Stubble turnips

Tim818

Well-Known Member
I'm still nervous after last summers drought, and whereas munster etc got absolutely hammered with 3 or 4 inches of rain 10days ago we didn't get a patch on it here in East Wicklow, and fields are drying out fast again. I saw a dairyfarmer on twitter in the UK grazing a grass feild out tight and discing stubble turnips straight into the ground last week, with the aim to graze during August when he most expects a dip in grass growth due to drought. I got 8ac of very average preforming Italian ryegrass that is going to be put to maize may next Yr, and quite tempted to try similar. If I didn't spray off the Italian would there be too much competition from it to let the turnips strike? And if I grazed it all out in August would it grow back to be grazed in the wintertime then? Its a very dry feild with quite a hard surface, so even if August turned out to be wet enough I'd still be confident of utilising it fairly well.
 
I'm still nervous after last summers drought, and whereas munster etc got absolutely hammered with 3 or 4 inches of rain 10days ago we didn't get a patch on it here in East Wicklow, and fields are drying out fast again. I saw a dairyfarmer on twitter in the UK grazing a grass feild out tight and discing stubble turnips straight into the ground last week, with the aim to graze during August when he most expects a dip in grass growth due to drought. I got 8ac of very average preforming Italian ryegrass that is going to be put to maize may next Yr, and quite tempted to try similar. If I didn't spray off the Italian would there be too much competition from it to let the turnips strike? And if I grazed it all out in August would it grow back to be grazed in the wintertime then? Its a very dry feild with quite a hard surface, so even if August turned out to be wet enough I'd still be confident of utilising it fairly well.

I’d expect the Italian to compete seriously with them.

Do you know why the Italian is only giving average production?
 
Also can you be without the grass over the summer
As soon as you disc it you've lost the grass
 
I'm still nervous after last summers drought, and whereas munster etc got absolutely hammered with 3 or 4 inches of rain 10days ago we didn't get a patch on it here in East Wicklow, and fields are drying out fast again. I saw a dairyfarmer on twitter in the UK grazing a grass feild out tight and discing stubble turnips straight into the ground last week, with the aim to graze during August when he most expects a dip in grass growth due to drought. I got 8ac of very average preforming Italian ryegrass that is going to be put to maize may next Yr, and quite tempted to try similar. If I didn't spray off the Italian would there be too much competition from it to let the turnips strike? And if I grazed it all out in August would it grow back to be grazed in the wintertime then? Its a very dry feild with quite a hard surface, so even if August turned out to be wet enough I'd still be confident of utilising it fairly well.

There is some stuff on the UK forums that might give you some more information. We put in 2 acres of typhon 2 years ago where we spread muck straight after cutting silage. We just chain harrowed it well and spread the seed into it and it came over the grass. No matter what type of ground you have, I believe from reading some of the UK forums, rain is they key to making it grow. There are as many reports about failure because lack of rain as success. To quote one contributor, "it will grow on a stony laneway, just so long as it gets rain". Google is your friend in this situation. I'm hoping to do some reseeding next year. The plan is to grow turnips this back end before reseeding next spring. We will disc or chain harrow in the seed after the second cut in early august and graze it with light weanlings up to christmas. The one thing that we will be guaranteed is rain - but it is our driest field, so should be ok.
 
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Why stubble turnips and not kale?
Kale will compete with the grass and can be grazed a couple of times but the stubble turnips will not.
Stubble turnips are great for sheep, do cattle utilize them well?
 
Why stubble turnips and not kale?
Kale will compete with the grass and can be grazed a couple of times but the stubble turnips will not.
Stubble turnips are great for sheep, do cattle utilize them well?
Kale or "interval"a rape /kale hybrid
 
Why stubble turnips and not kale?
Kale will compete with the grass and can be grazed a couple of times but the stubble turnips will not.
Stubble turnips are great for sheep, do cattle utilize them well?

The little bit of typhon that we grew was all leaf and very little bulb. We fattened a few cull cows on it. The main reason for choosing it was advice from a neighbour that grew it for sheep. His words were that it would grow anywhere. It cost us €20 in seed and 2 or 3 runs with the chain harrow.
 
The little bit of typhon that we grew was all leaf and very little bulb. We fattened a few cull cows on it. The main reason for choosing it was advice from a neighbour that grew it for sheep. His words were that it would grow anywhere. It cost us €20 in seed and 2 or 3 runs with the chain harrow.
They sowed it too thick if no bulb
2kgs a acre is plentiful
 
The little bit of typhon that we grew was all leaf and very little bulb. We fattened a few cull cows on it. The main reason for choosing it was advice from a neighbour that grew it for sheep. His words were that it would grow anywhere. It cost us €20 in seed and 2 or 3 runs with the chain harrow.
Thyphon rape kale turnips all similar and grow the same
 
Got some stubble turnips emerging. Were direct drilled 2nd July.
Some were out by last weekend. Some more by today. But very patchy. Now this weekend was the first drink of rain it had. Is what's left of the seed likely to still emerge?

And the bigger of the leaves are already being chewed. Holes in the leaves mostly.
Main perpatrators?
 
Got some stubble turnips emerging. Were direct drilled 2nd July.
Some were out by last weekend. Some more by today. But very patchy. Now this weekend was the first drink of rain it had. Is what's left of the seed likely to still emerge?

And the bigger of the leaves are already being chewed. Holes in the leaves mostly.
Main perpatrators?
Yes they will come out
Just pray you have more rain
 
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Any photos? I wonder have you flea beetle attacking it
Will try and get some.
Saw a iccle bug on one today and fairly sure it was one. But I understand they mostly come out at night.

Not going to panic yet. Will wait for more plants to emerge before spraying.

Or is that a bad idea? Will the spray get them in hiding?
 
Just wondering can a lad spray off spread the turnips/kale by a vicon and roll don’t have a chain harrow. Would a spring harrow do. If I was to plough it next year would I be undoing all the good work done by the cover crop.. it would be going back into grazing ground if that makes a difference
 
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Just wondering can a lad spray off spread the turnips/kale by a vicon and roll don’t have a chain harrow. Would a spring harrow do. If I was to plough it next year would I be undoing all the good work done by the cover crop.. it would be going back into grazing ground if that makes a difference

I. Would think you'd need to tickle the top to get a bit of tilth, they'd certainly want flat rolling twice,
In the good old days neighbour here used to have stubble turnips spread into standing barley by aeroplane, !!! They used to come up all right, but I suppose the standing barley gave em shatter n damp ground ??
 
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I. Would think you'd need to tickle the top to get a bit of tilth, they'd certainly want flat rolling twice,
In the good old days neighbour here used to have stubble turnips spread into standing barley by aeroplane, !!! They used to come up all right, but I suppose the standing barley gave em shatter n damp ground ??
At a kg an acre I suppose a drone could be kitted out for that job!?
Small spreader hanging underneath.
 
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