The first results of ForFarmers' practical trial with the cultivation of protein crops as raw material for animal feed are mixed. The company announced this in a press release on Tuesday 9 January.
In recent years, in the Netherlands, much attention has been paid to the search for alternatives to foreign soy as a raw material for animal feed. Agrifirm, for example, already started a trial with protein cultivation. The ForFarmers project started in 2016 and aims to identify the strengths and weaknesses of 6 crops.
First results
The winter of the 2016/2017 season was characterized by cold and warm periods. For the winter field beans and peas, this led to a high percentage of wintering out, which resulted in weed growth. However, winter crops had many weed problems. This was due to the limited resources package and their disappointing effect as a result of the drought in the spring.
The first results seem to show that summer field beans and peas on sandy soil are harvest-secure. The potential of a higher yield in winter field beans and peas, compared to the summer equivalents, was not revealed in this study.
Results of soy cultivation
Harvest security is also a point of attention in soybean cultivation. Despite the earliness of the sown varieties, the crop was not harvested until late October (partly due to the wet weather). The yield was 2 tons per hectare, a setback. The disappointing result was due to the dry spring. This is confirmed, as soy has grown as expected on the moisture-retaining pieces.
The investigation will continue in 2018.
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