Try Chomper, it wont disappoint!
July 22, 2021 All Regions
Image: The impressive S&W Seed Company Chomper Forage Sorghum eight weeks after planting.
Michelle Tomkins of Lazi Hay, “Little River”, Geurie, together with Agronomist Josh Driver from AGnVET Dubbo trialed a small area with S&W Seed Company Chomper Forage Sorghum to graze under supplementary irrigation.
The first block planted under a travelling irrigator was a little disappointing. After an inspection from Josh and Shane Kable from S&W, it was determined that dry subsoil and some irrigation issues were causing the uneven growth. After seeing growth in response to an improved watering program on the first block, a further paddock of Chomper was sown for hay.
The 20-hectare pivot was planted with 18 kilograms per hectare of Chomper Enhanced on 20 December 2019, using a paired boot flexicoil on 12 inches spacing. The crop received a robust fertiliser program targeting high yielding hay or silage. Irrigation and good rainfall due to storms resulted in the crop being ready for its first cut in mid-February.
Persistent wet weather led to the big squares being wrapped as silage rather than drying for hay, with 385 being produced from the first cut in late February. After topdressing with nitrogen, further irrigation and rainfall, the Chomper was ready to cut again seven weeks later in April.
Due to the cooler and higher moisture conditions in April, big square bales were either wrapped for silage or stacked into a silage pit and covered to cure. A further 294 bales were produced from this final cut of the season.
Michelle was extremely pleased with the performance of Chomper during feed testing, “From day one it performed very well, it gave us a lot of fodder, which is either wrapped or in pits. “The quality of the fodder is good as well, we have stock on the fresh green barley but they are still cleaning up the Chomper silage we are feeding them.
“We’ll grow it again most definitely, it’s been one of our best performing crops so far since we’ve had this farm,” concluded Michelle. Josh praised Chomper saying, “I know I can rely on it. It’s a premium product without the premium price tag”.
Learn more about S&W Chomper Forage Sorghum here.