Characteristics of forage cabbage

Forage cabbage is grown for livestock. Variety Proteor is grown in different regions of Russia. We consider the detailed description of the variety in the article.

Characteristic of the variety

Cabbage is an especially valuable product in poultry farming. Also used as animal feed.

Features of the variety:

• has a strong stem and long leaves;
• frost-resistant (can withstand up to 14 ° C);
• easy to care for;
• undemanding to climatic and weather conditions;
• tolerates severe drought.

The protein has a high yield level – up to 1 kg of dry matter per 1 m2. It can be planted both in open ground and in the greenhouse.

Description of the bush

Forage cabbage is a plant of leaves and a thickened stem. Both parts are used for feed.

Proteor – a two-year plant. Usually reaches a height of 100-110 cm, which is why it belongs to tall vegetable crops.In the first year, the stem has a cylindrical shape, in the second – spindle-shaped. Branches form on it if cabbage grows in moist soil.

The leaves reach a length of 50 cm, a width of 30-40 cm. The leaf blade has a light waxy coating. Petioles from 15 to 40 cm.

In the second year of Proteor sprouting, new shoots appear on the stem. They form flowers with a diameter of up to 5 cm.

Composition

Chemical composition and nutritional value ::

• has a milk-producing property;
• contains 12-15% solids;
• sugar capacity 4-7%;
• the presence of 60-75% ascorbic acid, which improves the digestion of the animal;
• has carotene, vitamin B, other mineral components;
• contains up to 4% protein;
• has up to 2-3% fiber.

Nutritionally equal to oatmeal, but much more nutritious than beets or carrots. It is very important for cattle that produce milk. Cows need to feed at least 15 kg of forage cabbage per day. This will favorably affect the formation of milk, accelerate this process. Also improve the quality of the dairy product.

Fruits can be stored in a cold room without severe restrictions in the temperature regime. Cellars and basements are perfect for this.

Care

Forage cabbage is not demanding to care for.It is enough to adhere to the basic rules of planting and growing to get a high-quality variety and excellent yield.

Seed Selection

Normal weight of 1000 seeds is 3-5 g. After purchase, you need check for quality. For this, the seeds are dipped in water heated to 50 ° C. They wait 7-10 minutes, after which they look: if the seeds sank to the bottom of the container, they are suitable for planting. If they spray, then they should be thrown away, because they are empty and will not produce a crop.

Preparing for planting

It is better to prepare the seeds and soil before planting. They are treated with a solution of manganese. Boric acid can be added to it.

For seed treatment, take 5 g of potassium permanganate and 2 g of boric acid. They are bred in 10 liters of warm, standing water. Pour into a wide container, where seeds are also placed. They should be there for a maximum of 15 minutes, after which they are washed and dried.

For irrigation take 15 g of manganese and 5 g of boric acid. Bred in a bucket of water. Consumption per 1 m2 – 2 liters of diluted solution. The dilution ratio is 1 to 2.

Landing

Proteor cabbage is planted from mid-April to early July. Transplantation is carried out when at least 5 true leaves appear on seedlings.

1. For landing, choose a place where there is no shadow and there is constant access to sunlight. It is important that the groundwater level is at least 1 m.
2. Acidic soils are not suitable. In the opposite case, liming is carried out. But it is better to initially choose medium in terms of mechanical composition and organically rich soils. The best option is peat bogs.
3. Shoots appear after 10 days. Planting pattern – 80 * 80 cm.
4. On 1 m2 you can plant no more than 7 bushes so that their root systems do not intertwine. The width between the rows is 45 cm.

Harvesting occurs 100 days after planting the seeds. This is from September to November.

Watering

Forage cabbage is a moisture-loving plant. For watering, you need 0.5 l of water under one bush (2-3 times a week). The water is taken warm and settled.

Loosening

Necessary procedure for growing fodder cabbage:

• enriches the soil with oxygen;
• removes soil crust after watering or rain;
• promotes rapid growth of the bush.

Loosening is also necessary for weed control. If they are not eliminated on time, the root system may be damaged or the vegetable crop may stop growing.

Feeding

Nitrogen fertilizers are important for the vegetable crop. Ammonium nitrate is often taken as a fertilizer. For the first feeding, 5 g of the substance is diluted in 1 l of water.This graying is carried out if the forage cabbage already has 3-4 leaves.

The second feeding is carried out at the stage of 6-7 leaves: 3 g of ammonium nitrate and 8 g of superphosphate are diluted in 2 l of water. The consumption rate is 0.3 liters for the sprout.

Pests and diseases

Due to the excellent nutritional value, pests often attack the vegetable. They need to be fought in a timely manner. Some gardeners neglect this, because cabbage is grown specifically for animals. They do not realize that the negative, parasitic effect of pests later affects the quality, smell, taste of milk and the condition of the livestock.

Pests

Forage for cabbage can be affected by such pests:

1. Cruciferous fleas. These are small black insects that eat the leaves of a vegetable crop. A sign of their influence is a lot of small holes on the surface of the sheet plate. To combat them, use a mixture of ash and tobacco dust in a ratio of 1 to 1. Watering is not necessary, because The method of dry pollination of leaves is used. You need to do this early in the morning. It is advisable that there be dew on the surface of the plant.
2. Cabbage moth. Butterflies are brown or gray with a long body. They bite through the outer part of the leaves and eat the tissue. To combat them, “Lepidocide” is used. The product is diluted in water according to the instructions. Apply by drip irrigation to the surface of the affected leaves.
3. Rapeseed flowering. Black beetle up to 1 cm in size.It harms buds and seeds. After its exposure, up to 70% of the seed material can die. Processing is carried out on the basis of 0.2% etaphos and 0.04% andometrine.
4. Cabbage fly. Outwardly it looks like an ordinary brown fly. It feeds on green roots. At first, it eats the soft, juicy part of the stem, after which it can affect the leaves. To get rid of cabbage flies, take the product “Topaz”. 1 ampoule of substance is diluted in 10 l of water. Spark and Karbofos are also used.

Diseases

High humidity and temperature, improperly selected soil can cause the development of the following diseases:

• kila;
• black leg;
• gray rot;
• black spotting of leaves and pods.

If diseases are noticed in the early stages, the frequency of irrigation changes, transplantation to another soil, soil cultivation, etc.

are made. It’s used, they use chemicals. From the keel helps the solution of “Cumulus”, which is applied under the root in the amount of 35 g per bucket of water. “Phytosporin” will help to remove the black leg. A solution based on 5 g of substance and 10 l of water is introduced into each well. To combat gray rot, watering is stopped, with black spotting, they are treated with Iskra bushes.

Conclusion

Fodder cabbage is an excellent feed for cattle. Valued for its rich composition and high nutritional value. It can grow in any region.