Triumphing over the winter pasture deficit

The Thomson family have been farming near Winton for over 150 years and throughout this time have seen many trends come and go.

They run a successful sheep and beef operation which relies heavily on high yielding brassicas to get them through the winter pasture deficit. The Thomsons’ have been using swedes for years as swedes perform best in cooler, moist environments like Southland. Peter Thomson commented that whilst ridged swedes over the years have been reasonable, lately the crop had been inconsistent. After discussing options with Abby Henderson, his local Farmlands TFO, Peter decided to try precision sown, pelleted Triumph Swedes. Triumph, a new generation swede, is a high yielding yellow-fleshed swede with good dry rot and mildew tolerance. Like all swedes, Triumph requires good establishment management, climatic conditions and high phosphate levels to fully express its yield potential. Triumph swedes have already made a name for themselves in Southland where they are quickly becoming a popular choice with farmers due to their suitability to the environment and the region's needs. “The first year we tried Triumph I was hesitant at the extra cost associated with the precision sowing so decided to only do 12 hectares and the rest with conventional swede seed through my trusty ridger. The yield difference was incredible! Needless to say, this year we

It’s great to see the ewes so content on the crop and scalping the bulbs out into the ground, they must enjoy them.”

| David Thomson is reaping the benefits of new generation swede, Triumph.

planted everything with precision sown pelleted Triumph swedes by the local contractor,” Peter says. “All but one paddock … I couldn’t help myself, I got the ridger out for one last shot at proving its worth. Long story short, the ridger won’t be used again.” The Thomsons’ have now yielded consistently for 2 years running thanks to Triumph, and the stock love them. “It’s great to see the ewes so content on the crop and scalping the bulbs out into the ground, they must enjoy them,” David Thomson says.

For more information on Triumph swedes or other winter feed options, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by Agricom.