Skyfall Stubble Turnip Seed 2.5KG

Skyfall is a bounce back brassica, bred to provide a palatable leafy feed which can be fed either in the summer, when grass growth might be limited, or sown later, to enable the crop to be grazed in the autumn.

Skyfall’s deep roots enables regrowth potential and the possibility of producing 3 grazings from one crop.

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Skyfall provides high protein content for livestock feeding.

Stubble Turnips are a fast-growing catch crop, popular with livestock farmers. They may be sown after first cut silage for summer grazing or after winter cereals for autumn usage.

When planting a large acreage, it is advisable to stagger sowing dates, increasing the seed rate in dry conditions. If being used for dairy cow grazing, it is important to take into consideration the distance between the field and the milking parlour. Strip grazing is advisable if possible, to limit wastage.

WHY GROW STUBBLE TURNIP?

• Fast growing catch crop
• Economical to grow
• Autumn or winter feed
• Flexible sowing period
• Finishing lambs
• Help reduce winter feed costs
• Summer buffer feed for dairy cows

SOIL TYPE/SITE SELECTION:

As most crops are grazed in situ, a free draining light loam or brash with a pH of 6.5 is ideal.

SEEDBED & SOWING METHODS:

If stubble turnips are to be sown after grass, a firm, fine seedbed will be required and traditional, lough- based cultivations will be fine. If stubble turnips are drilled following an arable crop, a cereal for example, then tined cultivations, discing or rotovating can often replace the plough. In all cases, it is vital that soil moisture is not lost. Stubble turnips should be sown approximately 12-14 weeks before they are to be utilised. If sown in April, after forage rye, Italian ryegrass or an early spring fallow, turnips are very useful for finishing offspring lambs or feeding other stock. Stubble turnips also fit in well when sown in mid- June after an early hay/silage cut for autumn feeding, but they are now increasingly being used for autumn sowing on cereal stubbles. Autumn sowings in the northern half of the country and on all uplands, should be completed by the end of July. In the south, stubble turnips should be sown by mid-August, with early September the latest date to consider.

For crops drilled into broken stubbles, sowing rates will vary from 4-5kg/ha depending on soil conditions and time of drilling. Seed which is broadcast should go in at no less than 6-8kg/ha.

FERTILISER:

An application of 80kg of nitrogen, 25kg of phosphate and 25kg of potash per ha is usually sufficient for this crop. Certainly, a dressing of between 60-90kg of nitrogen/ha is especially important when the crop is being sown after a cereal. The fertiliser should be worked well into the seedbed. A top dressing of nitrogen, 3-4 weeks after sowing, can boost crop growth.

FEEDING:

The stubble turnip crop is an attractive source of very palatable and easy to digest fodder. Both cattle and sheep should be introduced gradually to the crop and between grazing’s, be able to run-back on grass or have access to grass silage. It is also advisable to have hay or straw on offer before each grazing, particularly in the case of dairy cows. It is a good idea to introduce animals to the crop gradually, allow stock about three weeks to fully adjust to stubble turnips.

Throughout the grazing period, adequate mineral supplements should be fed to all stock. Although the DM content of both the root and the leaf is low, the quality of this DM is excellent.

LIVESTOCK INTAKE:

A dairy cow will eat approximately 22kg in a 2-3-hour grazing period and a lowland ewe about half that amount in a day. So, an average autumn crop of 40 tonnes/ha (after allowing for wastage) should provide one day of grazing for 500 cows or 1000 ewes. With beef animals, an intake of 25 kg/head/day should give liveweight gains in the region of 0.5 to 0.75 kg/head. As a precaution against taint, dairy cows should be fed stubble turnips immediately after milking – and remove them from the crop at least three hours before the next milking. Cattle should strip graze the crop behind an electric fence to reduce wastage. With sheep, good quality netting can be used to achieve the same aim.