Catch Crops

Catch Crops

• Catch Crops

Fast-growing crops grown between two main crops when land would otherwise lie idle.
Used primarily for animal feed.
Additional winter fodder.

• Advantages of Catch Crops
  Fast growing
  High yielding
  Additional winter fodder
  Reduce winter feed costs, less concentrates required
  Break crop between grass and cereals
  Help prevent nitrogen leaching
  Some crops have high protein content
• Disadvantages of Catch Crops
  Labour intensive if strip grazed or zero grazed
  Low in fibre
  Attacked by pests and diseases
  Risk of poaching the land if grazed in situ during wet weather
  Iodine deficiency can occur when livestock are fed some catch crops
• Cultivation of Stubble Turnip
  Soil suitability and sowing:
  –Free draining loam with a pH of 6.5 or more.
  –The soil is ploughed and harrowed.
  –The seeds are sown using a direct drill.
  Rotation:
  –Stubble turnip is vulnerable to club root caused by a soil-borne fungus.
  –Stubble turnip must not be grown in the same field for more than one year in three.
• Cultivation of Stubble Turnip
  Fertiliser:
  –Stubble turnip requires 140 kg/ha of nitrogen, 35 kg/ha of phosphorus and 35 kg/ha of potassium.
  Pests and diseases:
  –Flea beetles are a common pest of stubble turnip. Spray with a suitable insecticide.
  –Slugs are also a problem.
• Feeding livestock
  It should be introduced gradually into the diet of sheep and cattle.
  Strip grazing using an electric fence minimises waste.
  Cattle and sheep must be fed hay or silage with stubble turnip to ensure proper rumen function.
  Run back must be provided for animals.
• Kale
  Kale has a longer growing season than stubble turnip.
  Reaches maximum yield after six months of growth.
• Cultivation
  Soil cultivation and sowing:
  –Free-draining loam or sandy loam
  –pH of 6.0 to 7.0
  –Plough and power-harrow to produce a fine seedbed
  –Kale can be broadcast or sown by direct-drilling
  –Sow at a depth of 10 mm
  Rotation:
  –Prone to club root – 1 in 5 year rotation
• Cultivation
  Fertiliser requirements:
  –Nitrogen is applied at sowing at a rate of 75–85 kg/ha.
  Pests and diseases:
  –Susceptible to flea beetle and aphid attack. Spray with a suitable insecticide.
  –Slug pellets should be used if slugs are a problem.
• Feeding Livestock
  Strip grazing using an electric fence, or zero grazing to animals indoors minimises waste.
  Excessive intake of kale can lead to anaemia.
  Kale is low in some minerals, e.g. iodine and phosphorus. Mineral supplements should be provided.
  Hay and silage must also be fed.