Frost damage check on oilseed rape, fodder beet
According to Teagasc advisers, most fodder beet crops have been harvested, but they have received calls from growers with crops still growing.
These farmers have found the crop has been damaged by temperatures as low as minus 12 degrees Centigrade. When the over-ground portion of the beet defrosts, it goes soft and black. Loss of leaves makes harvesting more difficult. Harvesting and storing badly frosted beet in a clamp could accelerate spoilage. And feeding frosted beet can sicken livestock and increase the incidence of scour.
