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Feed beet. Seeds, cultivation. Description of fodder beet and its difference from sugar beet, features of planting and growing How when to sow fodder beet

Among all varieties of beet fodder occupies a worthy place. It is an essential food for winter period for pets. She is adored by dairy cattle, pigs, rabbits, horses. The plant is rich in fiber, pectin, dietary fiber, carbohydrates, mineral salts and protein.

Beets significantly increase milk yield during the period of feeding animals with dry feed. In addition, it belongs to unpretentious plants with high yields. Not only root crops are used, but also the tops of the plant.

When choosing fodder beet seeds for sowing, you need to know that the most productive varieties are cylindrical, bag-shaped and elongated-cone-shaped. Conical cultivars of white, pink and yellow color famous for their sugar content.

Consider the most common varieties of fodder beets.

"Centaur"


Fodder beet "Centaur" was bred by Polish breeders and belongs to multi-germ varieties of semi-sugar type. Root crops are white, elongated-oval in shape, weighing 1.2-2.7 kg.

A feature of this variety is the absence of lateral branching of root crops and the rapid growth of roots and leaves. The root furrow of this variety is shallow, so the root crops are slightly contaminated.

An important advantage of the variety is resistance to cercosporiosis and bolting. The plant is not demanding on the composition of the soil and is drought-resistant. Root crops are immersed in the ground by 60% before harvesting, so they can be harvested as mechanized way, as well as manually. The crop is well preserved in cool rooms at a temperature of 0 to 4 ° C until May. The vegetation period is 145 days, the yield is 100-110 t/ha.

Did you know? Seeds of most varieties of fodder beet are multi-germ. This is due to the fact that we do not sow seeds, but seedlings, so several plants grow from one glomerulus. In this regard, the seedlings must be broken through. At present, breeders have bred quite a few single-sprout varieties and hybrids, the seeds of which do not form seedlings.

"Ursus"

The hybrid variety of Polish breeders is a multi-germ semi-sugar type. The root crop is yellow-orange in color, cylindrical in shape, weighing up to 6 kg. juicy pulp, white color. Root crops have a smooth surface, are slightly polluted and immersed in the soil by 40%, so remove them manually it will be easy.

The plant is not demanding on the composition of the soil, it is drought-resistant and is characterized by the rapid growth of roots and leaves. Plant resistance to diseases is good, low tendency to bloom. Root crops are well preserved until December and contain a lot of dry matter and sucrose. The vegetation period is 145 days, the yield of root crops is 125t/ha.

"Record"


Fodder beet "Record" refers to varieties of Polish selection and is a multi-germ plant of semi-sugar type. In terms of maturation, it belongs to the medium-late culture. Root crops of a cylindrical-conical shape without lateral branches, pink in color, weighing up to 6 kg.

Its surface is smooth, immersed in the soil by 40%. The pulp is white, juicy. Resistance to diseases and flowering is high. The fruits keep well. Vegetation period 145 days, yield 125 t/ha.

"Kyiv Pink"


The variety was bred by the Institute of Agriculture of Ukraine. It belongs to the popular multi-germ mid-season varieties. The root crop is cylindrical-oval, orange in color. The variety is characterized by a small and shallow root furrow, so the root crops are slightly contaminated. Its immersion in the soil is 50%, which allows mechanized harvesting.

It reacts positively to the introduction of fertilizers into the soil and shows high yields. The variety is drought-resistant, resistant to diseases and pests. The fruits keep well. Productivity is 120 t/ha.

"Foreman"

Beet fodder "Brigadier" refers to varieties of German selection. Root crops are oval-cylindrical, orange-green in color with a smooth shiny surface and weighing about 3 kg. The sugar content is high.

Distinctive feature variety is the preservation of green and juicy tops until harvest. The plant is not demanding on the composition of the soil and is drought-resistant.

Seedlings withstand short-term frosts down to -3 °C, in adult plants up to -5 °C. Beet "Brigadier" has a good trade dress and is resistant to coloring. Harvesting can be carried out both mechanically and manually. Root crops contain a high percentage of dry matter, so they are stored for a long period. Vegetation period 120 days, yield 150 t/ha.

"Lada"

Fodder beet "Lada" was bred by Belarusian breeders and belongs to single-sprout varieties. The root crop is white or pinkish-white in color, oval-cylindrical in shape with a pointed base, weighing up to 25 kg. The pulp is white, juicy, dense. The immersion of the root crop in the soil is 40-50%. A distinctive feature of this variety is resistance to drought and disease. The seeds of the plant are treated with a complex of protective and stimulating substances. This allows seedlings not to be afraid of adverse weather conditions, pests and diseases.

The variety is low-flowered. Plant resistance is observed throughout the entire period of growth to cercosporosis and rope rot during storage. The fruits keep well. The advantage of the variety "Brigadier" is also the preservation of green and juicy tops throughout the growing season and the saving of seed, because only 4 kg of seeds are needed per 1 ha. Suitable for manual cleaning. The average yield is 120 t/ha.

"Hope"

Fodder beet "Nadezhda" is intended for growing in the conditions of the North-Western, Middle Volga and Far Eastern regions of Russia and belongs to single-sprout varieties.

The root crop is oval-cylindrical, red. The leaf blades of the plant are green in color with a slight anthocyanin coloration. The pulp is white, juicy. The immersion of the root crop in the soil is 40%. plant resistance to powdery mildew and cercosporosis average. The yield of the variety is high.

Did you know? Anthocyanin leaf color is caused by the anthocyanin pigment. It has a blue light in an alkaline environment and red in an acidic one. Anthocyanin-containing leaves, compared to green ones, absorb more energy from the sun. The temperature difference between red and green leaves in sunny weather is 3.5 degrees, and in cloudy weather - 0.5-0.6 degrees.

"Milan"

The variety of fodder beet "Milana" belongs to single-sprout hybrids of semi-sugar type, bred by Belarusian breeders. A distinctive feature of the variety is its rapid growth in the initial period.

The root crop is oval, medium in size, white at the bottom and green at the top. The leaves are medium in size, green in color with white veins, rounded in shape.

It is intended for cultivation on all types of soils. Immersion in the soil of the root crop is 60-65% with low pollution. Harvesting can be carried out mechanically and manually. The plant is resistant to flowering and cercosporosis. The crop is suitable for long-term storage. The yield is 90 t/ha.

"Vermont"

Fodder beet "Vermont" refers to one-seeded hybrid varieties grown in the Central region of Russia. The root crop is cylindrical-conical in shape, medium in size, white in the lower part and green in the upper. The average yield is 90 t/ha.

fodder beet- juicy, easily digestible food with good taste.

In feeding, it contributes to a better absorption of roughage, stimulates the mammary gland. According to the North-Western Research Institute of Agriculture, 1 kg of fodder beet contains 0.12 feed units, 9 g of digestible protein, 0.40 g of calcium and 0.49 g of phosphorus. 100 kg of tops contains 9 feed units and 2.1 kg of digestible protein.

In Russia, fodder beet is cultivated everywhere.

Botanical characteristics and biological features. Fodder beet and sugar beet are very similar in morphological and biological characteristics.

The hypocotyl of fodder beet has a more varied color than that of sugar beet, and can be white-green, yellow, pink, carmine, orange and purple. The epicotyl (head) and hypocotyl (neck) take a great part in the formation of the root crop, which in different varieties account for 25-65% of the mass of the root crop, the root itself is relatively poorly developed. Root crops of fodder beet differ from sugar beet root crops. great variety by the shape and color of the head, neck and root itself, as well as by the degree of their immersion in the soil. The development of the aerial part (head, neck) and the degree of root immersion in the soil largely determine the drought resistance of the variety and the content of dry matter in root crops. The more developed the aerial part, the more moisture-loving variety and contains less dry matter.

In fodder beet, there are significantly fewer vascular-fibrous bundles (5-8), between which there are larger parenchyma cells with a lower sugar content in them compared to sugar beet.

The leaves of fodder beet are heart-shaped ovoid, smoother and more horizontal than those of sugar beet, their total number is 20-30% less. Seed plants of fodder beet crumble less compared to sugar beet.

In the first period of vegetation (1.5-2 months), plants form the root system and leaves, the root almost does not thicken. In the future, with timely thinning, there is a rapid growth of the root crop. After the rows are closed, daily gains under favorable conditions can reach 20-50 g. During this period, the plant consumes the greatest amount of moisture and nutrients. In the last month of the growing season, the daily growth of the root crop decreases, but there is an accumulation of dry matter and an increase in sugar content. The lower leaves turn yellow and die.

The vegetation period for fodder beet in the first year of life is 125-150 days, which is 25-30 days. less than sugar beet. Due to the accelerated development with a long daylight hours, the fodder beet culture has moved far to the north.

More friendly seedlings of fodder beet appear at a temperature of 12 ... 15 ° C. Seedlings tolerate short-term frosts up to 4 ... 5 ° С. The most favorable temperature for the growth and development of fodder beet plants is 15...20°C. The cessation of growth processes in autumn is observed when the temperature drops to 6°C.

The minimum amount of active temperatures for 120-150 days of fodder beet vegetation should be 1800 ... 200 CPC.

Currently, 46 varieties and hybrids of fodder beet are cultivated in Russia.

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Fodder beet is an unpretentious plant that always brings a high yield, and growing and caring for it is elementary. Beets contain pectin, fiber, dietary fiber and mineral salts, which are absorbed by proteins and carbohydrates. Fodder beet is an excellent food for livestock, especially in winter time when animals are given dry and canned food. Thanks to it, the assimilation and digestion of hay, haylage, silage and concentrates improves. In this article, we will look at how fodder beets are cultivated so that they bring large yields.

Beet fodder varieties

To this day, old varieties of fodder beets, such as Eckendorf yellow, Galician, Lvov, are still common and sell quite well. However, more and more new varieties are emerging that are distinguished by quality, resistance to pests and high yields. The most popular of them include:

When and how to plant beets: features of planting a root crop

When the soil temperature at a depth of 8 cm is about 6 ° C, then fodder beets are planted in the ground. This usually happens in late March - early April. After two weeks, you can already see the first shoots, but if the soil temperature was above 5 ° C, then the seeds can germinate on the 5th day. Before planting, a mandatory procedure is the treatment of seeds from pests and diseases. You also need to know how deep to plant beetroot.

The depth of the seed pit should be 5 cm, and the distance between crops should be about 0.5 m. To keep moisture in the soil, crops need to be run in, and in order to have fewer weeds, the soil must be treated with herbicides before planting. important for good harvest are temperature conditions. If the soil freezes too much, the entire crop may die. Before the first shoots appear, weeds and a crust may form in the soil. Light loosening of the soil can help avoid a lot of weeds.

Did you know? Fodder beet will feel best if barley, phacelia, alfalfa and other legumes were grown before planting.

The land where the beets will grow must be carefully dug up before planting them from seed. For better harvest Compost is best applied in the spring to help kill weeds and cultivate the soil.

How to care for fodder beets

In order to get a rich harvest, it is necessary to follow the rules for caring for fodder beets. Beets do not require special attention, the cultivation technique is quite simple. The main care is timely loosening and weeding, proper watering and protection from pests and diseases.

Loosening and weeding


If a crust has formed on the soil, it means that it lacks oxygen. The scheme for planting fodder beets involves loosening the soil a few days after planting. Loosening the surface with a flat cutter is recommended every time after rain.

Important!Weeds need to be weeded a couple of times during the growing season, until the beet tops close up.

Watering the beets

When watering beets, first of all, they are guided by the weather. Abundant watering is necessary at a time when the root crop is growing and forming. 30 days before digging beets, watering must be completely eliminated, otherwise the root crops may contain less sugars and will be stored worse. If it often rains in autumn, then gaps are made between the rows to drain water.

Pest protection

Beets can become food for various pests, so planting and caring for open ground accompanied by measures to protect against pests. Mineral fertilizers are used as a preventive measure. Compost is applied when the soil is dug in the fall. 35 tons of organic fertilizer are needed per 1 ha. Wood ash is also perfect as a fertilizer, you need up to 5 centners per 1 ha.

Important!Before planting fodder beets, it is recommended to plow the soil and apply NPK.

No less useful will be potash and phosphorus fertilizers.

When to harvest, how to determine the ripening of the fruit


The ripening period of fodder beet depends on the weather. Due to the fact that fodder beets are afraid of low temperatures, it is best to harvest before the onset of frost. The root crop must be very carefully removed from the ground without damaging it. It is also necessary to carefully trim the tops, otherwise the storage of beets will be significantly reduced.

Fodder beet is considered the most demanded crop in animal husbandry. It is included in the winter months in the diet of rabbits, goats and cows. Everything you need to know about cultivating this culture will be covered in our article today.

Culture features

The fodder beet was bred from the wild variety in the 16th century in Germany. This is where culture began to spread all over the world. The result of the active work of breeders was the most diverse varieties of fodder beets. Some varieties can form root crops weighing up to 10–15 kg.

Depending on the variety, the plant can form an underground part of various colors:

  • white;
  • red;
  • orange;
  • yellow.

Root crops have different density pulp. The plant is characterized by the presence of white pulp, which is diluted with pink or yellow rings. The most stable features of this culture are its shape, the degree of penetration into the ground and the color of the fruit.

This is a biennial plant, which in the first year forms a lush rosette of green leaves, as well as a thickened root. It can be conical-oval, cylindrical, spherical or bag-shaped (depending on the variety). In terms of yield, those varieties that have a cone-shaped, bag-shaped or cylindrical shape of root crops are considered the best. The most productive are varieties with an underground part of a conical shape, as well as yellow, white and pink flowers.

In the second season, the plant forms weakly leafy stems that act as flower stalks. Paniculate inflorescences are formed on them, in which seeds are subsequently formed. They are used to propagate the plant in the coming season.

Unlike varieties of semi-sugar beets and other types of root crops, forage species there are no restrictions for use as a milk extractor for cattle. This is due to the fact that the vegetable is not capable of harming cows. At the same time, fodder beets can significantly increase milk yield.

Due to the high content of various microelements and fiber, this vegetable is the most popular product on farms and farms.

Soil Requirements

Cultivation of fodder beet takes place in open ground. To get an excellent harvest, for this crop, you should choose the right soil. This plant prefers sandy and loamy soils, which are rich in nutrients. The cultivation of this crop often occurs in floodplain areas. There is a lot of black soil here, which contributes to a rich harvest.

It is worth noting that planting this variety of beets is also allowed on poor soils. However, in this case additional fertilizers are required. The requirement for top dressing is critical for swampy, sandy, and clay soils.

Do not choose acidic and saline soils for cultivation. The optimum acidity level for fodder beet is between 6.2 and 7.5. Areas that are prone to waterlogging are not suitable for cultivation.

Second important point choosing a place to plant this plant is to fulfill the requirements of crop rotation. Excellent predecessors for any variety of such beets will be cereals, green manure and beans.

When to sow seeds

To achieve an excellent harvest, the cultivation of fodder beets must be carried out within a certain time frame. It should be noted that fodder beet is characterized by a long growing season. Therefore, it must be planted early. However, the landing time planting material are defined by the following parameters:

  • climatic conditions. In the southern regions of the country, the landing is carried out earlier than in the northern regions;
  • varietal features.

Usually, the planting of seeds of this variety is carried out from mid-March to the end of the month. But if the weather conditions do not allow, then the sowing dates are postponed to the beginning of April.

How to sow seeds

Cultivation of fodder beets begins with the sowing of seeds. Sowing is allowed only after the earth has warmed up to +7 degrees. Usually this condition is fulfilled already in mid-April.

Fodder beet has the following rules for sowing seeds:

  • the field is plowed before planting;
  • mineral fertilizers, compost and wood ash are introduced into the ground. The volume of applied fertilizers is determined depending on the structure and type of soil;
  • planting material is selected and treated. Planting seeds can be carried out without prior preparation. But growth stimulants can also be used;
  • the laying of seeds is carried out in pre-prepared furrows to a depth of 3 cm. A distance of 20–25 cm must be observed between them. The distance between rows can reach 50–60 cm. This is due to the fact that the roots of this variety are formed quite large;
  • after that, the seeds are covered with earth.

Before proceeding with planting, it is necessary to calculate the sowing rate. When calculating, one should be guided by the fact that approximately 12–15 g of seeds must be prepared per linear meter. When choosing such a sowing rate, approximately 150 g of seed will go to one hundred square meters of land.

Proper planting and further cultivation of the crop will allow you to harvest a large crop (with a weight of root crops in the region of 12 kg).

Fodder beet is considered a moisture-loving crop. Irrigation is especially important early stages cultivation. Therefore, after the seeds have been planted in the ground, it is important to regularly and abundantly water the beds. In this case, the first pale green shoots will appear as soon as the air temperature rises slightly.

Technology of growing fodder beet

After planting the seeds, the cultivation of the crop is carried out according to the same principle as sugar and table varieties. During the growing season, fodder beets require the following procedures:

  • regular weeding. With a large amount of weed grass, root crops are formed small;
  • when the first two leaves appeared on the beds, weeding of too dense plantings is carried out. Leave the strongest and largest seedlings. Be sure to adhere to the distance between adjacent shoots;
  • periodic loosening of the soil between rows. This will improve the access of oxygen to the underground part of the plant. It is recommended to loosen after past rains and watering;
  • watering is carried out depending on weather conditions. At the same time, frequent watering during the period of active growth of root crops is important;
  • watering stops about one month before harvest. This will allow the root crops to be better prepared for long-term storage. Stopping watering will keep them from rotting;
  • it is necessary to perform at least two fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. Usually top dressing is made after thinning and a month after this procedure.

As you can see, growing a fodder variety of beets in your garden is not so difficult.

Video “Details of planting fodder beets”

From this video you will learn how to properly grow and plant fodder beets.

Bred in Germany in the 16th century and for two centuries has become widespread throughout the world. It is grown mainly in countries where dairy farming is developed: Russia, USA, Brazil, Germany, France, Australia, Algeria and others.

By scientific classification the subspecies Fodder beet belongs to the species Beetroot and is an industrial crop. It's biennial herbaceous plant included in the diet of livestock, small domestic animals and birds, and contains a large number of carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

How is sugar beet different from fodder beet?

The ancestor of both subspecies is wild beet, but the sugar crop was bred by breeders on the basis of fodder. This is where their similarities end and there are differences in:

  • appearance;
  • growth and collection;
  • for what purposes are grown;
  • chemical composition.

External differences

In the first year of growth, both fodder beet and sugar beet develop well leaves in the form of a semi-erect rosette. Differences: in sugar beet they are green or light green, in fodder leaves they are green, more shiny, with characteristically colored petioles in the color of the fruit (up to crimson). In a sweet fruit, it grows up to 60 leaves on the head of a root crop, in a fodder fruit it is 20-30% less.

The first visual difference: the sugar beet root has a white skin. The fodder root crop has a richer palette of colors: white, yellow, gray-green, orange, raspberry, etc.

The shape of the sugar beet root is conical or elongated-conical. The form of fodder beet is more diverse:

  • conical. Strongly developed root and poorly developed neck. On the surface is 1/5 of the root;
  • cylindrical or sac-like. Well-developed neck, up to 3/4 of the root share is on the soil surface;
  • round or spherical. Almost all is on the surface;
  • elongated oval. The root crop protrudes half the length above the soil.

The fruits on the peduncle of the fodder crop are smaller in size than those of the sugar crop, and crumble less.

Growth and collection

The root crop of sugar beet is completely in the ground. It is easier to harvest such a crop from the fields using a mechanized method (harvesters, potato diggers, beet lifters). Fodder beet is in the ground, depending on the shape of the root, from 1/4 to 4/5 of the length of the root. This facilitates manual harvesting, but complicates mechanized harvesting.

The root system of the sugar root crop is developed much more powerfully, the length reaches 3 meters. Roots reach deeper into the soil to obtain water, making the beets more drought tolerant than fodder beets.

The vegetative period of sugar beet is 140-170 days. The vegetation period of fodder beet is shorter - 130-150 days, which makes it possible to grow it in northern latitudes.

What are they grown for?

Cultivation of fodder beet in agricultural fields and household plots occurs to obtain a juicy, nutritious, fortified feed for livestock or farm animals. Both the root and the tops are edible.

Sugar beets are grown to extract sugar from the roots. The pulp, tops and substandard roots are fed to animals.


Chemical composition

The root of the sugar subspecies contains up to 23% sucrose, in the feed subspecies up to 3%. This is due to the small number of rings of vascular fibrous bundles in the latter. The more rings in the cross section of the root, the more often they are located, the greater the sugar content of the pulp. The number of sugar rings - 10-12, feed - 5-8.

In fodder beet, the content of digestible protein is 9 g per 1 kg of root crop, in sugar beet - 0.012 g of protein per 1 kg.

The energy value of sugar beet is kept at the level of 0.24 KE per 1 kg, for fodder beet - 0.12 KE per 1 kg.

The best varieties

Throughout the existence of fodder beet as an agricultural crop, breeders have improved existing varieties and developed new ones. Beetroot is an undemanding plant that gives an excellent harvest. A wide variety makes it possible to pick up fodder beet seeds for any climatic zone and soil condition.

The varieties of fodder beet with cylindrical shape root crop, rounded and elongated-oval.

Beets with a cylindrical shape are grown in the non-chernozem and northern chernozem strip, as it is more early-ripening and unpretentious to soil moisture:

  • fodder beet Eckendorf yellow. Well developed tops, leaves are dark green, brilliant. The color of the head is gray-green, the rest of the bright yellow. The flesh is white, medium keeping quality in winter. Vegetation period 130-160 days. The yield is 100-120 tons per hectare. Resistant to cold;
  • Arnimkrivenskaya. The result of the improvement of Eckendorf yellow. Well developed tops with dark green glossy leaves. The head is gray-green, the rest of the root is bright green, the flesh is white. The persistence is average, the yield is at the level of 100 tons per 1 ha;
  • Ursus Poly. Vegetation period 120-135 days. The skin is orange or yellow, the flesh is juicy beige. Productivity from 1 hectare to 125 tons of roots. High safety in winter.


Semicircular varieties are grown in the black earth zone and, with great success, in the non-black earth zone:

  • Oberndorf red. Skin color from bright red to crimson. The pulp is juicy white. Resistant to diseases, pests and low temperatures. The keeping quality is high;
  • Leitevitskaya is bred in two colors: yellow and red. The pulp is white, juicy. High storage capacity in winter. Productivity is 90-100 tons from 1 hectare.

Elongated oval:

  • Lada is the most fruitful. Refers to single-sprout varieties. The skin has a pink-greenish color. The pulp is juicy, white, uniform. The variety is resistant to drought, diseases and rot. The yield is 110-130 tons per 1 ha, under good agrotechnical conditions it reaches 170 tons per hectare;
  • Voriak. The tops are well developed with dark green smooth leaves. The skin is gray-green above, yellow-red below. The pulp is white, homogeneous. At the first autumn frosts, the tops die. Good keeping quality in winter.

Varieties of a conical shape are considered semi-sugar due to the increased content of dry matter - 13-19%. Their cultivation requires loose soil and subsoil in black earth areas:

  • Firstborn. The growing season is 130 days. Productivity 500-600 tons per 1 ha;
  • Poltava semi-sugar;
  • Uman semi-sugar.

Technology of growing fodder beet

It is impossible to plant roots in the second year in the same place, since the soil there can be infected with pests.

Seeds are planted taking into account the principle of crop rotation. In large farms beets are sown in fodder and near-farm crop rotations. The best predecessors for growing fodder root crops are: rye and winter wheat, leguminous crops, vegetable crops with the exception of related ones (table beets) - early potatoes, carrots; annual herbs (alfalfa, phacelia), perennial herbs after a year of use.

ATTENTION! To get a good harvest after harvesting previous crops, the soil needs to be fertilized with manure and minerals, especially if the land is light sandy and slightly structured.

Soil Requirements

The vegetable is very demanding on fertility, moisture and acidity of the soil. He does not like clay, sandy, wetlands. It grows well in the soil with a neutral and slightly acidic reaction within the range of 6.2-7.5 pH.

Preparing the site before sowing seeds requires completely clearing the land of weeds. After 2 weeks, repeat the weeding of the newly grown grass. Herbicides of continuous action will help to free the site from perennials. Apply them in the fall, after harvest.

On the cleared plot of land, deep plowing and loosening of the subsoil layer are carried out. In autumn, when digging, they make organic fertilizers(compost) and wood ash. In the spring, before planting, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus are added to the soil.

Terms and rules of landing

The seeds are planted in early spring from the end of March to the middle of April. By this time, the soil will warm up to a depth of 8-10 cm to an air temperature of 6-8°C. Maintain a row spacing of 50-60 cm. If the soil is light, then the seeds are laid to a depth of 4-5 cm. When sowing in heavy soil - no deeper than 2-4 cm.

At an air temperature of 8°C to 15°C, sprouts will appear, respectively, on 12-4 days.

Watering and care

The first 40-45 days after germination, the fodder crop grows slowly. During this period, produce:

  • weeding;
  • thinning beet sprouts after 2 true leaves appear on them. Leave strong sprouts, keeping a distance of 25 cm between them;
  • the soil is loosened, top dressing is carried out with complex fertilizer. After 2 weeks, top dressing is repeated;
  • during the formation of the first leaves, the beds are regularly watered, but make sure that the soil is not waterlogged. Further moisture depends on weather conditions. After each watering, the beets are loosened for better aeration.

ATTENTION! A month before the start of harvesting, watering is stopped, otherwise they will worsen taste qualities and preservation in winter.


Collection and storage

At the beginning of autumn, new leaves stop growing on the beets, and the old ones begin to turn yellow and die off. The root crop stops growing. Harvest before the first frost. Frozen root crops are not stored for a long time.

Dig up the beets carefully with a fork or shovel so as not to damage the root. The tops are cut off, thoroughly cleaned of dirt.

Whole, healthy root crops are stored in dark, dry rooms at an air temperature of 3-5 ° C.

For what animals is fodder beet grown?

The beets are fed to farm animals. Especially its nutrients will be useful in winter, when the cattle is on dry and canned fodder.

Cows, horses, sheep are given the whole raw root crop or crushed. Beetroot is a good milk extractor. Its use by dairy cattle increases milk yield.

For pigs, the roots are boiled and steamed. Fresh tops are mostly given to cattle, in a small amount- horses, pigs. The fodder beet for rabbits and young rabbits goes into the feed all: both the root and the tops. Introduced into the diet gradually, in small doses.

Can people eat fodder beets?

There is a lot of fiber and fiber in the root crop, which is why the product is too heavy to digest and assimilate human body. In addition, beets are cooked for a long time and are not very sweet and tasty. For culinary purposes, it is better to use table beets, softer, rich red, or sugar.