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Home: > What We Sell: > Brassicas
The use of brassica crops has been on the increase for several years now. Farmers are becoming aware of the importance of high quality feed (high in energy and protein) for their stock and should be considered in any situation where pasture quantity or quality is limiting the potential of livestock.
When to use Brassicas?
- During Summer, Autumn or Winter when you could have periods of feed shortage.
- To supplement periods of low pasture quality
- To finish stock
- When a summer safe feed is required
- Prior to pasture renewal
Brassica Options
What sort of forage brassica are you after?
When do you require your brassica crop ? (When will it be grazed)
- Summer Options (December, January, February): Leaf Turnip, Rape, Summer/Autumn Turnip
- Autumn Options (March, April, May): Leaf Turnip, Rape, Summer/Autumn Turnip
- Winter Options (June, July, August): Kale, Swede, Rape, Winter Turnip, Fodder Beet
Or why not try one of our popular Brassica Mixes..
Forage Brassicas
Brassicas require a firm, fine, warm, moist seedbed and are best sown after pasture, but may follow a crop.
- Kale:
Also known as Chou Moellier, Kales are winter active and mainly used as a "winter feed", yielding approximately: 9.5 - 11 tonne DM/ha. Kales require high soil fertility and good soil moisture. Higher sowing rates lead to thinner and more palatable stems. Kales should be strip fed to reduce wastage, taking 150 - 220 days to reach maturity. Kale is suitable for cattle, sheep, and deer but the taller varities are best used for only cattle.
There are three types of Kale. They are:
Medium Stem types: Lowest growing of the three Kale types medium stem kales normally have high leaf to stem ratios which makes utilisation better but have the lowest yield potential of the three types. Also medium stem types have improved lodging resistance which make them excellent in snow prone areas. Suitable for all stock types but normally used for sheep grazing.
Intermediate Stem types: These types are the result of crossing a medium stem and giant stem type together to get the most desirable traits from each parent. Higher and narrower stems intermediate kales have very good leaf to stem ratios leading to higher palatability and utilisation. Suitable for all stock types
Giant Stem types: Giant stem types obtain more of their yield from their stems rather than from their leafs. In the man these kales are only used for cattle/dairy cow grazing where a high overall yield per hectare is required. Grazing management is very important otherwise they can have poorer quality than the other two types.
Caledonian: Intermediate stem kale type, a tall, high yielding type with softer stems Caledonian has good club root tolerance.
Coleor: Medium stem kale type, a very high dry matter digestibility and M/E content with good winter hardiness.
Corka: Intermediate stem kale type, is highly palatible and has thin stems and a high leaf to stem ratio .
SF Fuel: Intermediate stem kale type, a new intermediate-tall type kale with excellent leaf/ stem ratio.
Gruner: Giant stem kale type, a very high yielding giant type kale with potential yield of 17,000kg DM/ha
SF Inka: Giant stem kale type, ideal for cattle and dairy cows with eatable chunky stems.
Kestral: Medium stem kale type with excellent leaf to stem ratio (greater than 50% leaf)
Rawera Giant: Giant stem kale type, older common kale type suitable for cattle/dairy cows.
Regal: Intermediate height kale which has been bred for a high leaf percentage. Very good winter hardiness.
Sovereign: Intermediate stem kale type with a high yield potential, good leaf to stem ratio and is late flowering for improved leaf quality.
SF Voltage: Medium stem kale type, Leafy variety and good lodging resistance.
Click here to see quick comparison chart on these Kale varieties.
- Rape:
Forage rape may be sown alone or in mixtures as a specialist "summer to winter feed". Rape is often included in seed pasture mixes and sown at 0.5 - 1 kg per ha. Rape can be sown from early spring to late summer and is generally ready to graze 12-16 weeks after sowing. Rape can be sown on lower soil fertility soil than most other brassicas. With good soil fertility and moisture, yields of 8 tonne DM/ha can be achieved.
(Note: Some care is required when grazing rape and it is best to allow the crop to fully mature before grazing and to gradually increase Rape in their diet.)
Bonar: A later maturing rape, short stems, large leaves. Good regrowth.
Giant: A later maturing, high yielding, single graze common variety.
Goliath: A new rape x kale cultivar with superior regrowth potential and excellent winter keeping properties
Greenland: New from the breeders of Winfred. A very late flowering, multi graze type. Medium plant height. Good palatability with aphid tolerance. Summer/autumn/winter feed option.
Interval: A tall, fast establishing rape ideal for providing a bulk of good quality winter feed following a cereal or other crop
Leafmore: A high yielding giant rape. Medium Maturity.
Maxima Plus: A early maturing medium height kale. Best performance in low-medium fertility soils.
Rangi: Older variety rape producing good yields. Less acceptable to stock than newer varieties.
Titan: Titan forage rape is a high yielding, intermediate height rape. Titan has high aphid and virus tolerance and has shown excellent palatability. Titan kale is a new early maturing, multi graze, intermediate height kale. Very high yield potential.
Winfred: A very early maturing variety with high leaf to stem ratio. Hardy with good Cold Tolerance. High regrowth potential.
Click here for more information on these Rape varieties.
- Leaf Turnip:
Leaf Turnip may be sown alone or in mixtures as a specialist "summer to winter feed". Leaf Turnip can be sown alone at 3 -4 kg and can also be included in pasture seed mixes and sown at 0.5 - 1 kg per ha. Leaf Turnip can be sown from early spring to late summer and have minimal maturity requirements before grazing. Leaf Turnips can be sown on lower soil fertility soil than most other brassicas. With good soil fertility and moisture, yields of 10-12 tonne DM/ha can be achieved.
(Note: Some care is required when grazing stock on Leaf Turnip and it is best to gradually increase it into their diet.)
Greenland: New from the breeders of Winfred. A very late flowering, multi graze type.
Hunter: Early maturing, high quality forage for finishing animals through the summer months.
SF Pacer: SF Pacer is suited to medium-high fertility soils with summer moisture or irrigation, providing multiple grazings to meet summer and early-autumn feed requirements.
Pasja: Fast establishing, high quality feed ready for grazing within 42-70 days of sowing
Wairoa: Rapid maturing older variety leafy turnip.
Winfred: A very early maturing variety with high leaf to stem ratio. Hardy with good Cold Tolerance. High regrowth potential.
Click here to a see quick comparison chart Leaf Turnip varieties.
Root Crops
Root Crops commonly used include Turnips and Swedes. Root Crops provide greater resistance to aphid than rape crops but are more senstitive to deficiencies of boron, particularly in wetter areas. Stock grazing root crops need sound teeth to make effective use of them, and energy requirements are higher because of high water content of the bulbs.
- Turnips:
Turnips vary in yield potential, ploidy level, maturity, size of bulb, bulb keeping quality, and these factors considerably influence the choice and intended mixtures with rape or grasses, particularly Italian Ryegrasses. Turnips can either be spring (for summer feed), summer or autumn(for autumn or winter feed) sown. Yields tend to increase with later maturity types and vary from 5 to 8 tonne DM/ha.
Summer Variety:
Appin A soft early maturing variety with high leaf to bulb ratio, resulting in a leafy crop with good digestiblity
Barkant: An early maturing high yielding variety with soft bulbs and a higher proportion of leaf than Dynamo.
Dynamo: Dynamo is an early maturing, high yielding variety that offers quality summer feed. It produces a good level of bulb, giving it an advantage in seasons when high levels of leaf diseases or pests are present.
Marco: The earliest maturing turnip available. High quality tetraploid turnip for greater animal performance benefits.
Rival: A white fleshed, summer stubble turnip with a tankard bulb shape for good utilisation.
SF-Envy: SF Envy is a quick maturing (60 – 90 days) tankard turnip for summer/autumn utilisation.
York Globe: York globe is an early mid season maturity, soft white fleshed, purple skinned variety.
Winter Variety:
Green Globe: A slower growing, hardy, green skinned turnip with longer maturity. Rounded bulbs keep well into the winter and wil yield well if sown early.
Green Resistant: A later maturing yellow fleshed, green skinned variety. A useful second crop turnip where club root or dry rot problems may occur.
Manga: A reselection of york globe incorporating some resistant to club root.
New York: An early mid season soft white fleshed, purple skinned turnip with a round bulb. Best used for autumn, winter feed.
SF-G2: Latest globe type, new breeding. A later maturing turnip planted in summer/early autumbn for winter feed.
White Star: SF White Star is a mid maturing (90 – 110 days) stubble turnip for flexible use. Use to extend grazing period alongside SF emax or as an autumn sown option for late autumn/winter feed. York Globe: York globe is an early mid season maturity, soft white fleshed, purple skinned variety.
Click here for more information on Winter varieties of Turnips.
Click here for more information on Summer / Autumn varieties of Turnips.
- Swedes:
Swedes are sown between November to early December, either ridged in cool areas, or conventionally drilled to provide specialist winter feed. Generally yellow fleshed swede varieties are commonly used for human consumption because of improved flavour and lower water content compared to white fleshed type. Winter yields of 10 to 16 tonne DM/ha are achievable.
Aparima Gold: Yellow fleshed variety with good club root and dry rot resistance.
Dominion: Dominion swede is a traditional high-yielding yellow fleshed main-crop swede.
Doon Major: An older scottish variety with round bulbs stabnding well clear of the ground for grazing.
Highlander: Later maturing variety with white flesh and high proportion of leaf. Offers good overall yield.
Invitation: A later maturing yellow fleshed variety with good club root and powdery mildew resistance.
Keystone: A new release from PGG Wrightson Keystone is available in limited quantities this spring.
Major Plus: Major Plus is a yellow fleshed variety with good overall yield. Early maturing and produces a good proportion of top.
Winton: Medium maturity white fleshed variety with good overall yield. Produces high proportion of top with good diseases resistance.
Click here for more information on varieties of Swede.
- Fodder Beet:
Fodder Beet is one of the highest yielding forage options available to farmers, but it is actually not a brassica! Click here for more information on Fodder Beet.
Brigadier: Our most popular variety. Brigadier is a soft bite Fodder Beet and the best option for grazing young stock.
Collose: High root yield. Oval, swede shaped Beet. Enabling easy access to the crop when strip feeding. Higher in dry matter.
Click here for more information on Fodder Beet.
To check out seed supply for these new products click here.
Downloads: Click here to download the Brassica Growing Guide in PDF Format.
Note: Some files on this page require Adobe PDF reader. If you do not have Adobe Reader please click here to download it for free.
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