Brought to you by Limagrain
Fodder beets will continue to be valuable roughage in 2025
Fodder beets remain a very valuable roughage crop for dairy farmers who have sufficient land or work together with arable farmers. Farmers who have experience with the crop are happy to stick with it. In the Netherlands, approximately 2.000 hectares were cultivated last year, in Belgium 6.000 hectares.
The proceeds of fodder beets are impressive: up to 140 tonnes of fresh product per hectare, which amounts to more than 20 tonnes of dry matter. With a feed value of approximately 1.150 VEM per kilogram of dry matter, they are real energy bombs. They are also very tasty for livestock.
Weather influence in 2024
The late spring of 2024 had a significant impact on yields. Fodder beets are ideally sown in early April. Early sowing can result in a daily increase of 70 to 150 kg of dry matter per hectare. Rapid leaf development is important: a lot of foliage promotes photosynthesis and ensures high yields.
Disease control
Healthy foliage is essential. As in 2023, 2024 saw a sudden increase in disease pressure in August, mainly due to cercospora. This fungus spreads via rain and wind and thrives in warm, humid summers.
Rialto: excellent disease resistance
The breed Rialto is particularly suitable for our climate. Official trials in 2023 and 2024 show that Rialto is very resistant to cercospora. Rialto is also an excellent choice for areas with a risk of rhizoctonia. Rhizoctonia is a soil-borne fungal disease that mainly occurs in maize and grasses – crops that are common in dairy areas.
The risk of Rhizoctonia can be reduced by sowing early and thickly, fertilizing moderately with nitrogen and avoiding certain pre-crops. Rialto easily delivers 130-140 tons of fresh mass with a dry matter content of 15%. The new Foribo has a higher dry matter yield than Rialto, but is harder. Both varieties have the characteristic red-pink colour of true fodder beets.
Pre-germinated seed
A recent development is the availability of pre-germinated fodder beet seed. After Foribo in 2023, Rialto pre-germinated was also offered in 2024. This proved to be very successful: emergence was faster and more uniform, which offered advantages in both crop protection and harvest. Most fodder beets (90%) are sold with Force treatment against soil insects. Because Force works via vapour action, it is important not to sow deeper than 3 centimetres.
Cultivation advice
For successful cultivation we recommend:
- Sow between April 1 and 20 at a minimum soil temperature of 5°C
- Provide a fine seedbed with well-pressed rows
- Use 2,4 units per hectare with 16-17 cm row spacing
- Sow at a depth of 2-3 cm
- Carry out at least two foliar sprayings (July and August)
- Protect against insects with one or two treatments
- Harvest end of October/beginning of November
- Prevent damage during harvesting
Storage and use
Although mixed silages with maize are possible (ratio 1/4), there are disadvantages such as loss of quality due to soil and loss of sugar during fermentation. A better method is separate storage, where the beets are later mixed with the first, drier grass silages. This makes feeding possible all year round.
Experience with fodder beets in the ration
Would you like to know more about fodder beets?
