Keen to try new crops, sheep and beef farmer Philip Sims was interested to see how Limagrain UK’s relatively new bounce back brassica Skyfall performed on the farm and what sort of feed it provided.
Philip Sims, his wife Susan and son Robert run a flock of Texel cross sheep and a 35-cow suckler herd on the 170-acre unit at St Wenn, Bodmin in Cornwall.
Land reaches 213m (700’) above sea level. Most of the land grows good quality forages, predominantly grass for silage and hay, and also grazing, plus maize and fodder crops.
Philip, who moved to the farm in 1956 with his parents, looks to grow as much feed for the livestock on the farm and reduce their reliance on bought in concentrates.
So extending the grazing period and the portfolio of forages is always on the cards here. And introducing a range of forages places less reliance on grass, should it be a very hot, dry summer and grass growth stalls.
Keen to try new crops, Philip was interested to see how Limagrain’s relatively new bounce back brassica Skyfall performed on the farm and what sort of feed it provided. So, in April 2021, he sowed three hectares (about seven acres) of seed into a maize stubble. Nitrogen fertiliser was applied at a rate of 200kg a hectare.
Six weeks later, at the end of May, 100% of the crop had germinated and the plants were 15cm (6”) tall and fit for grazing.
“We opened the Skyfall crop to a group of 60 ewe lambs,” says Philip. “The crop was part of an eight hectare (20 acre) field. What surprised me so much was that the sheep always headed for the Skyfall out of preference. They did very well on it.”
Once the crop was grazed off after about two weeks, it was shut up and left to re-grow – or ‘bounce-back’. True to its word, the crop was ready for grazing again a few weeks later.
“We repeated this a few times and in June we grazed the cattle on it,” adds Philip. “They also loved it – are loving it – it must be some sweetness in the leaves? But whatever it is, Skyfall is very palatable to both sheep and cattle, and they did well on it.”
The crop was then followed with an autumn grass reseed.
“Limagrain’s adviser Graham Parnell suggested we might want to add a fertilizer to the crop after a few rounds of grazing,” added Philip. “But we were happy enough with its natural growth. It just doesn’t stop growing. It’s a win-win really.”
So pleased with the performance of Skyfall, Philip is growing more. “It certainly provides a good fresh bite in spring and summer and adds to our grazing forages, taking the pressure off grass.”
BOUNCE BACK BRASSICA BENEFITS – SKYFALL
• High protein forage
• Fast-growing – normal 10 weeks from sowing to grazing, but less in this case
• Leafy and palatable grazing crop for cattle and sheep
• Produces between 30 and 35 tonnes/ha
• Deep rooting so withstands dry conditions
• Regrowth potential – bounces back after first round of grazing and provides a second crop.
• Break crop – short-circuits weeds and pest problems in grassland
More information
Download the LG Skyfall bounceback brassica growers guide below
Limagrain UK’s bounce back brassica Skyfall is the perfect answer to ensuring that a highly nutritious leafy forage crop is available for grazing sheep and cattle in summer through to autumn.
Sown between May and July, it will be ready for grazing in 12 to 14 weeks. And after the first round of grazing, it can be closed up for six to eight weeks while it grows back, ready for grazing again later in the season.
“Its deep narrow roots allow it to thrive in drier soils through summer,” says Limagrain’s forage crop manager John Spence. “This, and the crop’s exceptional vigour supports regrowth and a second grazing crop. In field trials Skyfall produced between 30 and 35 tonnes/ha of a palatable soft-leaved forage where the crop was sown in July.”
Skyfall is an ideal break crop too before a grass reseed or in a mixed arable rotation.
Sheep farmer and contractor Tim Cains was an early pioneer, sowing a crop in the first season that Limagrain introduced it. He used it for his lambs, and they devoured it first time round, and second time round six weeks later when he finished them off the crop at 40kg liveweight.
Tim Cains from Bridgnorth runs a 500-ewe flock – 300 Welsh mules and 200 Scottish Blackface hill ewes. Lambing starts in late March and lambs are reared for finishing from September.
“This puts a lot of pressure on our grassland,” says Tim, who combines his sheep enterprise with a mobile sheep dipping business.
“We lamb the mules indoors then turn the ewes and lambs out onto grassland. We’ve 130 acres of grassland for the sheep, and finish around 500 lambs, keeping 120 ewe lambs for replacements.” 
Lambs are weaned from the second week of July, and in 2020 Tim moved them straight on to the bounce back brassica Skyfall. The crop’s proven track record of great growth potential through summer and the ability to ‘bounce back’ appealed to him.
“We wanted to ease the pressure on the grazed grass and reduce reliance on bought in feed, should the grass be in short supply later in summer,” says Tim.
“We got 24kg of seed – treated with Start-Up to promote germination and even establishment, for our 13-acre ley (5.3ha). I drilled it in early May and by the time I moved 300 lambs on to it at the end of July the leaves were so big we couldn’t see the lambs. There’s not much bulb, but plenty of leaf.”
And it went down a treat. “The lambs loved it, and devoured the crop in three weeks, grazing it right down. We moved them off in mid-August onto a red clover sward and supplemented their diet with some creep.
“I then waited to see if the crop did what it was meant to do and re-grow enough for another grazing. I have to admit to being a bit skeptical. We’d only had three weeks grazing off the crop so far, so its value depended on a re-growth. We needed another three weeks of grazing to make it viable; to justify growing it,” he adds.
It wasn’t a very long wait before Tim knew this crop ‘had legs’. Within 10 days, regrowth was about 30cm. “I took photos of the crop in mid-August as I couldn’t believe the speed of the regrowth. It was exceptional.”
About 270 lambs were moved back on to the Skyfall at the beginning of October and Tim pulled finished lambs off the crop at around 40kg liveweight. “They sold well – the market was fairly strong last autumn. All bar 56 of the smallest lambs were sold in October; something we’ve never achieved in the past. We’re normally aiming for the Christmas market, and don’t really ‘push’ the lambs. We didn’t have to with this crop, but we got to finishing weights much earlier.
He admits that this sort of bounce back brassica is a new one for him. “But it worked really well. Lambs reached finishing weights more cost-effectively, and it gave the grass a break too.
“And I gave the crop a fair test as we used some fairly unproductive permanent pasture to grow it. It wasn’t very fertile ground and maybe not the best choice to try out this new crop, but it performed far better than I expected.”
Plans were to follow the brassica with a herbal ley in autumn but this was put back to spring 2021 to make the most of the regrowth. “I’d still got 56 lambs grazing it in late November.
“Maximising home-grown forage production is crucial and fine tuning the cropping rotation will improve output,” says Tim. “We grow 20 acres of turnips for over-wintering ewes and high energy fodder beet for later finishing lambs.
“We also need to up the grassland management but establishing new leys is challenging here as the stone in the soil makes ploughing very difficult. So being able to burn off grass and drill a brassica in directly then burning off again before planting a herbal ley saves time and machinery. It also helps clean the old grasses out ready for the new ley.
“A rotation of brassica, grass and roots seems to work well for us. And the regrowth track record of this brassica means I will aim to sow it earlier this year – I might get even more from it through summer and autumn!”
-
crop facts: SKYFALL BOUNCE BACK BRASSICA
High protein forage
Fast-growing – 10 to 12 weeks from sowing to grazing
Leafy and palatable grazing crop for cattle and sheep
Produces between 30 and 35 tonnes/ha
Deep rooting so withstands dry conditions
Regrowth potential – bounces back after first round of grazing and provides a second crop.
Break crop – short-circuits weeds and pest problems in grassland
More information
Download the LG Skyfall bounceback brassica growers guide below
Sinclair McGill’s medium term grass seed mixture, Prosper, is showing its colours as a high yielding and high value grass seed mixture.
In Limagrain field trials, carried out from 2017 to 2020 at its UK Innovation site Prosper led the field for key yield and quality attributes when compared with other Sinclair McGill mixtures and two premium controls. This mixture has continued its success in 2020 and 2021 field trials, despite challenging growing conditions.
Top yield
Prosper had excellent performance when cut for silage with yields exceeding any other perennial ryegrass based mixture. Its dry matter yield was even higher yielding than the control short term mixture composed of Italian and Hybrid ryegrasses. A short term mixture is normally expected to surpass a medium term mixture in dry matter yield.
Four-year Mean Relative DM Yield (t/ha)
This mixture also had the highest sugar content (WSC %) among the mixtures on trial and a digestible fibre (dNDF) 2% above the long term mixture control. Prosper’s four year average mean metabolisable energy (ME) was the best in the group.
Top dry matter
In a grazing management situation, Prosper’s relative dry matter yield across the four years was significantly above the controls when cut under a simulated grazing regime. It also produced some of the best sugar, energy and digestible fibre results, similar to that of Sinclair McGill’s high quality grazing mixture Turbo.
Four-Year mean WSC (%) vs dNDF (%)
Best of both
Prosper is a dual purpose mixture comprising mid and late perennial ryegrasses and tetraploid ryegrass varieties. The mixture also includes white clover and, for Scotland and Northern Ireland, a small amount of Timothy. This combination of varieties at carefully formulated ratios makes the mixture ideal for grazing cattle and for conservation.
High yields and high feed value, particularly dNDF, combine to put Prosper ahead as a top dual purpose cutting and grazing mixture.
LGAN quality accreditation
Prosper carries Limagrain’s LGAN (LG Animal Nutrition) accreditation. This rubber-stamp confirms its yield and feed value. It reflects the merits of the individual varieties included in the mixture and their abilities to complement each other within the mixture.
The LGAN stamp is ‘proof’ that the mixture has met both agronomic and feed value benchmarks and that, through extensive trials, it has a track record for efficient production.
The ability to improve digestible fibre (dNDF) has been a key factor in selecting LGAN varieties and mixtures. Fibre is needed in the diet to maintain a healthy rumen, so increasing dietary dNDF improves feed efficiency.
In dairy cattle even a small increase in dNDF has been linked to improvements in both intakes and milk production. Similar performance advantages can be expected in increased intakes and liveweight gain in beef cattle.
LGAN PROSPER, dual purpose (Sinclair Mcgill)
- 58% Mid season perennial ryegrass including tetraploid varieties
37% Late perennial ryegrass including tetraploid variety
5% White clover blend
(Mixture for Scotland and Northern Ireland includes 7%Timothy – slightly lower quantities of ryegrasses)
Reseed – with quality
Grass swards are at their most productive in their first year. Dry matter yield and energy content of the grass will then decline year-on-year.
Limagrain’s latest grass trial results have confirmed this and have demonstrated the yield benefits of the younger sward, and of high quality grass seed mixtures verses a control.
These latest trial results, that show an average decrease in yield of nearly five tonnes per hectare – around 40% – from year one to year four reinforce the value, and cost-justification, of reseeding as part of good farm management.
Adding further value to the reseed is achieved by using high quality, top-performing mixtures that are identified in the trial.
More information
Find your nearest Sinclair McGill distributor here
To learn more about Sinclair McGill Prosper mixture, click here
New LG fodder beet varieties raise the benchmark. And add more feed value from home grown forage
New trial data from Limagrain UK, published in January 2023, shows that new fodder beet varieties are raising the benchmark for dry matter yields. But another highlight is the crop’s ability to produce consistently high yields in varying seasonal growing conditions seen in the UK in recent years.
Dedicated UK Fodder Beet Trials
Limagrain UK has run fodder beet trials on its Lincolnshire site since 2008 and compared the performance of commercially available varieties of fodder beet.
“We’ve seen significant improvements in dry matter yields in the past decade, particularly among newer varieties,” says Limagrain UK’s forage crops product manager John Spence. “These fodder beet varieties are raising the benchmark and achieving record yields. They offer a consistently high energy and dry matter home-grown forage for livestock diets.”
In the latest ranking, the new fodder beet variety Fosyma has an average dry matter yield of 14% above the control variety Magnum, equivalent to more than 2.5t DM/ha.
“Fosyma has 21.3% dry matter, and it is one of only a few varieties which are rhizomania tolerant. Fosyma also has good resistance to powdery mildew, rust and leaf spot,” adds Mr Spence.
Fosyma has other proven benefits that add to its appeal. “Its high dry matter is combined with its medium-depth root. We usually associate high dry matter fodder beets with deep rooted varieties, so Fosyma, with a relatively high proportion (35%) sitting out of the ground, bucks the trend. This makes it suitable for grazing in situ as well as for lifting and it carries less risk of soil contamination than the deeper-rooted varieties.”
Another key advantage of Fosyma is its high tolerance to bolting. It is one of the least likely varieties of fodder beet to bolt. This is particularly beneficial in more extreme seasons, such as the cold spring in 2022, followed by warm weather which can encourage bolting.
Fosyma has been included in the trials since 2019 and has been available to UK growers for the past two years.
High yielding and rhizomania tolerant variety Brick is in second place with a dry matter yield 9% above the control and a dry matter content of 22.8%. It is slightly deeper rooted than Fosyma with 25% of the root out of the ground. These characteristics give the variety excellent winter hardiness.
Reliable Robbos
A more established variety that has held its popularity in livestock diets is Robbos due to its flexibility, combined with high yields. With only 60% of the root in the ground, it is ideal for grazing sheep and cattle, and among shallower-rooted varieties, it offers a high dry matter content of 19.8%. Robbos has been included in the Limagrain UK annual trials since they started in 2008 and it gives consistent and reliable results.
“Fodder beet is really showing its colours as a consistent and reliable livestock feed,” adds Mr Spence. “We see very little variation in yields within a variety between cold, wet or dry seasons.
“Even after the dry summer of 2022, the crops still produced outstanding yields, and this was even more pronounced among the newer varieties, such as Fosyma, which maintained yields achieved in the previous year and well above 20t DM/ha.”
“So, for the same growing costs, farmers can produce significantly more dry matter per hectare by opting for the higher yielding fodder beet varieties.”
Sown in April, fodder beet is harvested from October onwards and can be fed in a total mixed ration or ad lib with maize silage, or it can be grazed in situ.
Limagrain UK publishes its annual trial data, available to all growers to enable them to make informed decisions. There are no recommended lists for fodder beet.
Limagrain UK’s latest fodder beet trial results are available here
Fuel from fodder beet supports cow performancePembrokeshire dairy farmer Roger James relies on a high energy diet in early lactation to keep his 300-cow cross bred dairy herd in good body condition and able to support milk production and high fertility levels in a trouble-free fashion.
He gets this from a combination of breeding and nutrition.
Roger says his medium-sized strong cows are ideal – a cross of Montbeliarde, Norwegian Red and British Friesian genetics. “And if we feed them properly, they produce good quality milk, stay fit and get back in calf easily.”
The diet is based on a TMR comprising grass and wholecrop silage and fodder beet – all home-grown forages – plus molasses and a blend, as well as a rumen buffer, vitamins and minerals. This supports average yields in this NMR-recorded herd of 8,000 litres at 4.35% fat and 3.50% protein on twice-a-day milking.
“The fodder beet gives our cows plenty of energy and that, in turn, results in good fertility,” says Roger.
“We target, and usually achieve, a 365-day average calving interval. Getting cows back in calf is the cornerstone of our management system here. We’re mainly autumn calving and look to calve 240 cows in an eight-week period from October.”
Fodder beet is introduced to the ration early in December at a rate of 6kg per cow per day, increasing to 8kg per head by the end of the month to get the energy up, ahead of starting to AI cows from the beginning of January. 
Around 3.6 hectares of fodder beet is sown in April and provides a break crop for wholecrop wheat. “The land is free-draining, and the fodder beet grows really well, whatever the season throws at it,” he says. “We lift about 320 tonne of fodder beet each year, and yield doesn’t vary much from year to year.” Average yield is about 90t/ha.
He says that during the decade of growing the crop, he’s never had a bad harvest. “In fact, we’ve had some of our best yields when it’s been really dry and hot, such as in 2018 and in 2022. I think the extra warmth in the soil, when it did eventually rain, meant the beet grew like mad and more than made up for lost time.”
Fodder beet grown at Moat Grange, just south of the Preseli hills in the heart of Pembrokeshire, is lifted in early November and stored in a clamp, before being washed, chopped and added to the TMR.
“We feed it in the TMR even after the cows are turned out in mid-March. They’re given a buffer to support yields and fed concentrate in the parlour until milk eases off and they’re approaching drying off.
“The fodder beet keeps well, until mid-April when temperatures warm up and it starts to go soft. But we aim to have finished feeding it all by then.”
Roger is discerning about the variety he grows and takes advice from his Wynnstay adviser Laurence Couzens.
“We’ve opted for Robbos for the past few years, and I’m pleased with it. It offers a high dry matter yield and feed value. And the smooth skin, and the fact that it’s not too deep rooted, means it lifts out clean and easily, making it easier to wash.
“I know I don’t necessarily need to wash it, and many growers don’t, but I prefer to reduce any risk of soil contamination,” says Roger.
He farms the 174-hectare unit, which has been in the family for more than 100 years, in partnership with his father Robert and brother Simon.
Roger manages the dairy herd and followers with the help of a cowman and two full-time staff. His partner Angharad is also developing a gelato business – Llaeth Preseli Milk and Gelato – using milk from the herd.
“Milk quality from healthy and productive cows is important to us,” he adds. “We sell pasteurised milk and handmade gelato directly from the farm. The milk is sold through a vending machine, and the gelato is served from a trailer in our ‘gelato garden’. Both these ventures are brand new and going well so far. Most of the herd’s milk is sold to First Milk and used for making cheddar cheese.
“We’re aiming to get the best from our unit and our cows. Our home- grown forage is vital. First cut is taken in mid-May – a little later than some would take it, but it means there’s more fibre in the silage and this balances well with the wholecrop. The fodder beet is the icing on the cake. Cows keep well on this, and production, health and fertility are good. So is our gelato!””
KEY FACTS ON FODDER BEET
- Sown in March – April
Can be part of a grass rotation or an alternative to spring cereal crops to provide livestock feed and break the pest and disease cycle
- Harvest flexibility
Crop can be lifted from late October until March. Little loss in feed value, if any, is typically seen in later harvested crops.
- High energy feed provides high feed value
Average ME 12.5-13MJ/kg DM, 162,500 – 202,500MJ/ha with more recent varieties producing well above this level.
- Choice of variety to suit the system
Consider root depth, disease resistance, bolting score
There are no recommended lists for fodder beet varieties, but Limagrain UK’s annual fodder beet trial results are available to all growers and farmers.
more information
Learn more about Robbos fodder beet here or contact your usual seed merchant for availability
The latest UK trial results data on fodder beet (including Fosyma) can be downloaded here
Peas perform in dry conditions
Lincolnshire grower Edward Knight of James Knight Farms near Folkingham, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, was very pleased with how well the large blue pea LG Aviator coped with the challenging dry conditions of 2022.
“They stood up nicely to combine and yielded 3.7t/ha,” he says.
“This is the first year we have grown LG Aviator peas, which will go to Limagrain UK for seed”.
“We are impressed with LG Aviator as a variety – it’s clean, vigorous and with the dry conditions we didn’t have to spend too much on it. We also bale the straw as the cattle like pea straw, so it’s a good value crop for us.”
Direct drilling peas
“We have grown pulses on and off for the last fifteen years, depending on where they fit in the rotation. We work the soil in the autumn with a Sumo trio, and then drill in the spring once soils have warmed up enough. For the first time, we direct drilled the peas using a Mzuri in an attempt to conserve as much soil moisture as possible – which worked well.”
Importance of disease resistance
At a time when farmers are looking carefully at crop inputs, a variety like LG Aviator should provide some much needed varietal security as it offers the best disease resistance package of any large blue pea variety, including powdery mildew resistance,” says Corrie Dekker, Assistant Pulse Breeder for Limagrain UK.
“The variety also exhibits a unique architecture with most of the pods near the top of the plant, which keeps them off the ground and makes for easier combining.”
For these reasons, Ms Dekker believes that LG Aviator will feature in generations to come and is why it has been significantly taken up by the industry.
Farm facts
JK Farms
Family Farm & Contracting
Rotation
Peas/Beans
Wheat
Wheat/Spring Barley
Linseed
Wheat
Wheat/Spring Barley
OSR
LG Aviator peas in summary
-
• Good yield performance with consistent flowering and even maturity
• Excellent tolerance to downy mildew and powdery mildew resistant
• Multi podded type with a condensed pod set at the top of the plant
• Suitable for micronizing, feed and human consumption market
You can download the technical data sheet for LG Aviator peas here
Fodder beet helps farmer reduce his purchased feed whilst benefiting landGrowing fodder beet to feed cattle and sheep is helping Shropshire mixed farmer Gordon Tomley safeguard against high feed prices and benefit soil health as part of his cereal rotation.
Mr Tomley grows 12ha of fodder beet a year to feed his 500 head of cattle – from his own 80-cow suckler cow herd and 200 bought-in dairy cross weaners a year – and 700 ewes. He says stock do well off it, with cases of twin lamb disease in ewes almost disappearing, and Angus heifers and steers averaging at least 1kg a day liveweight gain.
It also provides a good break crop for this mixed farm, which includes 243ha of arable. The main rotation includes two wheat crops, winter barley, stubble turnips, fodder beet and potatoes.
Feeding rate
Throughout the winter, heifers and steers over 12 months old are fed whole fodder beet in bunkers at a rate of 3kg to 4kg a day and ad lib silage, building to 15kg to 18kg as they head towards finishing.
In the last three months of finishing, they are also fed barley straw and ad lib corn to get the finish. However, Mr Tomley says they will always choose to eat fodder beet over corn any day.
“There’s a saying that 4kg of fodder beet is worth 1kg of corn. It certainly helps us get a good finish on cattle at a cost to feed of about 2p to 3p/kg,” he adds.
His 80 dairy cross Angus suckler cows receive 10kg a head a day of beet, and anything under 10 months is on between 5kg and 8kg a day.
Dairy x Angus heifers are averaging 315kg and steers 335kg to 340kg at about 20 months old when they are finished.
Ewes do equally as well on the home-grown product. He farms 400 Welsh and Beulah ewes on a hill farm nearby and he feeds whole ad-lib fodder beet, using a Marshall spreader, from December until six weeks post-lambing in April.
He also has 200 half-bred Mules on the home farm which are fed ad-lib fodder beet over winter. None of the ewes receives corn, as the fodder beet provides plenty of energy, and Mr Tomley says feeding fodder beet ‘takes a lot of hassle out of the job’.
He adds: “When you have a lot of stock, it’s good to know the fodder beet is there. It means we are not at the mercy of the marketplace, safeguarding us against high feed prices.”
Fodder beet also provides an added income stream as Mr Tomley sells up to 20% of the crop to neighbouring farmers, which this year was at £45/t.
Variety selection
Variety selection is critical to achieving such good performance in his stock, a key focus for agricultural merchants Wynnstay who offer support to growers and farmers in the region.
“We see big improvements in the reliability and consistency of higher yields and the improved feed value in the more recent varieties,” says the company’s grass and root seed manager Colin Jones.
Mr Tomley grows Robbos on his medium loam soil type. It yields more than 80t/hectare and has a dry matter of 19%.
“Robbos isn’t such a hard variety, which is good for the sheep as it’s a little softer on their mouths. It also keeps its leaf well, so if stock is grazing it directly, there is feed value in the leaf. The good leaf also helps protect it against frost,” he adds.
Mr Tomley also notes the cleanliness of the variety. “The first lot we lifted last year didn’t need cleaning as Robbos has a clean root. Our contractors’ machines help too, as they spin off any soil,” he says.
Before growing Robbos, he grew Magnum for many years, but the yield was lower, but it needed the same inputs.
Mr Tomley uses a contractor to sow the crop, usually around April 10, and it follows a crop of stubble turnips. The first batch of fodder beet is usually lifted at the end of November, with a second lift in January and a third at the end of February.
He stores it in a heap on a concrete pad next to his silage clamp, with the roots able to keep for four to five months.
Getting a good crop requires some key management, though. Mr Tomley explains: “If you want the yield, then you must make sure there is no weed competition early on. We use one pre-emergence and one post emergence herbicide and fungicide for powdery mildew and yellow virus to protect the crop.”
He also applies 10 tonnes/ha of layer manure and 20t/ha of farmyard manure, which is ploughed in. The ground is then flat-lifted and worked, ready for sowing. “Last year, it paid off applying at the end of August after the dry summer,” he adds.
Middleton Farm Facts
• 162ha grassland and 243ha of arable
• Growing 12ha of fodder beet variety Robbos a year
• Growing, lifting and sowing costs £1485-£1605/ha
• Fed to 500 head of cattle and 700 ewes
About Robbos Fodder Beet
• Has the potential to produce high dry matter yields with its clean yellow roots and medium dry matter content.
• Ideal choice for both dairy and beef production, and for first-time fodder beet growers.
• Robbos fodder beet is UK proven with large leaves and clean roots.
More information
Learn more about Robbos fodder beet here or contact your usual seed merchant for availability
The latest UK trial results data on fodder beet (including Robbos) can be downloaded here
For Northumberland farmer, Wayne Bean of T Bean & Sons, growing his own livestock feed is key to maintaining profitability from his cattle and sheep.
Whole crop beans, maize, kale, forage rape, fodder beet and grain are grown for this purpose at Broad Oak Farm, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
“We are totally self sufficient in producing the ingredients for our rations. By growing our own feed, it puts us in control of our own costs as much as possible,” explains Wayne.
“We know the margins that we have to operate within between profit and loss, and this is particularly important when we buy cattle in, as it helps us to know our margins are fixed before starting.”
“It’s also important that in our cattle ration we include a protein source, as well as fibre, which whole crop beans provide.”
Beans became central to the rotation at Broad Oak Farm back in 2008, initially in response to a price hike in protein and nitrogen costs when 20 acres were drilled on a trial and now there is as much as 80 acres grown in any one season.
“Initially we grew spring beans, but have changed to winter varieties as we have found we can drill them into the heavier ground where maize can’t be grown as a break crop and weed control.”
“With our land being up to 1000 ft above sea level, conditions in the spring are unpredictable, so it takes the risk away.”
“We are now growing the variety Tundra. Whilst it’s not the highest yielding variety available, it has one of the highest protein contents which is key for us, and agronomically we like it for its good standing and earliness of maturity,” he says.
“We harvest the beans using a direct disc header on the forage harvester. We generally try to avoid using pod stick to keep costs down, as find that this approach helps us to reduce seed losses.”
“We aim to get the maize crop as dry as possible for high DM. The grain we grow is crimped and the whole crop beans go on top of the crimped grain in the clamp. We use an additive (Safesill), which is applied by the harvester and we usually wait for about 4-6 weeks before feeding.”
“It’s not the way that many would feed beans but it works very well for us!”
LG wheats scoop top spot in Suffolk awardsLimagrain varieties have picked up two prizes at the Suffolk Agricultural Association’s annual Farm Business Competition, presented at a special awards dinner in October.
The competition aims to recognise the best farms in Suffolk, in three size categories – Class 1 (farms up to 250 ha), Class 2 (251-500 ha), and Class 3 (farms of 501 ha or more) – as well as presenting further awards in four main categories, namely; conservation, livestock, diversification and a ‘Best Crop’ award.
Limagrain UK varieties scooped first place in two out of the three size classes within the Best Crop award.
William Faulds
The winning crop in Class 1 was the high-yielding Group 4 wheat, LG Skyscraper, grown by Roy Steward, at A.C.C Green, Red House Farm, Badingham, Woodbridge.
“The Skyscraper looked well all year, was not over thick and is a good all-round variety,” Mr Steward said.
Judge of the Class 1 competition, William Faulds, commented: “I have seen a number of very good-looking crops of wheat over the competition, and in general. But, LG Skyscraper has particularly stood out, in both the first and second wheat scenarios that we judged.”
Class 3 Best Crop – Bill Baker, James Forrest, Robert Hayle
Among the larger Class 3 farms, it was a crop of the Group 3 soft milling wheat, LG Astronomer, grown by James Forrest, at RH Forrest and Co, Mowness Hall, Stonham Aspal, that took the Best Crop award.
“It’s always very difficult to decide which is the best crop of wheat,” said Mr Forrest. “The LG Astronomer grew well and yielded well too, at over 11 t/ha. It was grown as a seed crop and we’re growing it again commercially this year. It also produced a decent sample at 80 kg/hl.”
The 2022 Suffolk Show President, David Barker MBE, said that in his opinion: “The farms reflect some of the best crops grown in the UK, and for two Limagrain-bred wheats to feature was a tribute to the remarkable plant breeding taking place at Woolpit in Suffolk.”
For more info on LG Skyscraper winter wheat, click here
Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and Limagrain Field Seeds forge a new path in plant breeding for pulsesSaskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) and Limagrain Field Seeds are excited to announce a new collaboration for pulse breeding in Saskatchewan, Canada.
This new collaboration has a strong commercial focus and will bring new and additional investment into pea and lentil breeding locally in Saskatchewan, increasing competition, and creating a strong
environment to foster innovation.
Developing new and better performing varieties of peas and lentils is the focus of the breeding collaboration. Farmers’ priorities and greatest production challenges are at the forefront of the breeding program, with major areas of focus including resistance to root disease in peas and lentils, increased protein content, and overall improvements in yield performance under varying conditions.
Breeding will take place in Saskatchewan for the benefit of Saskatchewan producers. “We are excited for this new direction in pulse breeding for farmers in Saskatchewan. It is important to continue fostering innovation and competition in pulse breeding and to bring new perspectives to challenging on-farm issues like root rots and herbicide resistance,” says Shaun Dyrland, Chair of SPG Board of Directors.
“We believe this new collaboration with Limagrain on pulse breeding will allow for targeting grower priorities and ensuring that growers’ direction and voices are at the table helping to drive new varieties.”
The new Limagrain Field Seeds breeding, and research program will be based in Saskatoon, where a dedicated pulse breeding team will be created, bringing new expertise in breeding, pathology, molecular genetics, and field trial evaluation to the region.
This technology driven program will lead to higher performing varieties being made available to producers more quickly by deploying all available technology to both shorten the breeding cycle and accelerate seed production.
Commitment and Collaboration
“Limagrain is very committed to producing plant-based proteins. Saskatchewan is at the heart of global pulse production, so it makes perfect sense for Limagrain Field Seeds to extend its existing cereal breeding research in Saskatoon, and to now include these two pulse crops reinforcing our commitment to Saskatchewan,” remarked Régis Fournier, CEO of Limagrain Field Seeds.
“Collaboration is a core value for Limagrain and partnering with SPG, a fellow farmer-led organization is a crucially important component.”
Both SPG and Limagrain are farmer-led with farmer-based boards of Directors. This is an important pillar to this new collaboration, which was developed around shared values to support and foster profitable growth and opportunities for Saskatchewan farmers.
The collaboration has SPG and Limagrain sharing in upfront investments, with future royalties from the sale of new varieties to be shared. SPG will provide input on breeding priorities and ensure that farmers’ voices, needs, priorities, and challenges are driving the goals of the program every step of the way.
Benefits for European and UK pulse markets
Will Pillinger, pulse breeder for Limagrain UK believes European and UK markets can expect to see the benefits from this incredibly significant pulses breeding collaboration in the near future through combined technology and genetic diversity. 
“The partnership with Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG), has increased our investment in genomic selection and specific trait related genetic markers for peas, beans and lentils.”
Korit® Pro Safety Information“This increased global pulse breeding will have an immediate impact on the ability for Limagrain UK to access accelerated improvements in yield, quality and disease resistance and it should not be too long before we see these attributes on UK farms.”
TO VIEW LIMAGRAIN’S PULSE VARIETIES, CLICK HERE
Essential safety information for Korit® PRO seed treatment
Download the safety information for Korit® PRO, which contains details of active ingredients and safety warnings, as well as the safety equipment required for using, handling, storing and transporting seed treated with this chemical.
The safety card also contains information regarding good practices for using the product.
Download the full Korit® PRO Safety Card here
KORIT® PRO GOOD PRACTICES
For each step, use the safety equipment required!
Transport and Storage
Check that all the bags are intact
During transport, users and seeds bags must be physically separated (ex: in a trailer)
Transport bags in the original packaging
Store in locked up and well-ventilated place. Keep container tightly closed
Dispose of contents/container in accordance with local regulations
Collect spillage
Before Sowing (when opening the seed bags and filling the seed drill hoppers)
Avoid exposure to dust
Avoid the transfer of dust from the seed bag into the seed drill hoppers.
Do not reprocess treated seed with additional products
During Sowing
When using a pneumatic vacuum seed drill, the dust from the treated seeds must be directed towards the ground surface by using deflectors.
To protect birds and mammals, treated seeds must be well covered with soil, including at the end of the furrow.
After Sowing
Do not leave empty bags or treated seeds unusable in the environment. Eliminate them in accordance with current legislation.
Return all unused treated seeds to their original bags and do not reuse empty bags for other uses.
Do not use treated seeds for human or animal consumption or to produce derived products.
Wash your hand and all exposed parts of your body before eating and after work