A recently released study from Armidale, NSW, demonstrated sheep’s grazing preference of Mainstar, compared to other forage rape varieties.*
Sheep grazing on DLF Seeds Mainstar forage rape in the trial.
The trial results
- Day 1: Sheep preferentially grazed Mainstar and only Mainstar.
- Day 2, 3 and 4: Aside from a few nibbles, sheep continued to preferentially graze Mainstar until approximately 20 per cent (pc) was left.
- After 80 pc of Mainstar had been grazed: Sheep began grazing other plants.
- Rest of the trial: Sheep began grazing the other forage rape varieties (but only once Mainstar was mostly gone).
Why did this happen?
Mainstar forage rape is one of the market leading forage rapes for good reason. Among other features and benefits, it:
- has a high leaf percentage, tender leaves and less stem.
- was specifically bred for higher palatability and better utilisation.
- provides feed when pasture quality and moisture is low.
- has a strong tolerance to Aphids.
- provides more leaf regrowth after grazing.
All of which lead to superior animal preference, easier grazing and more useable feed.
Let's look at the big picture
A common practice on farm, is to look at overall yield when tallying up the performance of a brassica crop. However, if the crop is all stem and full of unpalatable leaves, the yield quality will translate into less profit when compared to a palatable variety that offers more utilisable feed.
Ultimately, when sheep eat more of the crop, they gain more weight, and heavier sheep, equals a better return on investment for the farmer.
Trial details
At the UNE campus, 26 sheep grazed on nine different forage brassica varieties. The crops were planted in 6m x 10m plots at 4kg/ha in early December (each plot was repeated four times for increased accuracy).
The trial utilised GPS to track the sheep, cameras to see where they grazed, and visual checks to see how much of each crop was eaten^. This was done over nine days with two grazing phases.
Trial conclusion
Mainstar forage rape shown to be a top choice for sheep, leading to better utilisation and potentially higher profits for farmers.
What this means for you
Sowing Mainstar forage rape, a brassica that features newer genetics, high palatability, and a high leaf to stem ratio, can help you improve your return on investment by providing:
- more feed.
- preferential grazing for sheep.
- higher weight gains.
- better utilisation.
- a higher carcass weight.
References:
* This study was completed by honours student Harry Sellers and research scientist Laughlan Stewart at the University of New England (UNE).
^ Trial utilised a combination of GPS collars and video tracking of sheep location.
Note: Removed from figure 1: other DLF Seeds brassica varieties.
This article was written by DLF Seeds for Seasons magazine.
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