Grain Guide 2018

Select the right feed crop To any stock farmer the most important aspect of his farming activities is to ensure that the right quality and quantity of feed are available at all times. Feed flow planning is vital for making decisions regarding the crops to be planted and used. Every feed crop has its unique properties and growth curve. Adjust this to the stock flow and select the right crop. The properties of the different types of feed crops and the requirements for successful cultivation are summarised below for your convenience. These grazings are cultivated under semi-intensive conditions. They are summer crops and are dormant in winter. During the autumn months the grazings translocate nutrients from the leaves and stems to the roots. This enables the grass species to bud in spring and develop rapidly. In addition to the fact that each of these species has preferences with respect to soil, management and rainfall, each has properties that allow it to fit in perfectly with a specific system. The pref­ erences as well as the properties of the crops must be considered before one can be selected. The king of feed crops is a high-quality feed with 18 to 20% crude protein and a high level of digestibility. Lucerne can be cultivated successfully under intensive high- production conditions under irrigation, or less intensively under dryland conditions. It is a strong perennial plant and will produce well for approximately six years and longer. Grazing and hay types are available. This crop category is distinguished from others by the type of stock unit involved. The input costs for the crops are high. They MUST be well fertilised and planted under irrigation to achieve their genetic potential. To recover the high input costs, the grazing must be utilised with produc­ ing animals like dairy cows, weaners or sheep. High-potential oats, triticale and stooling rye cultivars are available, as are cultivar packages that produce good-quality green feed in the critical late autumn, winter and spring months. The right choice of cultivar ensures green feed that produces sufficient grazing at the right time. Green-feed cultivars, like wheat cultivars, are divided into spring, intermediary and winter types on the basis of their habit. Each of these types has its own utilisation method in a feed-flow programme. It is therefore important to take note of the properties of each of the types in order to utilise its top benefits. These crops establish and produce feed rapidly. Hybrid babala and feed- sorghum hybrids are used as grazing, silage, standing hay and/or green chop respectively. Teff cultivars are not merely a commodity, but have been developed to give the producer a head start. Teff is an excellent hay crop and on average produces two cuttings per season. Perennial sub-tropical crops Annual sub-tropical crops Lucerne Intensive grasses and mixtures Dryland winter crops Pietman Botha, agricultural consultant Most of this information comes from Pannar. Visit their website at www.pannar.co.za for more information, or scan the QR code to gain direct access to their grazing production manuals. 130 GRAIN GUIDE 2018 Animals