Selecting the right fodder beet variety to maximise returns

If grown correctly, with the right establishment and input strategy, fodder beet will outyield many other forage crops and provide a consistent and reliable high-energy feed source for livestock, says Adam Simper, national grass, roots and environmental seeds manager for Agrii (pictured).

According to Mr Simper, the rst step must always be to understand the type of livestock you will be feeding fodder beet to, and the feeding system you want to employ – will it be grazed in the eld, or will you be lifting it?

Mr Simper says: “If it is going to be grazed, it is important to select a variety with a low–medium dry matter (DM), ideally ranging from 14–19%. Low–medium DM varieties suit both cattle and sheep; however, on variety choice, you also need to look at varieties that sit with 40% or more of their root out of the ground, o ering healthy leaf retention with low disease susceptibility to mildew, rust and leafspot.

“Remember, most fodder beet puts on a signi cant amount of yield in the last three months of growth, so it’s important to have that healthy leaf structure to capture as much sunlight as possible allowing maximum photosynthesis to take e ect. Varieties that sit above the soil also have better grazing intakes for sheep and cattle. Of the varieties out there, Jamon – a medium DM type, is a particularly good t for either grazing in situ or lifting to chop and feed into a total mixed ration (TMR) herd fed system. However, if you are planning to graze fodder beet in the eld, medium to light free-draining soils are also essential –particularly when outwintering stock.

“Although achieving high yields is important, I would always place consistency ahead of out and out yield. Finding a variety with exactly the right DM percentage to suit your farming system and learning how to manage that variety is the key, often growing two or three di erent varieties for better harvest risk management is even better.

“Fodder beet is also an excellent break crop in a mixed farming system, providing an excellent entry for either spring barley or a spring grass reseed. If grazed in situ, you also have animal manure going back into the soil as a cheap source of fertiliser,” concludes Mr Simper.

Agreeing with Mr Simper’s analysis, seed specialist Emily Pick, of independent seed breeder Elsoms Seeds, sees new fodder beet varieties as the key way for growers to improve yield consistency in varying and, often, challenging growing seasons in the UK.

Ms Pick says: “New versatile varieties such as Lempa, which we selected to replace Splendide in Elsoms portfolio, are a step forward given that new genetics bring a yield advantage and improved disease resistance. Lempa’s rose red roots have a nice conical shape, making it a clean lifting variety with low soil tare and a high proportion of the beet sitting above the ground.

“Lempa proved to be the highest yielding variety in Elsoms’ own trials in 2021, and with a medium DM of 15–16%, good tolerance to bolting, and rhizomania resistance it’s an exciting addition to our fodder beet range,” she concludes. FG