| Wrightson Seeds is a market leading supplier of brassica forage crops. Our expertise combined with that of Crop & Food Research in our joint brassica breeding programme ensures Wrightson Seeds is offering Australian farmers class leading brassicas.
At Wrightson Seeds, we are committed to providing brassica forage crops that not only produce high quantities of feed, but also lead to improved animal performance through feed quality, thereby providing positive benefits to the Australian farmer.
Brassica forage crops provide farmers with a large amount of high quality feed (high in energy and protein) for their stock and should be considered in any pasture improvement program.
Below are just a few of the situations where farmers should consider the use of brassica forage crops to help increase their stock's productivity and therefore overall farm profitability:
- Periods of feed shortage through the summer, autumn and winter.
- To supplement periods of low pasture quality.
- To finish stock. Brassicas provide a bulk amount of high quality feed to maximise growth rates and increase the number of stock finished per hectare.
- When a safe summer feed is required to avoid parasites and pathogens that may cause animal health problems such as facial eczema and ryegrass staggers.
- Prior to pasture renewal. The break provided by the crop provides an excellent opportunity to decrease pest levels, eliminate weed problems and correct soil fertility, which will ultimately result in cleaner, higher producing pastures.
Animal Friendly™
Wrightson Seeds pioneered the technique of using animal productivity as the best measure of a forage's performance, as an alternative to the traditional dry matter system. This concept has gained increasing support with researchers and farmers who acknowledge that what the animal produces from a forage is the best measure of the forage's performance.
Our Animal Friendly™ certification is applied to our varieties with the following characteristics:
- Forages with yield and persistance, that have produced improved animal performance in scientific trial(s) and/or shown improved physical attribute(s) linked to animal performance.
Crop Husbandry
Brassicas are generally sown as part of a rotation, either after a crop or in the first step of renovating pasture.
Special care must be taken to ensure brassicas are not planted more than once in a five-year rotation where clubroot is a problem. Even when using clubroot tolerant varieties they should not be sown in the same paddock in successive years. If clubroot is a problem in the first year, exercise caution regarding the choice of species and cultivar in the second year.
Fertilisers
The pH level of the soil is important and should be at least 5.6 (water) and ideally between 5.8 and 6.2 for most brassicas. Brassicas will respond to high levels of fertility. Care is needed to choose fertiliser with minimal sulphate to help avoid potential animal health disorders. As a guide, crops should have at least 40 kg P/ha available to them at sowing. Paddocks chosen for brassica cropping should have low soil sulphate levels. Leafy brassica crops will respond well to nitrogen, especially if they follow cereals and if adequate moisture is present. When these leafy brassica crops have been grazed, a light application of nitrogen will greatly increase yields of subsequent regrowth. Care should be taken to avoid high nitrate levels in the crop.
Sowing
The majority of brassicas are sown into a cultivated seedbed, however, it is possible to direct drill brassicas. Regardless of the establishment method, seed should be sown at a depth of approximately 1 cm to ensure maximum germination. Under cultivation a fine, firm seedbed is required to ensure good seed to soil contact.
SUPERSTRIKE®PLUS treated seed is recommended in both cultivated and direct drilling situations to enhance crop establishment and performance. An example of a successful method of sowing a brassica crop is:
- Allow paddock to get a pasture or weed cover of 2000 kg DM/ha.
- Spray out with glyphosate at the correct label rate.
- Three days later, hard graze to remove vegetation prior to cultivation or drilling.
- If cultivating, use conventional practices that result in a fine, firm, trash free seedbed.
- In cultivated situations, seed can be broadcast and then harrowed and roll the seedbed.
- If direct drilling or drilling into cultivated soil, seed should be sown at approximately 1 cm and then roll the seedbed.
Once the crop is sown, it is important to monitor the crop and apply the appropriate herbicides and insecticides to remove any weed or insect problems. |
