Brassicas
Forage Brassica Forage Brassica
Hunter
A cross between a turnip and a rape Hunter is a quick-growing, leafy turnip with minimal bulb development. It is best suited to multiple grazings for summer and early-autumn feed requirements. A fast maturing forage brassica with the first grazing possible at 6-8 weeks. Hunter is an excellent quality forage capable of providing extremely high liveweight gain on animals. Bred for tolerance to turnip mosaic virus and cauliflower mosaic virus. This, combined with selecting for vigorous regrowth, has provided a variety with fast recovery from grazing and excellent ability to yield in the second, third and sometimes fourth regrowth cycle. Plants usually show good resistance to most clubroot races, but they are susceptible to drought and aphids, and are best suited to heavier soil conditions with periodic summer moisture or irrigation.
Key Benefits & Features:
• Early maturing, 6-8 weeks
• Fast recovery from grazing with excellent subsequent yields
Sowing Rate:
4-5 kg/ha, 2kg/ha in herb mixes
Sowing Time:
September to April (given moisture)
Time to first grazing:
6 to 8 weeks
Number of grazings:
2 to 4
Potential yield (depending on number of grazings):
Up to 10 t DM/ha
- 500mm+
Mainstar
Mainstar is a short type brassica that has excellent regrowth potential after grazing, giving it the ability to respond to moisture after long periods of summer dry. It has increased forage yields over other short type brassicas. Animal testing during the breeding process found Mainstar to have a higher leaf percentage and superior animal preference over other short type brassicas. Mainstar can be grazed 10-12 weeks after sowing.
Key Features:
Early maturing, 10-12 weeks
Highly palatable
Excellect regrowth potential
Tolerant to aphids
High leaf percentage and superior animal preference
Sowing Rate:
3-4 kg/ha alone, 1-2 kg/ha in herb mixes
Suggested Sowing Time:
August to November (Spring sowing) or February to April (Autumn sowing)
Time to first grazing:
10 to 12 weeks
Number of grazings:
2 to 4
Potential yield:
(depending on number of grazings)
Up to 10 tDM/ha
- 500mm+
Winfred
A versatile, early maturing forage rape variety, Winfred is a cross between turnip and kale and a strong option for cheap feed. Demonstrating excellent regrowth potential, Winfred's flexibility allows it to perform well through summer and carry later into the season as winter feed if required. Its ability to withstand long dry spells coupled with a strong frost tolerance makes Winfred superior to most other brassicas.
Key benefits & features:
• Early maturing, 10-12 weeks
• High leaf to stem ratio for excellent utilisation rates
• Regrowth potential for 2-4 grazings
• Tolerant of dry conditions once established
• Ideal for summer, autumn and winter feed
Sowing rate:
3-4 kg/ha
Suggested sowing time:
August to November and
February to April
Time to grazing:
10 to 12 weeks
Number of grazings:
2 to 4
Potential yield (depending on number of grazings):
Up to 10 t DM/ha
- 500mm+
Turnips Turnips
Australian Purple Top
A summer feed option for dryland conditions, Australian Purple Top was selected from the English-bred Mammoth Purple Top turnip as a certified alternative. With 12-14 weeks to mature, it is a high yielding choice and demonstrates improved drought and diamondback moth tolerance. APT has true leafy tops and large round bulbs.
Sowing rate:
1-2 kg/ha
- 600mm+
New York Turnip
White-fleshed, purple-skinned and oval-bulbed, New York is a late-maturity winter turnip. It is distinguished by having a full leaf with large bulb development, and can be sown as early-winter feed with annual or Italian ryegrass. New York has been tested and performed strongly as a late-holding summer turnip, but should never make up more than one third of a cow’s diet.
Sowing rate:
1-2 kg/ha
- 600mm+
Rival
Rival summer turnip is a mid-maturing tankard-shaped bulb turnip bred for high leaf production and improved turnip mosaic virus tolerance. Rival summer turnip provides high volumes of high energy, high protein and low fibre forage at a time of year when fibre content of pastures are increasing, and energy and protein are decreasing. Maturity is 10-12 weeks.
- 600mm+