Kestral Kale & Gruner Kale

  • Readily-digestible short thick stems
  • Very high proportion of leaf and superior animal production
  • Bred for low levels of SMCO (S-methyl cysteine sulphoxide)
  • Good regrowth if lightly grazed during late summer

Kale is spring sown and provides a bulk of high quality feed over the late summer, autumn and winter months. Most kale cultivars show good levels of aphid and clubroot resistance.
Kestrel is a leafy hybrid variety with short stems which was bred for low stem fibre content and high digestibility. Kestrel also exhibits lower levels of S-methyl cysteine sulphoxide (SMCO) than medium stem kale and lower levels of glucosinolates and nitrile production than medium stem kale.

Kestrel can provide good late summer/early autumn feed for sheep, cattle and deer due to its vigorous early growth. If lightly grazed during late summer, good regrowth can be achieved. Kestrel can also be used for winter feed for all classes of stock. Kestrel can be considered for situations in which rape is normally used. Kestrel has a high leaf to stem ratio that gives high yields of leaf dry matter. The short thick stems are low in fibre, and therefore also very digestible.

Royston Nettleton, dairy producer Orbost Vic
 What the farmers say.
"We put in three hectares, planting Kestrel kale at a rate of 4 1/4 kilograms per hectare and Highlander swede at 3/4kg p/ha. The only fertiliser we put on it was 100kg/ha of DAP. We have kikuyu based pasture, which we are trying to replace with grasses that provide better nutrients and production levels. We're using the Kestrel and Highlander as part of our rotation to prepare the paddocks for pastures such as Banquet perennial ryegrass. We spray out the kikuyu in the middle of February with Round-Up, and direct drill the Kestrel kale and Highlander swede with a Duncan Renovator in mid-March. Although it's unconventional, we direct drilled the brassica mix and they've performed well, we've had great success with it. The cows clear the paddock, it's nothing but dirt when they're finished. Whatever they don't eat on the first day, they'll eat on the second day - leaves, bulbs, everything. It is a one rotation crop, but we noticed a difference in the dairy, production increased. The better the pasture, the better tucker you're giving your stock, therefore producing better milk."

Reference: Garrett, B.C.; Westwood, C.T.; Nichol, W.W. Nutritive value of optimising animal production from forage brassicas. Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management 2000: 61-73.


Animal Performance Liveweight Gain Trial (kg/ha) of l yr Friesian bulls grazing kale.

 

Gruner Kale

  • High-yielding giant type kale
  • Good leaf to stem ratio relative to Rawara
  • Excellent tolerance to frost
  • Good aphid tolerance
  • Maximum per hectare animal productivity

Gruner kale is a tall growing (up to 2 m high), frost-hardy, marrow stem kale cultivar. It has good resistance to lodging and is best used as a source of cattle feed. Also, Gruner kale can be ensiled.
Contact CRT Kyneton or CRT Seymour
©Steve Cselka 2006 - 2011