This fodder beet trial was planted on 16 October 2017, on farm on Emu Plain 6 km north-west of Rotheram, on Darnley silt loam soils.  Seed for all treatments was drilled at 80,000 seeds per hectare and 50 cm row spacing, with a mean established plant number of 64,000 per hectare. 

The crop was irrigated with a centre-pivot, and the trial compared 12 cultivars.  The trial was measured on 28 April 2018.  Differences between some cultivars were not significant (Fig. 1) due to a relatively high variation across the site.  The mean yield was 29.5 t DM/ha.  The leaf to bulb ratio (13:87) was low due accidental burning of leaves from a late-summer chemical application.  Dry matter of bulbs was the same as long-term means (0.1% points higher).

Figure 1.  Results of the 2018 North Canterbury beet trial.