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1 October 2019
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Crop Protection
Crop Production

Precision placement worth it

what can be achieved when swedes receive a bit of T.L.C. is impressive. Treating a crop of swedes with a similar precision to that of fodder beet has been delivering some good results in Southland and more recently in other traditional winter crop areas across the country.

What started as a trend with contractors who were looking to extend their season with precision drills by sowing swedes, has now developed into a precision sown pelleted swede market for farmers wanting to get greater swede yields.  

To allow the precision placement of swede seed through precision drills, PGG Wrightson Seeds uses Ultrastrike® pelleted swede seed, a weighted build up seed coating with Splitkote technology. PGG Wrightson Seeds Sales Agronomist, Brian Young says it is smart technology, not just a matter of putting a coating around the seed to increase the size. “It takes little moisture to germinate the seed as it absorbs moisture from the soil and air, then the seed swells up and splits the coat. We have found over the last two to three years that it germinates as well as, if not better than, traditional seeds in dry conditions.”

Sown at 90,000 seeds per hectare, or 22 cm seed spacing in 50 cm rows, Ultrastrike® pelleted swede seed delivers approximately 350 g per hectare of swede seed, compared to conventional sowing rates of 800 to 1,000 g per hectare. The precision placement of that seed results in an evenly distributed crop that allows bulb yields to be maximised.

In practical terms, it is a way to increase swede yields if you are prepared to spend a bit more on paddock preparation and pelleted swede seed. PGG Wrightson Technical Field Representative, Allister Gauldie has had some good success with clients using Ultrastrike® pelleted swede, growing an exceptional Clutha Gold crop that won a local Wyndham winter feed competition (pictured here). “I have been really impressed with the tonnage we can achieve when we treat swede crops like fodder beet. Paddock preparation is important with precision sowing, as is ongoing monitoring. We are sowing fewer seeds per hectare which means we can’t afford to lose plants to insects and weeds, so it is important to be proactive with monitoring,” says Allister. 

Precision sown swedes is gaining traction with farmers who are wanting to put more focus on better yielding crops to reduce their cents per kg DM of feed grown. Brian says, “often we can focus too much on the up-front cost, but the reality is, if we can grow an 17,000 to 19,000 kg DM per ha crop for $1,400 ha, then that is 7 to 8 cents per kg DM which is a cheap source of feed.” 

PGG Wrightson Seeds has three Ultrastrike® pelleted swede varieties, Cleancrop™ Hawkestone swede, Clutha Gold and Major Plus that are available this spring. Talk to your local PGG Wrightson Technical Field Representative to see if precision sown pelleted swedes could be an option for you. 

Supplied by PGG Wrightson Seeds

 
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