New Report Highlights Benefits of Growing Fodder Beet in Scotland

The report, Maximising the Potential of Fodder Beet for Livestock, includes a seven-step guide to growing fodder beet, ten helpful tips and a range of technical information and up-to-date data to assist farmers on how to successfully grow fodder beet in Scotland.

Data included in the report was harvested from a project including four monitor farms and members of their community groups from Shetland, Sutherland, Angus and the Lothians.  All the farms participated in a trial growing fodder beet and the results were analysed. The project was facilitated by Kirsten Williams from SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC).

Ms Williams commented: “This restricted pool of information and lack of basic knowledge specific to fodder beet crops grown in Scotland was a challenge for Scottish livestock farmers who are growing the crop.

“Interest in the crop stems from the fact that fodder beet has the potential to provide many benefits to livestock producers in Scotland, the main one being the yield potential, which is larger than any other forage crop grown in the UK.”

Bruce McConachie, Head of Industry Development with QMS added: “The high yield has potential to make fodder beet one of the cheapest forages per kg of dry matter, as well as one of the cheapest forage per mega joule of energy due to its nutritional characteristics. This helpful guide will provide farmers with the steps needed to grow Fodder Beet which will aid their businesses and positively impact their bottom line.”

To read the full report and to see the seven-step guide and ten top tips to growing fodder beet,  visit https://www.monitorfarms.co.uk/hub/fodder-beet