Who needs fodder beets and why, how to grow them correctly, and is it possible for people to eat

Beetroot is one of the most demanded and popular vegetable crops. Traditionally, table, sugar and fodder beets are distinguished. The article discusses the main issues related with cultivation and the use of a fodder vegetable.

Description and characteristics of fodder beet

Fodder beets - technical culture, that is, cultivated for the technical needs of man. Despite many similarities with other varieties - table and sugar - it differs from them in its application and nutritional properties.

The history of the emergence of this variety of beets

The homeland of the wild ancestor of the vegetable is the Mediterranean and Asia. As a cultivated plant already in the VIII century BC. e. On the territory of Ancient Babylon, beetroot was known, the tops of which were used not only for gastronomic, but also for medicinal purposes.

Gradually, the culture spread throughout the territory of modern Europe. However, until the 16th century, there was no division of beets into table and fodder varieties. In response to the needs of developing animal husbandry, a culture called "chard" was developed in Germany. The root crop of this close relative of the fodder beet was inedible. In the 17th century, sugar beet was isolated from hybrid forms of fodder beet.

Reference! Today there is a huge variety of fodder beet varieties that are suitable for growing in almost any environment.

The crop is cultivated in many European countries, in North and South America, in Australia and New Zealand, in North Africa.

The value and benefits of feed beets for animals and birds

Fodder beets play an important role in the nutrition of domestic animals; for this, the entire plant is used - both tops and roots.

It acquires particular importance in the diet of dairy cattle - cows and goats. Due to its high fiber content, fodder beets increase milk production.

A vegetable provides livestock with the necessary energy and nutrients. 1 kg of root vegetable contains:

• 0.11-0.15 g of feed units (1 feed unit = 1414 kcal);
• 9 grams of digestible protein
• 0.4 g calcium;
• 0.49 g of phosphorus.

The nutritional value of beet tops is even higher (9 g of feed units and 2.1 protein per 1 kg of leaves), therefore it is an excellent supplementary feed both fresh and silage.

Important! The advantage of beets over other feeds is their high digestibility and the ability to improve the absorption of nutrients from other foods used in the diet.

As a field crop, fodder beets increase soil fertility and inhibit the growth of weeds, therefore it is considered an excellent precursor for cereal plants.

For which animals are fodder beets grown?

The vegetable is used to feed various farm animals:

• cows;
• sheep;
• horses;
• pigs;
• rabbits.

Due to its milk-producing properties, fodder beets are most in demand for feeding cows.However, in order to avoid a decrease in the fat content and taste of milk, the amount of root vegetables eaten per day should not exceed 35 kg. The daily norm of beets for sheep is 5 kg, for horses - about 15 kg, for pigs - at the rate of 7 kg for every 100 kg of animal body weight.

Attention! Piglets are given a vegetable boiled or steamed, added to the bran porridge. The rest of the livestock are fed raw. Root crops are crushed just before feeding.

Fresh tops are given to goats with the addition of chalk to neutralize the acidity of the food.

Fodder beet growing technology

The cultivation of fodder beets is in many ways similar to the cultivation of other varieties. However, there are a number of nuances.

Soil requirements

In terms of soil fertility, fodder beets are particularly demanding. Prefers slightly acidic or neutral chernozem with a pH of 6.2-7.5. According to the rules of crop rotation, it grows well on lands previously sown with cereals (wheat, rye) or legumes (corn, peas) crops.

Attention! Beets are not planted on the same plot for 2 years in a row.

Preparing for planting, compost or rotted manure, as well as wood ash, are introduced into the soil as fertilizer. Mineral fertilizers containing phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium are welcome.

Beets love loose soil, so the site should be dug before planting.

Terms and rules of landing

Optimal conditions for planting fodder beets in open ground are usually established in late March - early April.

Landing rules:

1. Fodder beets are planted in the ground when the soil temperature reaches + 5 ... + 8 ° C.
2. Pre-treatment of the soil with herbicides is recommended to reduce the emergence of weeds.
3. The depth of planting seeds is 3-4 cm. A distance of 40-45 cm is maintained between the rows.
4. The soil in the beds should be slightly moist, without a crust - for this, the crops are run-in.
5. The first leaves appear in 8-14 days. Seedlings are able to survive frosts down to -2 ° C.

Reference! In case of early warming, at a daytime temperature of + 15 ... + 20 ° C, crops can emerge 2-3 days after planting.

Crop care

Agrotechnology of fodder beet does not present any difficulties for gardeners of any skill level:

1. In order for moisture and air to circulate normally in the soil, the soil is loosened 48 hours after planting. In the future, it is necessary to regularly loosen the soil between the rows.
2. As soon as the first 2 leaves appear, thinning is performed, leaving the strongest and most viable seedlings. The recommended density of fodder beets is no more than 4-5 plants per 1 m2, with a distance between plants of 25 cm. This will ensure healthy growth of root crops.
3. After thinning, the plants are fed with mineral fertilizers. The procedure is repeated a second time in a month.
4. In conditions of insufficient moisture, fodder beets require regular glaze... This is especially critical at the time of thickening of the root crop and the growth of young tops.
5. Regular weeding is carried out until the beet tops are closed.

Important! The vegetable is not picky about lighting and gives rich yields even in shaded areas.

Diseases and pests

Beets are susceptible to various diseases and pests. To protect the vegetable, prophylaxis is carried out using mineral fertilizers - nitroammofoska and potash. In order to avoid infection with viral and fungal infections, it is recommended to include wood ash in the fertilizer.

Among the most common diseases:

1. Corneed - occurs as a result of plant infection with a complex of pathogens, fungi and bacteria in the soil, less often in the seed. As a result, vitreous or brown spots, stripes of tissue necrosis appear on the roots. Soon, the affected seedlings die, not having time to reach the soil surface.
2. Cercosporosis - a fungal disease manifests itself in the form of small light brown spots of a round shape with a red-brown border and a gray velvety bloom on the leaves.The disease is unpleasant in that it affects the tops, provoking the plant to give new shoots, which consume sugar from the root crops.
3. Peronosporosis, or downy mildew, which appears as a gray-purple downy bloom on the underside of the leaf. The affected parts of the plant become fragile and die off.
4. Powdery mildew differs from peronosporosis in the color of the plaque - it is white, formed on both sides of the leaf.
5. Fomoz - large light brown spots on the shoots of the plant and dry rot on the roots.
6. Rust. Frequent small convex formations of bright yellow or orange color appear on the leaves.
7. Bacterial spot leaves causing yellowing and further - necrosis of the affected organs.
8. Mosaic - a virus in which a mesh pattern appears on the leaves interspersed with light green and yellow spots.

Dangerous pests of fodder beet:

1. Beetroot leaf, or legume, aphid damages shoots and carries viral diseases.
2. Beet bug sucks the juice from the leaves, leaving behind transparent spots on the tops, then blackening and deformation of the tops. It provokes a plant lag in development.
3. Common and gray beet weevils they eat up the lateral roots and damage the root crop, cause developmental disorders, reducing the weight and sugar content of the vegetable.
4. Beet fleas eat out small pits and through holes in the leaves, gnaw off the apical bud.
5. Beet flies, the larvae of which severely damage the tops, lead to its wilting and dying off.

For pest control, industrial means of protection "Samurai Super", "Bi-58", "Karbofos-500", "Decis Profi" are used.

Harvesting and storage

Signs of ripening vegetables:

• yellowed leaves against the background of the plant's lack of new tops;
• reaching the diameter of the root crop characteristic of a particular variety.

During the period of accumulation of dry substances by the root crop (a month before harvesting), watering is stopped.

It is important to harvest the crop before the first frosts and lingering rains in order to prevent damage to the root crop (this shortens the shelf life of the beets). Depending on the region, the collection is scheduled for early September, October or even November.

Reference! Potato diggers, potato harvesters or beet lifters are used to harvest fodder beets. When harvesting by hand, root crops are dug in with a pitchfork.

To ensure longer storage, the tops are removed, and the roots are cleaned of adhered soil. The vegetables are lightly dried and sorted.

Important! Damaged specimens and cut off tops go to animal feed in the first place.

Store beets in piles or other storage facilities with ventilation and maintained at a temperature of 1 to 5 ° C.

Yield of fodder beet per hectare

In terms of yield, fodder beets are superior to table and sugar beets. With proper care per hectare of plantings, you can collect 900-1100 centners of root crops and tops. Such indicators are achieved due to the relative unpretentiousness of the vegetable and its resistance to adverse environmental conditions.

The most common types and varieties of fodder beets

When choosing seeds for planting, gardeners give preference to the following varieties and hybrids:

1. Foreman - mid-season variety, resistant to flowering, drought and frost (withstands temperatures down to -5 ° C). Small (weighing about 3 kg) orange-green roots have an oval-cylindrical shape and contain a lot of sugar. Productivity - 150 t / ha.
2. Lada - a variety that is resistant to drought and disease both during growth and storage. The mass of a white (sometimes pinkish-white) cylindrical root crop reaches 25 kg. It has a juicy, dense pulp. Average yield - 120 t / ha.
3. F1 Milan - a hybrid resistant to flowering and cercospora. Suitable for different types of soil, it has a long storage time. It has a medium-sized white-green oval root crop. Productivity - 90 t / ha.
4. Hope. Due to its unpretentiousness, the variety is especially common in the North-West, Middle Volga and Far Eastern regions of Russia. The root vegetable is red, cylindrical, with white juicy pulp. It is resistant to powdery mildew and cercospora infection. Possesses high productivity.
5. Ursus Poly interesting for the unusual color of the root crop - yellow-orange, cylindrical, weighing up to 6 kg. Drought-resistant, not prone to flowering. Other advantages include long-term storage and disease resistance. Productivity - 125 t / ha.
6. Centaur Poly has small (weighing 1.5-2.5 kg) white roots, elongated-oval. The cultivar demonstrates resistance to cercosporosis and shooting, as well as to drought. Productivity - 100-110 t / ha.
7. Eckendorf yellow not sensitive to low temperatures, suitable for planting in the open field in the backyard.

Can people eat fodder beets?

In terms of nutritional value, fodder beets are just as good as their counterparts. The main gastronomic difference is the high fiber content and coarse fibers, which are poorly digested by the human gastrointestinal system.

The root crop is inconvenient for use in cooking, as it requires prolonged heat treatment. In terms of taste, it is significantly inferior to table and sugar beets.

What is the difference between fodder beets and sugar

Sugar beet is the result of selection of a fodder variety, but differs from its predecessor in many respects:

1. Growing conditions: fodder beets are not planted in vegetable gardens; they are usually cultivated on an industrial scale. Unlike sugar sugar, it grows successfully in the climatic conditions of northern latitudes.
2. Appearance: Sugar varieties have elongated leaves and a more powerful root system, most often conical roots that are exceptionally white. Fodder beets have darker, smoother and shinier heart-shaped leaves - you can tell from the photo. Root vegetables are diverse shapes and colors.
3. Purpose: sugar is used for sugar production, only leaves are sent for feed. Fodder beets are consumed entirely by pets.
4. Nutritional properties: in sugar beets, the amount of sucrose is 20% higher. The energy value of the feed is lower, but it contains more protein.

All varieties differ in turn from the beet, which is used for food.

Conclusion

Fodder beets are a popular and unpretentious agricultural crop. Due to the increased content of easily digestible carbohydrates, it contributes to the production of milk and the improvement of its quality, therefore, it is especially important in the diet of dairy animals, primarily cows.

Subject to the timing of planting and harvesting, elementary rules of agricultural technology and the reasonable use of organic and mineral fertilizers, fodder beets give a consistently high yield. Among the disadvantages of a vegetable, one can single out the exactingness of the soil, the forced change of the growing place every season and the need for regular watering and fertilization.