Growing fodder beet: a resilient option after a challenging 2025 forage season

As our agronomist Nick Duggan, who works across Herefordshire, South Shropshire, Powys and the Cotswolds, explains, fodder beet can offer both output and flexibility.

“Once fodder beet gets its roots down, it can be quite drought tolerant,” says Nick. “So for farmers looking to diversify forage crops and spread risk, it’s a very attractive option.”

High energy, serious output

Yes, establishment costs can be higher than some catch crops. But the yield potential speaks for itself.

“Compared with stubble turnips yielding around 4–6t of dry matter per hectare (DM/ha), fodder beet can achieve around 20t DM/ha,” Nick explains. “At roughly 12.5 ME, the energy content of the roots is similar to grass.”

That combination of volume and energy makes fodder beet a powerful tool in the forage toolbox. It can be fed to sheep, beef or dairy cattle and offers flexibility – whether that’s grazing in situ or lifting.

As ever, management is key.

“It’s important to introduce livestock gradually, particularly cattle,” Nick adds. “Because of the high energy content, careful transition feeding is essential to avoid acidosis.”

Independent data farmers can trust

Of course, growing fodder beet successfully starts with choosing the right variety. And this is where our approach at ProCam stands apart.

A lot of the data available in the marketplace originates from breeders, and retailer comparisons are often based on strip trials or demonstrations. At ProCam, we take it further. We are one of the few agricultural retailers investing in replicated fodder beet trials to generate robust, independent data that farmers can rely on.

We’ve been evaluating fodder beet varieties over multiple seasons through replicated on-farm trials across the North and West, alongside other sites nationwide.

“We typically test around 20 varieties each year in replicated trial plots,” says Nick. “We include four or five new varieties annually, but many of the established ones have been in the trial for six years or more. That gives us genuine long-term data and allows us to properly benchmark new genetics.”

Our assessments begin at emergence – looking at vigour and establishment – and continue right through to harvest. At lifting, tops and roots are weighed separately, and yields are corrected for percentage dry matter to ensure accuracy.

“We also assess disease resilience and the proportion of root sitting above ground,” Nick explains. “If you’re grazing, more root protruding can be useful. If you’re lifting, more root in the ground offers better frost protection.”

It’s this structured, replicated and multi-season approach that allows us to give growers advice built on solid UK data – not just single-season figures or demonstration plots.

Getting the best from the crop

Variety choice is only part of the picture. Maintaining canopy health through the season is just as important.

“We encourage growers to keep the tops as healthy as possible with a summer nutrition programme,” says Nick. “A healthy canopy helps sustain the crop into winter and protects roots from frost.”

And the tops themselves shouldn’t be overlooked. At around 17% crude protein, they can contribute an additional 2–2.5t DM/ha of valuable feed.

Beyond livestock, fodder beet is also gaining traction in anaerobic digestion (AD) systems, where high-energy, high-yielding crops are key to consistent output.

The value of primed seed

Alongside our variety trials, we also evaluate the performance of primed seed technologies where available.

Primed seed – pre-germinated to encourage faster and more uniform emergence – has delivered measurable benefits in our trials.

“Faster establishment improves early weed suppression,” Nick explains. “And once the crop reaches around 12 leaves, it becomes more tolerant to virus yellows.”

“In five years of replicated trials on the variety Geronimo, we saw an average yield uplift of approximately 1.5t DM/ha from Active Boost primed seed compared with conventional seed. Results can vary, but the overall trend has been very encouraging.”

With increasingly unpredictable spring weather, establishment reliability is becoming more valuable than ever.

“For many growers, primed seed is an extremely useful technology,” Nick adds.

Building confidence through evidence

For David Ramdhian, our Head of Seed Development, the investment in replicated trials reflects our long-term commitment to independent, evidence-based advice.

“Fodder beet variety choice has a significant impact on performance, but much of the data available in the marketplace comes directly from breeders,” says David.

“At ProCam, we are one of the few retailers investing in replicated, multi-site fodder beet trials to generate robust, comparable data over multiple seasons. That allows us to benchmark varieties properly – not just on yield, but on dry matter, disease resilience, emergence and suitability for grazing or lifting.”

“Our role is to turn that data into practical recommendations, so growers can choose the right variety for their system with real confidence.”

After a difficult forage year, resilience and informed decision-making are likely to shape cropping plans for 2026 and beyond. For many livestock farms, fodder beet – supported by robust, independent trial data – could form an important part of that strategy.

Ready to explore fodder beet on your farm?

Every system is different – and the right variety, establishment approach and nutrition strategy will depend on your soils, livestock and end use.

Speak to your local ProCam agronomist to discuss how fodder beet could fit into your forage plan and to access our latest independent trial data.

We’re here to help you make confident, evidence-based decisions for the season ahead.