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Yield of new brassica cultivars

J.F. Chin and K.F.M. Reed

Department of Agriculture, Victoria
Pastoral Research Institute, Hamilton, 3300

Several new European cultivars of four Brassica fodder species on sale in New Zealand were sown for comparison with traditional cultivars (marked t in the tables) at Hamilton in November 1983/84.

Methods

Two trials with five replicates were sown by drill on fallowed silty loam with 200 kg/ha of superphosphate-molybdenum (0.015%). Swedes and turnips were sown at =1 kg/ha; other species at =4 kg/ha. Above ground herbage and roots were harvested from quadrats. Herbage was mown from Trial A on Jan. 17. Diazinon was applied to control cabbage moth caterpillar in December.

Results and Discussion

Summer rainfall was 44 mm (52% of the long term average). For the November- April period, rainfall was 259 mm (100% of the long term average). Pest damage was worst on kale and least on Simax and turnips. Simax turnip-rape was the most productive cultivar in the rape and kale section (P<0.05).

Table 1. Yields from Trial A, sown 2 November 1983

Table 2. Yields from Trial B, sown 25 November 1983

Within individual species, the other new cultivars were as productive as the traditional ones. Root consumption by sheep was measured on Trial A in May and averaged 908 for Ruta and York Globe, and 62% for the other cultivars (p<0.05). Drier conditions and a less compacted seed bed may explain the lower density in Trial B. Of the newer cultivars, Simax deserves trial at both the rape and turnip rates of seeding.

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