Maize & Fodder Crops
Goldcrop is a leading supplier of maize, beet and forage brassica seed to Irish farmers with an impressive portfolio of leading varieties from seed breeders like Limagrain, Syngenta, Caussade, Saaten Union, DLF Trifolium and Carneau. The company caries out variety screening trials each year to identify new varieties that will work in the Irish climate and a major focus is on the quality attributes of varieties. Goldcrop will continue to focus on varieties that will add value and improve profitability for farmers and merchants.
The need to reduce feed costs has led to increased plantings of maize, beet and other fodder crops as farmers try to produce more of the nutritional needs of their livestock on the farm. For all these crops the availability of new and constantly improving varieties is vital. Variety choice is even more important for fodder crops to ensure they suit the growing site and the method of feeding the farmer intends to use.
| Maize and Fodder Crops | |
|---|---|
| Goldcrop Maize Varieties 2012 | Download PDF |
Maize Crop Management
Maize is an extremely high yielding forage crop that produces high quality livestock feed at a very competitive price. It is an easy crop to grow once the basics are right with site selection being the most important. Maize can also be grown as a cash crop on tillage farms for sale to livestock farmers.
| Maize | |
|---|---|
| Goldcrop Maize Crop Management 2012 | Download PDF |
| Goldcrop Forage Maize Varieties Recommended List 2012 | Download PDF |
Fodder & Sugar Beet
Beet gives the highest yields of Dry Matter and Metabolisable Energy of all forage crops. Only grazed grass can be produced at a lowest cost per Kg DM or per MJ of ME. This cost advantage over other conserved forages is required to compensate for the extra labour when storing and feeding beet. For farmers who are equipped to feed beet, it cannot be beaten for performance or economic return.
| Fodder & Sugar Beet | |
|---|---|
| Goldcrop Fodder & Sugar Beet Varieties 2012 | Download PDF |
Crop Husbandry
Sugar & Fodder Beet
Beet is an extremely high yielding fodder crop that is easy to grow but attention to detail is vital. The recipe for success with beet is ‘Sow early in a dry field free from scutch, ensure adequate lime and fertiliser are applied, control weeds, protect from pests and diseases, harvest when mature and balance diets properly at feeding time’.
| Crop Husbandry | |
|---|---|
| Goldcrop Beet Crop Husbandry 2012 | Download PDF |
Kale
Kale is a well proven fodder crop providing high yields of green fodder and a flexible utilization period which can stretch from August right through to the following March. The crop has high crude protein content, good winter hardiness and can be fed to both cattle and sheep. It can also be harvested and ensiled.
| Crop Husbandry | |
|---|---|
| Goldcrop Kale Crop Husbandry 2012 | Download PDF |
Stubble Turnips
Stubble Turnips are an excellent catch crop which can produce nutritious, highly palatable feed in just 12-14 weeks after sowing. The crop can be sown in spring for feeding in late summer or sown in July / August for feeding in October to February. They are not very winter hardy and losses will occur in frosty weather.
| Crop Husbandry | |
|---|---|
| Goldcrop Stubble Turnips Crop Husbandry 2012 | Download PDF |
Fodder Rape
Fodder Rape is a popular forage crop with many livestock farmers due to its ease of production, the flexibility of its sowing date and its palatability at feeding time. It is capable of producing a large bulk of fodder in a short period. Not as winter hardy as Kale. Fodder Rape is an ideal pioneer crop in the reclamation of hill and marginal land.
| Crop Husbandry | |
|---|---|
| Goldcrop Fodder Rape Crop Husbandry 2012 | Download PDF |
Swedes
Swedes like oats prefer a cool moist climate and have good winter hardiness. When grown under dry conditions yields can be low. In areas where there is little sunshine Swedes do better than fodder beet. The crop can be grazed in situ, especially suitable for sheep. It can be harvested, stored and fed whole or chopped. Some varieties are grown for human consumption.
| Crop Husbandry | |
|---|---|
| Goldcrop Swedes Crop Husbandry 2012 | Download PDF |
Highest quality grain products including consumer grade seeds of barley, wheat and oats.
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Competitive in cost of production and a good crop can produce the cheapest form of high quality silage.
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Goldcrop are also exclusive agents for a number of ag-chem products in the Irish market.
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