ChileanJAR

During three consecutive years the yield and quality of the fodder beet cultivar Eckendorff and maize T289s was evaluated as winter supplementary feed. The trial was conducted at Carillanca Experiment Station (INIA), both crop were sown in spring in an area of one ha. The maize was harvested for silage at 140 days from sowing to harvest, and the evaluation for the fodder beet was weekly starting at 205 days from sowing until middle of september. The measurements of yield, population and component of yield in each crop were taken from ten 1 m² quadrats. The quality was measured in maize at two stage 120 and 140 days, and monthly in fodder beet. Fodder beet total dry matter yield reached maximum values of 24 ton/ha and only 17 ton ha in corn silage. Average yield of the fodder beet recorded during the three years of 25.53 was consistently higher than corn silage with only 15.52 ton/ha (P < 0.01). The protein content was similar on two crops. The call wall content (N.D.F.), Iignocellulose (A.D.F.) and hemicellulose were higher in the corn silage compared with fodder beet content. The agronomic and economic aspect of this two crops are discussed.