The fodder beet continues to gain in popularity. In 2014, our country still had 280 hectares of fodder beets. In 2019 this was already 2.110 hectares. Last year a company grew an average of about 2,7 hectares of fodder beets. Plenty of fodder beets will also be grown in 2020
Supplying milk with high components is interesting for dairy farmers. Farmers feeding fodder beets are enthusiastic about the increasing fat content (0,1 to 0,30% higher), higher protein content (0,05 to 0,25% higher) and the often higher milk yield.
High dry matter feed bite popular
Wageningen UR (WUR) Open Crops in collaboration with Delphy has been publishing the Variety Bulletin Foeder Beets for several years now. This is where beets with a high and low dry matter content are tested under Dutch conditions. The high dry matter content beets are white in color and can achieve a dry matter content of up to 23,6%. These fodder beets are also called Feed Beet. These beets can be fed fresh as long as they are shredded. These beets are often processed in the maize hump.
However, because many dairy farmers bring in the maize before 1 October, they miss out on beet yield in this way. In the month of October and November the yield increases daily. Partly because of this, more and more fodder beets are stored in a trunk. This so-called 'bagging' of the beet offers many advantages. Growers can achieve the maximum yield per hectare. Furthermore, the feed rate can be adjusted and it is possible to store all year round. This in combination with feeding the beets fresh in the autumn and winter.
Most Feedbeet Breeds in Research
The majority of the varieties in research are varieties with a high dry matter content. In the 2019 study, these modern fodder beets achieved a 10% higher yield compared to the old-fashioned fodder beet types. Despite the negative difference in fresh yield, the dry matter content more than makes up for the final yield.
Getting as much feed from our own soil as possible with minimal transport and storage costs fits in well with today's circular thinking. The easy harvestability and strong resistance ensure further growth of the rhizoctonia variety Laurena KWS and rhizomania variety Pierina KWS. This brings the total acreage of fodder beet in the Netherlands in 2020 to more than 2.500 hectares.
More information about the cultivation of fodder beets can be obtained from your own KWS advisor of on the website.