Brought to you by KWS
Extra much and tasty feed with fodder beets
The fodder beet continues to gain in popularity. Within the greening requirements of the Common Agricultural Policy, fodder beets appear to be an excellent third crop. 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. The acreage has grown further this year.
Supplying milk with high components is of course interesting for dairy farmers. Farmers who feed fodder beets are enthusiastic about the increasing fat content (0,1 to 0,30 percent higher), the higher protein content (0,05 to 0,25 percent higher) and the often higher milk yield. Fodder beets are very tasty and there is no question of crowding out other feed materials in the ration.
High dry matter feed bite very popular
In collaboration with Delphy, WUR open crops has been publishing the 'Rassenbulletin Foederbeeten' for several years now. High and low dry matter content beets are tested here under Dutch conditions. The beets with a high dry matter content are white in color and can achieve a dry matter content of up to 24%. These fodder beets are also called Feed Beet. This means that KWS Feedbeet has a clear advantage over the old-fashioned fodder beet, where the dry matter content often gets stuck at 14-15%.
Harvesting Feed Bite
In contrast to the old-fashioned fodder beet, the Feedbeet is comparable to the sugar beet in terms of cultivation and harvest. The mechanization of sugar beet cultivation can be fully utilized in the cultivation of Feedbeet. Due to the very regular shape of the Feedbeet, it is possible to harvest very well without losses or delays with conventional machines. This is in contrast to the old-fashioned fodder beet. An additional advantage is that in recent years many machines have been equipped with a defoliator instead of a scalper. This keeps the beets (even) better storable.
Save feed bite
The beets can be fed fresh, provided they are shredded. In some cases, the beets are processed in the corn hump. Because many dairy farmers bring in the maize before 1 October, beet yields remain low in this way. In the month of October and November the yield increases daily. Partly because of this, more and more fodder beets, often in combination with a dry product such as soy hulls, are stored in a trunk. This so-called 'bagging' of the beet offers many advantages. The maximum yield per hectare can be achieved in this way. Furthermore, the feeding speed can be adjusted and it is possible to store and feed all year round. Ensilage together with Maize cob silage (MKS) is also on the rise.
Fodder beets provide 'thick' milk
With 6 kilos of Feedbeet per day, the 120 dairy cows of Pieter Karst Bouma produce not only about 35 liters of milk per day, but also considerable components: 4,56% fat and 3,64% protein. "The fodder beets provide thick milk," is the conviction of the dairy farmer from Friesland. In his experience, you get the best results with 1,5 to 2 kilos of dry matter fodder beets. "You have to have a strong feeding fence and enough eating places in the barn, the cows love it." The dairy farmer does not take into account the displacement of concentrates or other feed materials in the ration when feeding the Feedbeet. "The cows eat it extra and so they take in more feed."
In addition to fat milk, the dairy farmer mentions a few other advantages of growing fodder beets: "They give an enormous yield of 100 to 130 tons per hectare, which means about 12 cents per kilo in costs. In addition, fodder beets are healthy for the cows and they have a favorable BEX because they are low in phosphate."
The fodder beets were introduced to Pieter Karst's company in 2014. "We are an extensive company, so I was looking for other profitable crops besides grass and maize." In 2015, he sowed one hectare as a trial, of all 200 hectares of fodder beets that could be found in the Netherlands. "The silo was bulging." The acreage at Pieter Karst has now grown to 3 hectares. "It requires an arable approach," he mentions as a point of attention. Feeding fresh year-round is best, because then the beets remain appetizingly sweet. However, after April 15, the beets may no longer lie in one heap. "We shred them and store them in a plastic trunk," says Pieter Karst. "This way we can feed the cows with fodder beets every day."
Available varieties cultivation season 2021
The organic variety for the 2021 cultivation season GODIVA KWS (rhizomania and rhizoctonia resistant) and for conventional cultivation the variety LAURENA KWS available. Both varieties are very suitable for sandy and valley soils with a risk of Rhizoctonia. It is advised to choose these varieties if corn or grass is included in the cropping plan.
For (clay) plots without rhizoctonia, the variety is PIERINA KWS recommended with the special feature of the low tare percentage.
More information about KWS Feedbeet can be obtained from your regional KWS advisor of op our website.
