FODDER beet and maize are good sowing options now as farmers plan to get as much from their home grown feed as possible ahead of next winter, a forage seed expert has said.

Francis Dunne, of Field Options in Presteigne, Powys, said maize and fodder beet are the best high yielding crops to sow but also recommends ryegrass and winter grazing crops like swedes and kale.

“As far as maize is concerned soil structure is the most important thing.

Fodder beat is not ideal for everybody as it needs free draining lighter soils but it did okay last year and it has massive potential as far as energy and dry matter yield go.”

Of the early maize varieties Francis has found that Adept performed well above its average and said the new hybrid Severus was impressive. In the ‘very early’ group, Recolt and Activate were excellent, but the performance of Lapriora was found to be the most reassuring with the best metabolisable energy (ME) and starch.

Fodder Beet is potentially the highest yielding forage crop available. In the past, one of its few disadvantages had been the cost and complexity of harvest, storage and feeding the crop. Now there is an increasing acreage of fodder beet grown and grazed in situ, in the same way as swedes.

Francis said that one Herefordshire farmer found that one acre of fodder beet kept 100 ewes from January to March or eight cows from November through until March. He also feeds a bit of straw for dry matter.

Another popular forage is ‘catch crop’ ryegrass which establishes rapidly.

Hurricane is designed for heavy cuts of silage and spring and autumn grazing and has the ability to last up to 18 months with a high yield in the sowing year and the following season.

Francis said it can be sown at any time of the year but if planted at the beginning of May in the right conditions two cuts should be achieved, averaging about 20 tons of silage per hectare. It’s also cheaper to grow than maize and fodder beet.

A more drought-tolerant version includes clovers and vetches.

“This is good at helping to rebuild soil structure and boost soil fertility,” said Francis.

Other ways to take the pressure off next winter include grazing crops of swedes and kale, which can be direct drilled.

“This is suitable for sheep but kale is also suitable for cattle. The kale variety Bittern has a higher feed value than traditional kales and it’s hardy in the winter,”

added Francis.

Swedes have the advantage of greater hardiness and later sowing, probably after grazing or first cut silage, but beet is potentially much higher yielding and there are more weed control options.