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Goliath Forage Rape |
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Goliath is a tall erect growing forage rape with high yield potential. On average it has been the highest yielding variety in Australian trials since 1996, sometimes yielding up to 40% higher than some older commercial varieties. The enormous yield benefit of Goliath provides for much higher numbers of cattle to be finished per given area compared to other rapes. Being a taller variety, Wrightson preference trials have shown it to be better suited to grazing by beef or dairy cattle than sheep. |
 Ian MacLennan, mixed farmer, Lake Bathurst NSW |
What the farmers say... Martin and Kathryn Maas from Goulburn Produce suggested I try Goliath forage rape. I sowed it at 4 kilograms per hectare with fertilizer in early October. We had 100mm rain in January, which was good for the rape. The first grazing was in the middle of January. There was a huge amount of feed - there was no doubt about that! It was that high that you couldn't even see my son on the four wheel motor bike! I put 1900 lambs on 26 hectares of Goliath for 8 weeks. They did like steam on the Goliath and 700 of the lambs went straight from the paddock to Wooly's. The rest of the lambs went onto lucerne for three weeks and then I put them back onto Goliath. If you finish your lambs well they will yield well. In the past, I've been able to achieve 49% carcus weight on lambs finished on forage brassicas. Forage rape like Goliath is the only way to go for finishing lambs in the summer. I'm going to be putting more in this year." |
 Goliath rape (RHS) showing increased yield and pest resistance compared with Bonar (LHS). Goliath has now replaced Bonar in Australia. |
 Julian Mineham & Ken Reiman with Goliath Rape crop at Berrima |
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©Steve Cselka 2006 - 2011 |