Crops grown for grazing

Kale is an adaptable crop, although under very dry conditions it may be difficult to establish. For grazing it is essential that it is grown on well drained fields. 

On livestock farms kale is often direct drilled into an old ley after glyphosate spraying. This may be after an early grazing or a silage cut has been taken. Kale can also follow a catch crop sown after cereals in the previous autumn. Club root disease (Table 6.2) can be a problem and kale should not be grown in the same field more often than one year in three. 

Up to 50t/ha of farmyard manure can be applied in the autumn. This is especially important when a heavy yielding crop is desired. Sluny at about 350001/ha can also be used in the spring, prior to cultivation. A light dressing of slurry applied to a direct drilled field after drilling can also be beneficial. 

Total plant nutrients required are summarised in Table 18.4. Less ititrogen is required if kale follows grass. Fertiliser is usually applied during final seedbed preparations. The nitrogen application can be split and partly top dressed when the young plants have up to five leaves. A pH of 6-6.5 is recommended. 

Kale can be sown from the end of March until mid-July. The heaviest yielding crops are normally associated with early sowing. 

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