Canterbury Farmers Rod and Adrienne May have enjoyed the benefits of growing Sovereign kale for the past 10 years.

Located just outside of Darfield on their arable and dairy support property, the Mays need a kale that can produce large yields to be sold standing for dairy support as well as holding quality and palatability to graze ewes and lambs on. After having great success with Sovereign, they were keen to give the next generation ‘SovGold’ a try.

SovGold is a modern New Zealand bred kale that combines quality with a high yield potential. In any kale, the leaf component of the plant is where the quality is at its greatest. SovGold’s large leaves contribute to a large proportion of total yield, and its leaf-to-stem ratio is also high. Consequently, SovGold is able to hold quality, resulting in high intake and utilisation, while achieving an average yield of 10 to 14 t DM per ha and a yield potential of 18 t DM per ha.

Rod and Adrienne have been pleased with SovGold, recommended by their PGG Wrightson Arable Representative, Steve Roulston. From sowing in early December, and in what has been regarded a ‘good year’, SovGold has achieved a yield of 14.3 t DM per ha in a dryland environment. Rod understands that some stem is needed to achieve yields of this size but is pleased to see that in their case, the increase in yield hasn’t just come from an increase in stem. “SovGold has large leaves that are the size of Sowing date and timing of grazing can impact the yield potential. Traditionally kale is sown between late November and early December with grazing occurring from May onwards (18 to 24 weeks post sowing). However, January or early February sowing is a genuine alternative. The benefits are that SovGold holds its leaf for longer and maintains stem quality while still having a potential yield of 8 to 10 t DM per ha, making it a great option for young cattle or sheep. SovGold also holds its quality right through winter.

Having been bred with stem quality in mind, Rod has noticed the results on-farm. “The large leaves and quality stem have helped with palatability, resulting in high utilisation and content cows without leaving stem behind”. This ensures the crop is able to be utilised to its potential, and offers a great fit in terms of paddock preparation for the following crop. “There is no big stems for me to work back into the paddock” explains Rod. It has also complemented his sheep system and he sums it up simply: “SovGold has been great for all classes of stock. We have grazed dairy cows, ewes and lambs on it”.

Having tried SovGold following on from a decade of growing Sovereign, Rod’s conclusion is simple: “Overall SovGold is a good improvement on what has been a great cultivar (Sovereign)”.

For more information about how SovGold could fit into your farming system, talk to your local PGG Wrightson Technical Field Representative.

Supplied by Agricom