Cereals

The Greenmount Unit grows crops to provide concentrate feed for the cattle and sheep on the Unit.

To supply cattle feed we have grown winter triticale in 2006 and 2007 (both crops on the same ground). Sown at 180 KG/ha, it went into the winter well established and with little weed growth.

Weeds were not a problem in either year, due to triticale being a tall crop (chest height) and like oats it apparently produces some alleleopathic effect (reduction in weed growth).

Large heads promised a heavy yield, but the wet summer of 2007 led to ear blight and as a result a much less than expected yield of 4.5 t/ha was achieved, mainly because of shrivelling of some grains in the ears.

Triticale has again been sown for harvesting in 2008, on a new site where we hope the triticale will again suppress weeds.

Oats yielded well at 6.46 t/ha at 14 percent MC on 21 August. The crop was clean with very little disease and the plan is to grow oats again in 2008.

© DARD 2008