The climate is keeping us on our toes and this year (2023) has been no exception. It calls for flexibility and agility when it comes to growing forage crops. Limagrain’s forage crop manager John Spence sows some seeds of ideas on future proofing home grown feed supplies going forward.
“We’re ending the year with decent stores of grass and maize silage, but this doesn’t tell the full story,” says John Spence. “A cold late spring delayed grass growth, then for most grass silage making started well, until heavy rain arrived.
Hot and dry conditions weren’t as extreme as 2022, but some were affected with poor grass growth, then some respite and good grass growth through a mild autumn until heavy rain put some areas under water at worst and at best caused the late sowing of forage catch crops which will certainly hamper their yield and quality.
So farmers are faced with balancing more extreme weather conditions and the drive to improve sustainability and economic viability by producing more feed value from home grown forages.
“Marrying the two is quite a challenge,” adds Mr Spence.
“Agility and flexibility are key when it comes to planning. Avoid planning everything in stone and being too rigid with the cropping.”
Forage choices
The dairy system will determine forage options, with more alternatives typically possible in grazing herd situations. “A herd housed full time will usually rely on conserved high quality silages. “This has to remain the priority,” says Mr Spence. “But introducing forages like fodder beet and forage rye can really boost output from homegrown forages, as well as opting for higher production grass seed mixtures and clovers.
“Grazed herds can consider kale too, and some brassicas like Skyfall that ‘bounces back’, in effect giving two grazing crops, through summer which can take the pressure off the grass.”
Fodder beet, though, has been used in dairy cow diets for many years in areas where it can be grown on farm or locally on contract.
“This is a high energy crop, highly digestible and ‘enjoyed’ by dairy cows. We’ve tested a range of varieties in our own UK farm trials for more than 10 years and yields are consistently reliable, even in dry hot summers,” he adds.
“And new modern varieties are out-performing some of the older fodder beets. Limagrain trials consistently show the variety Fosyma to have the best dry matter yield at 14% above the control variety Magnum, and 5% above its closest rival Brick.”
Fodder beet’s feed value at 78% digestibility and 13MJ/kg of dry matter is a valuable addition to any dairy ration.
Kale might have been out of fashion. “But not anymore,” adds Mr Spence. “Here again, new varieties with improved feed value have brought the crop back into the spotlight.”
He highlights Bombardier – a relatively new kale variety with a nutritious stem and leaf with 72% digestibility in UK trials and 17% crude protein It’s sown between April and June so it can follow first cut silage and provide a valuable break crop in the grass rotation.
“A kale crop can slot into the plan for many grazing herds. It’s fast-growing so cattle can strip graze it as a buffer feed in mid-summer to take the pressure off the grass.
But it has a long shelf-life too, so it’s a useful crop for youngstock and dry cows in autumn and winter. In either situation it can be used as a break crop and followed with a grass reseed. Break crops between grass crops are increasingly important in breaking the pest cycle and improving productivity of grass leys.”
Forage rye has been particularly popular this autumn – 2023, with crops following harvest or early maturing maize varieties. It can be sown until late October and is ready for cutting or grazing in early spring, even before Italian ryegrass.
A crude protein content of 12% and an ME of 10MJ/kg DM makes it an ideal forage for late lactation or dry cows, or youngstock. And once finished, the field can go back into maize or a spring reseed.
“A crop of rye will provide a valuable feed to eke out silages and it’s also a great crop to mop up residual nutrients and maintain soil health. The only caveat maybe sowing in a very wet autumn, but most farmers were in time this year, as the first half of autumn was warm and dry. So again, a flexible approach is needed and the will to act if conditions are right.”
Grass is king
Grass is the most important forage for most dairy farmers, and increasing its productivity and feed value should be on-going. This includes regular reseeding and taking advantage of improved grass seed mixtures and always selecting a grass seed mixture to suit the system and purpose of the crop, as well as the growing conditions and soil type.
“There are new varieties, improved grass seed mixtures and enhancements to match changing conditions. So farmers should seek advice and look for mixtures with proven trial results and good performance on UK farms and be discerning in their choices,” adds Mr Spence.
Limagrain trials in 2020 highlight the benefit of reseeding and of selecting proven mixtures. Table 1 highlights the productivity of a one year old ley and a four year old ley. The additional 45% of energy produced by the new sward was equivalent to more than 6,000 litres of milk (assuming 5.3MJ/litre).
Table 1
Age of Sward (Years)
4
1
Benefit of New Ley
1st Cut DM yield (t/ha)
3.57
6.06
+2.49
ME (MJ/kg DM)
10.8
11.9
+1.1
ME yield (MJ/ha)
38,669
72,072
33,403
Source: Limagrain UK Trials, May 2020
“The additional energy yield value from younger leys will increase the proportion of milk yield from home-grown forage, reduce bought-in feed costs and this will justify the cost of the reseed. Depending on the age and quality of the ley, estimates suggest the additional yield in year one of a reseed will cover its cost.”
Trials have also demonstrated the benefits of improved mixtures with proven feed values. LGAN is the accreditation given to LG mixtures that meet the company’s combined yield and feed value criteria, and table 2 shows the performance range at first cut of the one-year-old mixtures on trial.
“The best performing mixture at first cut was LGAN Quality Silage, which produced more than 7t/DM of 12.5ME silage. The trial year, 2020, was particualrly dry, so these results demonstrate the big gains that can be made by using high-feed-value mixtures.”
Table 2
Max
Min
Range
DM yield (t/ha)
7.81
4.78
3.03
ME (MJ/kg)
12.5
11.6
0.9
ME yield (MJ/ha)
93,703
55,384
38,319
Stock up on clover
A forage outlook for 2024 wouldn’t be complete without highlighting the benefits of clover in grass leys.
“Any new reseed with clover in the mix or overseeding a ley with clover is eligible for an annual payment of £102 a hectare under the new SFI action NUM2 (Legumes on improved grassland),” says Mr Spence.
“This more than pays for the seed, and it brings all the benefits in soil health, nitrogen fixing and feed value. And in mid-summer, the clover provides good feed value when perennial ryegrass growth slows down.”
A lot of focus is also being placed on multispecies leys, with sustainability schemes encouraging dairy farmers to integrate them into their systems. “There are payments available under the new SFI scheme for sowing multispecies leys which will be worth investigating in the forage planning for 2024.
“There is a lot of considerations and it’s worth having an open mind to new ideas and options.”
FORAGE PLANNING POINTERS
Plan to increase output from homegrown forages
Throw the net out wider – look at all the options
Have a flexible plan and be agile to adapt to the season’s weather conditions
Have a robust and productive rotation for the farm – no one rotation fits all
Use a forage break crop between grass reseeds
Look at improved forage crop varieties with better protein and energy contents
Clover in grass leys is a must
Improving grass quality and feed value is on-going
Carefully select grass seed mixtures with proven feed value
Skyfall – forage of choice for Cornish sheep & cattle
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
Skyfall – the bounce back brassica that keeps on growing
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
Sowing a forage crop and taking a “cereal break” is a win-win!
Give the arable crop rotation a break and sow a forage crop this autumn, to help achieve better weed control and boost home grown feed supplies. Mixed cereal and livestock units are encouraged to think about growing forages on some of their arable land, as this will help weed control by breaking the life cycles of some damaging weeds and diseases.
Forage crops – and any grazing livestock – add organic matter to the soils, which is especially valuable in nutrient depleted soils. Soil structure and condition warrants attention on many arable units, and rotations that include forage crops are more sustainable in the long run.
Forage crops, such as; fast-growing brassica and root crops, and short-term grass leys, can be sown post-harvest to give a much-needed break in the cereal rotation, as well as providing a valuable feed crop.
Roots and brassicas can be grazed-off ahead of a spring drilled cereal crop, or ahead of a grass reseed. Leaving a grass ley down for two to three years will also help break the blackgrass cycle.
Interval Rape Kale Hybrid
There are plenty of high feed value varieties to choose, that can improve livestock growth rates and performance.
Our recommendations are:
Samson stubble turnip – for grazing October onwards
Interval rape-kale hybrid – high protein leafy forage
Meatmaker and Autumn Keep brassica mixtures – contain stubble turnips, forage rape and Kale. The high protein content of both forage rape and Kale complements the high energy stubble turnip bulbs to provide an excellent, well balanced winter feed.
Spring-sown fodder crops meet the challenges
A dry autumn and limited grass growth, coupled with high bought-in feed prices, are making dairy producers consider how best they can increase output from their forage-growing area
A dry autumn and limited grass growth, coupled with high bought-in feed prices, are making dairy producers consider how best they can increase output from their forage-growing area. Limagrain UK’s John Spence suggests throwing the net a bit wider and looking at some high-feed-value spring-sown crops.
“These include kale rape hybrids, new bounce-back brassicas, and fodder beet,” he says, adding they can all provide a high-feed-value crop and give the grass rotation a valuable break.
“The starting point, when it comes to crop planning in spring, is deciding which grass swards need attention, as on most dairy farms this is the staple crop.”
A good first cut of grass silage, taken in the first two weeks of May from a high yielding conservation ley, should yield six tonnes of dry matter per hectare.
Limagrain published data from grass-seed-mixture trials across four consecutive years, from 2017 to 2020, which showed at least this level of yield in commercially available conservation mixtures. But, regardless of mixture, yield and quality declined year-on-year.
“Overall we recorded a reduction in yield of five tonnes of dry matter per hectare from the peak in year one to year four, representing a 40% drop,” says Mr Spence. “Five tonnes of dry matter would provide the energy to produce £3,280-worth of milk, based on a milk price of 30ppl.
“Estimated reseeding costs are between £430 and £700 per hectare, so it offers a clear return on investment. So putting up with poor grass is a false economy.”
A spring or summer sown forage crop can be a useful circuit breaker between grass crops for grassland pests, particularly in the light of the pesticide ban on grassland.
And these fast-growing, high-yielding forages, such as a forage brassica crop, for grazing in mid to late summer when grass gets short, are appealing on many farms.”
Hybrid brassicas and forage rape are sown from May until July. They grow fast and are typically ready to graze in between 12 and 14 weeks.
“These crops have deep roots, so they’re ideal if it’s dry – the sort of conditions we’re seeing more often. And they’re typically grazed in situ, so nutrients and organic matter are returned to the land which boosts soil fertility.”
Feed value is good too, particularly if high-value varieties are used. In Limagrain field trials, where a wide range of commercially available, rape/kale hybrids were compared, with the highest relative dry matter crops, Unicorn and Interval, yielding 11% and 17%respectively,above the control, and offering top scores for mildew resistance too.
Kale crops can also be sown across a few months too, and they u provide an additional forage crop into autumn and winter. Like all brassicas, it has a high protein content, but it will outyield the hybrids. Kale is a relatively economical to grow.
Another good spring-sown crop, which can withstand drought and provide a summer forage supplement for dairy cattle, is the unique bounce-back brassica Skyfall. “Already very successful in sheep systems, it is gaining momentum for dairy and beef systems,” says Mr Spence
Like rape kale hybrids, it’s got a wide sowing window from May to July and is ready to graze within 12 weeks. “It has large strap leaves, which look like stubble turnip leaves, and roots that are deep and elongated – more like a forage rape root – which promotes the crop’s regrowth and drought tolerance.
“After grazing, the crop is then closed up for four weeks to enable the re-growth before grazing again. We’ve seen three grazing rounds from each crop, with earlier sown crops showing the most bounce-back potential.”
At the end of summer, once these crops are grazed off, the land can be ploughed, and a grass or winter cereal crop sown. Or the land can be left for reseeding until the following spring to ensure a break in the pest cycle.
Power-house
Fodder beet is another spring-sown crop with very high feed value. Alongside maize, it is energy rich and provides a palatable ‘powerhouse’ in dairy rations.
While Mr Spence suggests light to medium free-draining soils are most suited to growing fodder beet, it will thrive on a wide range of soil types. “It’s a crop that that is well suited to the UK climate. It will produce consistent yields in wet or dry conditions, so our drier summers are not too much of a threat to this crop,” he says.
For the past five years Limagrain has been exporting fodder beet seed to New Zealand for grazing dairy cattle – both milkers and young stock. “It’s taken off among their milk producers, who graze the crop in situ. They use the same varieties as we grow here and, as in the UK, the maritime climate suits the crop.
“But consider the land type first for out wintering grazing systems. Heavy, wet land can make moving fences daily, or every few days, hard work. But where it will work, producers can place fresh silage bales at the end of rows and create a sort of ‘in situ’ TMR and we see cattle thrive on this diet.”
Areas where beet lifting equipment is available lend themselves to using the crop in TMR systems. It can be lifted and clamped and used through winter.
Varieties with medium dry matters, with 60% of the root out of the ground are best suited to dairy systems, either for using in the TMR or for grazing. Popular varieties in dairy systems are Robbos or Blaze.
“There are some very good options for spring sown forages,” adds Mr Spence. “I would encourage some research and looking at the suitability of each crop for the own farm and system, and also to be discerning in the choice of variety for each crop.
“There’s been significant progress in feed value between varieties and some modern choices boast much better feed values, which will be welcome news for many producers looking to maintain or improve cost of milk production.”
Yield and feed value based on Limagrain field trials, * Combined yield over four cuts
New forage makes successful debut on sheep unit
New hybrid brassica, Skyfall has the unique ability to ‘bounce back’ and provide two crops in one season made a successful debut on one Shropshire sheep unit last year (2020)
A new hybrid brassica that has the unique ability to ‘bounce back’ and provide two crops in one season made a successful debut on one Shropshire sheep unit last year (2020). So much so that the drill is being primed ready to sow a crop again this spring.
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 hybrid brassica Skyfall; a new forage crop from Limagrain UK that has great growth potential, and the ability to ‘bounce back’, during summer.
The idea of this mid-summer forage crop came from seed manager local merchant ACT’s Mark Sheridan. “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 on August 24, 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 hybrid 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!”
• 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
Fodder crop menu for finishing lambs
What choices are there for sheep producers who want to mitigate the risk of a grass shortage and have a fresh high feed value forage to hand when finishing lambs later this year?
What choices are there for sheep producers who want to mitigate the risk of a grass shortage and have a fresh high feed value forage to hand when finishing lambs later this year? According to Limagrain’s Martin Titley, there are plenty of options.
And not only do they offer a low-cost forage option, but they can also provide a break crop after grass leys or cereals.
“There are a number of good fodder crops that arable or mixed farms could consider this spring, instead of sowing cereals,” says Mr Titley. “A lot of arable units are facing big acreages for spring crops. Sowing a break crop on some fields might not be a bad option; maybe where there’s been a blackgrass problem or as an option to break the disease cycle.
Stubble Turnips
Stubble turnips are an ‘old favourite’ and lost popularity as rotations changed and other options became more fashionable. But they’re now back in favour. “Arable and sheep producers alike recognise that they suit practically any sheep production system – they’re incredible versatile,” says Mr Titley.
He says that the real attraction for this crop is that it’s fast growing and for some the flexible sowing time is attractive. It can be sown in May and June, after first-cut silage, to get a bite in early August and September. “This is good on units where grazing can burn off later in the season. It acts as an ‘insurance’ crop against a dry summer and allows producers to finish lambs on a low-cost forage crop.”
Most stubble turnip crops are sown after cereal harvest – at the end of July or beginning of August – and are then ready for grazing between 12 and 14 weeks later.
“They’re ideal for plugging the forage gap between September and the end of December,” he says, adding that this year, being very mild, farmers have grazed them well into February. “This isn’t the norm though and can’t be taken for granted.”
Forage rape and hybrids -which are typically a cross between rape and kale – are becoming a ‘go to’ choice for finishing lambs.
“These forage rape brassicas are particularly popular because of their flexible sowing dates,” adds Mr Titley. “They can be sown from May until late August and used as summer grazing or sown into winter barley stubble in late July.
An easy to grow crop also makes these hybrid brassicas popular. They benefit from farmyard manure or slurry pre sowing, or an application of 60kg to 90kg of nitrogen with 25kg each of potassium and phosphate per hectare.
“And they’re fast-growing so ready to graze in 12 to 14 weeks. Sown in May, they give a bite at the end of August or early September which is ideal for finishing lambs on many farms.”
But the crop can be used across winter too and will keep its leafiness in colder conditions. “Forage rape and the hybrid crops are winter hardy and are capable of carrying stock well into February and even early March. But it must be grazed before flowering as once it starts to flower, it loses its nutritional value.”
Modern rape kale hybrids offer high feed values. “Take one of the latest, Unicorn, launched in 2019. This fast-growing leafy catch crop offers energy values of 11 MJ per kilogramme of dry matter, producing 49,438 MJ per hectare, and a dry matter content of 12.4%. This is a lot of feed value from 12 to 14 weeks of growth.”
Both stubble turnips and forage rape hybrids provide a good break, helping to build fertility back into the soil and to control both broadleaved and grass weeds. They can be followed with a spring grass reseed or a spring cereal crop.
“A mix of the two in one cropping is popular too,” he adds. The stubble turnip ‘bulbs’ provide a high energy crop, whereas the brassica hybrids, such a forage rape, pack a protein punch. This offers a more balanced forage mix in one crop.
“In freezing and snowy conditions, the forage rape ‘stands up’ and creates a canopy over the stubble turnips which generally keeps them fresher for longer.”
Mr Titley says that the popularity of swedes is declining as more producers discover the benefits of stubble turnips and forage rape. “But we’re still seeing the old favourite swede variety; Invitation and our Massif traditional turnip take their well-earned place on some sheep units.
“These crops grow well in autumn so they’re ideal where cereal harvest is later; which is often why we see them grown in Scotland. They provide a high energy, high dry matter winter feed that can be grazed from the end of November through to February with relatively low production costs.”
Herbal Leys
Herbal leys are getting more popular for grazing sheep and finishing lambs. The perennial mixtures typically persist for three or four years and comprise species including chicory and plantain, as well as traditional grasses such as meadow fescue and sainfoin.
“The species are deep rooting and they continue to thrive in dry conditions – either during drought or towards the back-end of the grazing season, when grass may be struggling,” says Mr Titley.
These mixtures really come into their own on chalky, light and free-draining soils. They’re also rich in minerals, compared to other forage crops.
Sheep farmers on or close to EFA land, which is now subject to the ‘greening’ rules, cannot leave land fallow during the winter – a green cover crop must be sown and must remain in place until January 12 each year.
“A mixture of forage rye Humbolt and vetch, which can be sown as late as September, is a good option,” says Mr Titley. “It’s a reliable feed for both ewes and finishing lambs to graze, up until April, if required.”
He adds that herbal leys are becoming more predominant in arable farming areas. “Sheep and arable farmers can work together on this. There are also soil health and fertility benefits to be had by arable producers who graze livestock on a proportion of their land each year.”
Hot and dry conditions weren’t as extreme as 2022, but some were affected with poor grass growth, then some respite and good grass growth through a mild autumn until heavy rain put some areas under water at worst and at best caused the late sowing of forage catch crops which will certainly hamper their yield and quality.
Trials have also demonstrated the benefits of improved mixtures with proven feed values. LGAN is the accreditation given to LG mixtures that meet the company’s combined yield and feed value criteria, and table 2 shows the performance range at first cut of the one-year-old mixtures on trial.
A lot of focus is also being placed on multispecies leys, with sustainability schemes encouraging dairy farmers to integrate them into their systems. “There are payments available under the new SFI scheme for sowing multispecies leys which will be worth investigating in the forage planning for 2024.
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.
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.
“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 
About 270 lambs were moved back on to the 
“The starting point, when it comes to crop planning in spring, is deciding which grass swards need attention, as on most dairy farms this is the staple crop.”
For the past five years Limagrain has been exporting fodder beet seed to New Zealand for grazing dairy cattle – both milkers and young stock. “It’s taken off among their milk producers, who graze the crop in situ. They use the same varieties as we grow here and, as in the UK, the maritime climate suits the crop.
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.
“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.”
He says that the real attraction for this crop is that it’s fast growing and for some the flexible sowing time is attractive. It can be sown in May and June, after first-cut silage, to get a bite in early August and September. “This is good on units where grazing can burn off later in the season. It acts as an ‘insurance’ crop against a dry summer and allows producers to finish lambs on a low-cost forage crop.”
“In freezing and snowy conditions, the forage rape ‘stands up’ and creates a canopy over the stubble turnips which generally keeps them fresher for longer.”