High quality crops can turn brown paddocks green in more ways than one this season. The key to more a more profitable summer is sowing chicory into run-out pasture for home grown, nutritious, cost effective ‘supplement’ cows can harvest themselves.

 

501 Chicory not only injects several tonnes of high quality DM into your summer feed budget (for half the cost of PKE), it’s also the perfect break crop to eliminate costly weeds and/or pests such as Yellow Bristle Grass and black beetle.

 

Runout ryegrass doesn’t grow much DM in summer. It browns off quickly and has low feed value which does not support good milk production.

 

We believe most dairy farmers can grow 501 Chicory for 14c/kg DM, saving thousands of dollars in imported supplement.

 

In most dairy situations chicory can grow 12t DM/ha, versus old grass pasture growing 5t DM/ha over summer. This gives chicory a yield advantage of 7t DM/ha, at a cost of 14c/kg DM.

 

501 Chicory is also much better quality feed compared to PKE or old pasture. It has 12-13 ME, and 20-26% crude protein, versus PKE with 11-11.5 ME and 14% crude protein, or old grass at 10.5-11 ME and 13-18% protein.

 

To achieve high yielding, low cost c/kg DM crops:

 

• Replace underperforming paddocks (for the most extra DM yield)
• Sow early to capture soil moisture (soil temps > 12⁰C); AGRICOTE treated seed 8-10kg/ha + 150kg/ha DAP
• Sow shallow (never deeper than 1cm).
• Roll, roll, roll.
• Don’t spray out too late in autumn 2017. New pastures take priority.
• Don’t keep the crop for a second summer.

 

Download our 2017 Summer Crop Calculator here to see how the sums for 501 Chicory look for your farm this summer.