Fodder beet is a crop with high yield potential, offering many benefits for dairy farming, including adding body condition to cows and having less environmental impact than other feeds. It must be managed correctly to ensure the health of your cows.

Successful fodder beet growth depends on meticulous practices from the start. Fodder beet, commonly grazed by non-lactating cows in New Zealand's cooler regions, can be part of a cow's diet for up to six months.

Fodder beet is a feed option for cows that requires careful planning to avoid health issues such as acidosis. Before feeding it, you should measure your crop yield and test the leaf and bulb to determine its nutritional content.

Fodder beet has a lot to offer when managed correctly. It has a high yield potential and its high energy is great for putting body condition on cows.

Fodder beet offers many benefits as an alternative crop to brassicas, but it also presents risks and challenges. So, what can we learn from recent research about how to deal with those risks and challenges?

Does fodder beet have a positive future as a feed for cows in New Zealand? What are some key things to consider when feeding beet through winter?

Velvetleaf is a pest that affects crops, seen in fodder beet and maize crops nationwide. This weed can live on farms for up to 50 years and withstands digestion and silage methods.

Black beetle is a pest found in warm regions of the upper North Island, especially on light or peat soils. They can cause significant pasture damage.

New Zealand’s dairy and beef industries are coming together to work more closely through the Dairy Beef Opportunities programme to address a key area — the management of non-replacement calves that are not required to replenish the dairy herd.

Hear about early insights in DairyNZ’s heat stress trial at Scott Farm from experts Dr Charlotte Reed and Jac McGowan, plus current info and solutions for keepings cows comfortable and productive in hot conditions.

Top episode of 2025! Find out how farmers Donovan Croot and Sophie Cookson built one of NZ’s best herds. They share the smart choices and tools that helped them reach the top 1% for Breeding Worth. Listen now for tips to improve your herd.