1st time beet grower

headcase

Very Senior Member
Decided to try 4 acres of "tarine"beets this year
Fairly new variety suitable for top lifting and 22%dry matter



Any hint n tips from more seasoned growers?:Thumbp2:
 
Plenty of muck to plough in and 150kg ac of potash going on,ph is near but lime will be applied
What sort of seedbed is liked?
 
Seedbed should be deep and fine, can take a bit of working to get it right depending on soil, we normally 4-5000 gal slurry plough, lime, roll , power harrow at 3 inches at 3.5 mph spread fertilizer power harrow at 3.5-4 inches and then sow. An good even stand is very important when toplifting as your beet will be more uniform in size and you won't knock as much also yields better, +1 on everything @Blackwater boy said just your first spray timing is very important should be when the strongeat weeds have 2 true leaves, and getting in early is the only way to get a clean crop, early with a lower rate to avoid checking the beet and then follow up with 1 or 2 more depending on weed pressure.
 
Seedbed should be deep and fine, can take a bit of working to get it right depending on soil, we normally 4-5000 gal slurry plough, lime, roll , power harrow at 3 inches at 3.5 mph spread fertilizer power harrow at 3.5-4 inches and then sow. An good even stand is very important when toplifting as your beet will be more uniform in size and you won't knock as much also yields better, +1 on everything @Blackwater boy said just your first spray timing is very important should be when the strongeat weeds have 2 true leaves, and getting in early is the only way to get a clean crop, early with a lower rate to avoid checking the beet and then follow up with 1 or 2 more depending on weed pressure.
:Thumbp2:cheers
i'm fairly light land here,not much stones at all
 
:Thumbp2:cheers
i'm fairly light land here,not much stones at all

If you have light land you might not need power Harrow. We use a tanco Harrow. Giving 2 or 3 runs until you have good fine seed bed and lots of clay. Power harrowing is grand but can be expensive if you have to get a man in to do it. Also a good tine Harrow with a good crumbler will cover ground much quicker and cheaper.
 
If you have light land you might not need power Harrow. We use a tanco Harrow. Giving 2 or 3 runs until you have good fine seed bed and lots of clay. Power harrowing is grand but can be expensive if you have to get a man in to do it. Also a good tine Harrow with a good crumbler will cover ground much quicker and cheaper.
I bought that kkk germinator last year:Thumbp2:
 
To the best of my knowledge this dressings will do nothing against leatherjackets. You should speak to your agronomist, dressings are the only control available even if not fantastic, since draza and dursban were withdrawn.
 
To be honest we are lucky here,we dont normally get bother with leather jackets or slugs . would be a few wabbits in there and a rookery 300yards away but nothing that the hmr wouldnt thin out
 
on the verge of sowing now,field was limed and dressed 2 weeks ago

lots of docks and crap coming up,going to nuke them this week

temps still cool here but very dry

heavy flat roll after sowing?
 
on the verge of sowing now,field was limed and dressed 2 weeks ago

lots of docks and crap coming up,going to nuke them this week

temps still cool here but very dry

heavy flat roll after sowing?
Tough to control docks and very expensive to control thistles so roundup them.
I know plenty that set on the flat and ring roll, not so sure about flat rolling tho, maybe others may know better but you will have 2 many wheel tracks I'd think.
 
Tough to control docks and very expensive to control thistles so roundup them.
I know plenty that set on the flat and ring roll, not so sure about flat rolling tho, maybe others may know better but you will have 2 many wheel tracks I'd think.
Ground is red sand stone so fairly light and is 3inches of dust at the mo
 
on the verge of sowing now,field was limed and dressed 2 weeks ago

lots of docks and crap coming up,going to nuke them this week

temps still cool here but very dry

heavy flat roll after sowing?
I've never seen anyone round here roll after drilling, capping from the wheel marks would be a problem, especially on the headland.
 
I've never seen anyone round here roll after drilling, capping from the wheel marks would be a problem, especially on the headland.
All depends on the seedbed really.
Ringroller is ideal but have used a flatroll round and round and it was fine.
 
Ground is red sand stone so fairly light and is 3inches of dust at the mo
We sow ours on the flat and then we roll with three old stone rollers. Does the job behind the 135. Even seen lads ring rolling ridges one dry year
 
Do you lads put all the fert in the seed bed or dress it as its growing?
The bit I was involved with had all the fert in the seedbed, 10-11cwt / acre of beet compound, we would aim to spread about half the rate then drive between the tracks with the rest iykwim.
 
You'll need to include plenty Sulphur in the fert and don't forget Boron and Manganese with the sprays.
 
Only buy sulphur fert now:Thumbp2:
At a grass walk a couple of weeks ago one farmer said he had a few cases of temporary blindness in calves. His vet diagnosed sulphur poisoning. He had been applying AS at the time. The advice was to apply 20 units over the course of a few applications and once that had been reached to leave S out of the fert. In recent years we had been using Sulcan throughout the season so good to know.
 
All p and k and around 50% of nitrogen in seedbed and too dress in around June/early July with can+sulphur
The need for N is only for canopy development. so is supposed to get it all on early. like yourself im usually late applying it anyway. I was supposed to put 80units in the soil but only got 30, will go with 60-70units once the rain comes
 
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