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Barkant Turnip |
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Trials conducted at the Dairy Research Institute Ellinbank, Victoria showed milk responses to cows fed Barkant turnips and different grain rations. Using current costs based on average turnip yields and likely summer grain and milk prices, it is clear to see the significant profit advantage of feeding Barkant compared to grain based rations over summer. |
Economics of turnips - based on summer milk price of 28 c/L  |
Agronomy Tips Brassicas establish best into a fine, worked seedbed. The old pasture should be sprayed out early with glyphosate and any pasture residue grazed off before cultivation. Cultivation should quickly prepare a seedbed whilst retaining adequate moisture for sowing. It is advisable to roll the paddock prior to drilling or broadcasting seed. Seed should be sown with fertiliser (Moly Super or nitrogen and phosphorus fertiliser, but no potassium). To ensure best possible germination roll paddock after sowing. |
Yield results  |
Brassicas can be direct drilled into friable soil if moisture is likely to be limiting after working a seedbed. If direct drilling use DAP or a starter fertiliser and consider sowing north-south to reduce the effect of sun drying out the furrows. In well-worked fine seedbeds you can sow at the lower end of rate range, increasing sowing rate for poorer seedbed or if direct drilling. |
 John Sykes, dairy producer Ringarooma Tas |
What the farmers say... "The 10 ha crop of Barkant was just phenomenal. It yielded 18 t DM/ha as measured by Basil Doonan, formally of Department of Agriculture here in Tasmania. Most turnip crops in the area yield only 10 t DM/ha. I have never seen a crop that goes close to it. It was perfect the whole way through. We milk 500 stud Jersey cows on the 186 ha farm, in Hartwood. We use the turnips as part of the pasture renovation program. There is plenty of stony ground on the place, so the turnips are important as part of the clean up of rough paddocks. It's very easy to work the soil when the cows have finished the turnips and it does the soil good. The bumper Barkant crop was broadcast sown in late November, then harrowed and rolled. The paddock was irrigated a week later, then again in mid January this year when 100 kg/ha of urea was applied. Later that month we had very heavy rain and we got 10 inches in one weekend" We strip grazed the Barkant turnips and got a total of 75 days grazing for 500 cows. Irrigation has become more restricted here, so in the summer, anything we can get to help stretch out the irrigation is worth it. Seventy five days of feed when there is not much else about certainly helps. It was working out at four kilograms of dry matter per cow per day. We give them a strip of turnips then put them back on the grass. The cows took so long to eat the turnips, the crop didn't finish until 20th May" |
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©Steve Cselka 2006 - 2011 |