Theme 3-2: Livestock Production Systems--Poster Sessions
Description
Fodder beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is a high yielding and high energy supplementary ruminant feed. Including the crop in a pasture system means loss in production and additional costs during crop establishment, but economic benefits may be recovered with increased seasonal productivity and feed quality. In this study, the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator was used to estimate herbage production of a typical dairy farm in the Canterbury region of New Zealand based on using a ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)-clover (Trifolium repens L.) pasture (“Pasture only”) or pasture in combination with fodder beet as winter feed (“Pasture+Fodder beet (FB)”). Mean yields of pasture were used to estimate the potential pasture yield lost from spraying out paddocks 1 month before establishing fodder beet. Fodder beet (‘Rivage’) yields from a 2014 sowing date trial: 19 September (Sep-FB), 17 October (Oct-FB), 17 November (Nov-FB), and 15 December (Dec-FB) were used. Dry matter (DM) yield was determined on 15 June 2015. Yield was 27 t DM/ha for both Sep-FB and Oct-FB and was reduced by 23 and 32% in Nov-FB and Dec-FB, respectively. The total annual yield for “Pasture only” was 16.7 t DM/ha compared with adjusted yield of 29.5, 30.2, 25.7 and 24.9 t DM/ha for “Pasture+Sep-FB”, “Pasture+Oct-FB”, “Pasture+Nov-FB” and “Pasture+Dec-FB”, respectively. Production cost was NZ$0.08/kg DM each for “Pasture+Sep-FB” and “Pasture+Oct-FB”, which was lower than NZ$0.09/kg DM for “Pasture only”. Production costs increased to NZ$0.11/kg DM for “Pasture+Nov-FB” and NZ$0.12/kg DM for “Pasture+Dec-FB”, but revenue from sale of surplus feed partially offset these costs. Our results show that sowing in October was the most profitable option. Yield gains from sowing fodder beet in September are unlikely because of low temperatures limiting crop growth. Delaying sowing can increase production costs and yield penalty, but potential returns are greater, compared with “Pasture only”.
Included in
Sowing Date Affects Dry Matter Yield of Fodder Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) Crops and Farm Profitability
Fodder beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is a high yielding and high energy supplementary ruminant feed. Including the crop in a pasture system means loss in production and additional costs during crop establishment, but economic benefits may be recovered with increased seasonal productivity and feed quality. In this study, the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator was used to estimate herbage production of a typical dairy farm in the Canterbury region of New Zealand based on using a ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)-clover (Trifolium repens L.) pasture (“Pasture only”) or pasture in combination with fodder beet as winter feed (“Pasture+Fodder beet (FB)”). Mean yields of pasture were used to estimate the potential pasture yield lost from spraying out paddocks 1 month before establishing fodder beet. Fodder beet (‘Rivage’) yields from a 2014 sowing date trial: 19 September (Sep-FB), 17 October (Oct-FB), 17 November (Nov-FB), and 15 December (Dec-FB) were used. Dry matter (DM) yield was determined on 15 June 2015. Yield was 27 t DM/ha for both Sep-FB and Oct-FB and was reduced by 23 and 32% in Nov-FB and Dec-FB, respectively. The total annual yield for “Pasture only” was 16.7 t DM/ha compared with adjusted yield of 29.5, 30.2, 25.7 and 24.9 t DM/ha for “Pasture+Sep-FB”, “Pasture+Oct-FB”, “Pasture+Nov-FB” and “Pasture+Dec-FB”, respectively. Production cost was NZ$0.08/kg DM each for “Pasture+Sep-FB” and “Pasture+Oct-FB”, which was lower than NZ$0.09/kg DM for “Pasture only”. Production costs increased to NZ$0.11/kg DM for “Pasture+Nov-FB” and NZ$0.12/kg DM for “Pasture+Dec-FB”, but revenue from sale of surplus feed partially offset these costs. Our results show that sowing in October was the most profitable option. Yield gains from sowing fodder beet in September are unlikely because of low temperatures limiting crop growth. Delaying sowing can increase production costs and yield penalty, but potential returns are greater, compared with “Pasture only”.
