By Dr. John E. Baylor
Director of Market Development
Beachley-Hardy Seed Company
Forage Brassicas - High
Quality Supplemental Pasture
During the past several years
Brassica crops (rape, kale, turnips
and swedes) have gained in popu
larity as supplemental summer
grazing crops especially for sheep
and beef, but also in some cases
for dairy cows. And newer variet
ies, particularly of rape and tur
nips, make these crops even more
promising.
Rape and kale are leafy Brassi
cas, while turnips and swedes are
root crops with all parts (leaves,
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stems and roots) utilized by the
grazing animals. Rape and turnips
reach their maximum yields (up to
4 tons dry matter/acre) between 90
and 120 days after planting. Thus,
these crops sown right now would
be ready for grazing or chopping
by mid August, or sooner, and
would be available for a second
grazing in late fall. And, unlike
perennial forages, the quality of
brassicas doesn’t seem to decline
with age.
Speaking of quality, the brassi
cas are high in protein and high in
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digestibility. They’re also very
succulent and extremely low in
fiber. Because of their low fiber
content, brassicas should make up
no more than about two-thirds of
the daily livestock diet. That’s
why I’ve stressed that they are
supplemental pasture or green
chop crops.
Numerous varieties of the vari
ous brassicas have been tested in
Pennsylvania, and have performed
satisfactorily. Of the newer variet
ies of rape, Sparta has proven to
be high yielding and highly diges
tible and recovers rapidly after
grazing or chopping. It also has
good cold tolerance and club root
resistance.
Of the newer turnip varieties a
hybrid Forage Star has looked
very promising. In addition to
good forage production, it has a
higher top to root ratio than most
other turnip varieties and also has
superior frost hardiness.
There are, of course, several
other varieties that have per
formed satisfactory under our cli
matic conditions.
Establishment and
Management
Brassicas grow best in mod
erate to well drained soils and
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• Convenient sizes for either small
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• 2-2Vt, 15, 30 gallon sizes.
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Newer Varieties Show
Promise
should not be grown on poorly
drained sites. They are fairly acid
tolerant but grow best when the
pH is 6.0 or above. As with other
crops, a soil test is your best guide
to a sound fertility program. How
ever, in the absence of a soil test,
apply about 75 pounds of nitrogen
per acre along with 60 pounds
each of P 2 0 5 and Kr 2 0. Brassicas
require nitrogen and it should be
applied at the time of seeding.
Brassica crops can be seeded on
a prepared seedbed. But seeds are
small and seeding depth is critical.
Seeding rates for rape seeded at
this time are 4 pounds per acre.
For turnips 2 pounds per acre. A
good, firm seedbed as well as
properly calibrated drills or seed
ers, are a must.
Excellent stands of Brassicas
have consistently been gotten with
no-till seedings either in sod or
stubble with herbicides such as
Gromoxone or Roundup to sup
press existing vegetation, a sound
lime and fertility program, and the
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use of percision no-till drills to do
the seeding.
Strip grazing where forage is
rationed daily or every two days is
the most efficient means of graz
ing brassicas. Rape and turnips
both have rcgrowth capability if
animals are not left on pasture too
long. Rape, for example, should
not be grazed closer than about 6
inches. While for turnips, don’t
allow animals to consume the
growing point at the top of the tur
nip root. When rotational or strip
grazing is practiced, two or more
grazings are possible if rainfall is
adequate.
Brassicas, like other annual or
biennial forages, won’t replace
your perennial cool season pasture
grasses and legumes. But there’s
plenty of evidence to suggest that
for many livestock producers they
can supplement your other pasture
crops and supply high quality feed
in August, late fall and early wint
er when other pastures are short or
not available.
MILK.
UDOESA
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