturing stubble turnip and one-third in this late maturing variety BARCOLI at the same time (not together).
This will provide high quality summer feed that can be grazed from 60-150 days after sowing.
Utilisation: Graze in situ
Sowing period: Spring & early summer
Utilisation period: Autumn & winter
Days to maturity: 90 - 110 days
Soil type: Grows on most soils ideally with a pH of 6 - 6.5.
Sowing rate: Drilled, natural seed 6 kg/ha - Broadcast, natural seed 10 kg/ha.
Seed bed: Firm, fine level seed bed, can be drilled into cereal stubbles
Always ensure a run back area, fibre, fresh water and mineral source is available for grazing livestock.
General Information
Forage Rape has a high energy value (10 - 11 MJ ME/kg DM) and a highly digestible crude protein content of 18-19%. In general, the taller varieties develop more stems but, as a compensation, the leaves remain cleaner.
Forage Rape will yield around 3.5t DM/ha and for maximum utilisation, it should be strip grazed using electric fencing. Forage Rape also has some regrowth potential and can also be used as a green manure crop because of its high and speedy production of dry matter both above and below ground level. It shows good tolerance to night frost and has a rapid initial growth rate.
Forage Rape can be sown anywhere between May to early September but always around 15 weeks before the feed is required. While typically sown as pure stands, it can be sown in combination with other forages.
For winter feed, it can be planted with annual or Italian ryegrasses and even as part of a brassica feeding programme with stubble turnips.
Pack sizes: Available in pack sizes of 10kg or 25kg