Forage Chicory

A Growers
Guide to
Forage
Chicory
F
orage Chicory was developed in New Zealand
for grazing by sheep and cattle. It is a deep
rooted plant of moderate persistency (2 -5
years) rich in minerals and trace elements with
excellent potential for finishing beef and lambs.
Forage chicory produces a broad leaved crop for
grazing and the best varieties; Grasslands Choice and
Chico, exhibit very rapid regrowth. It can be sown as a
pure stand, mixed with other herbs and clovers or
incorporated into grass seed mixtures.
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Why grow Forage
Chicory?
High quality grazing throughout
the summer
Helps fill the “mid-summer
grazing gap”
Very good tolerance of
drought
Does not cause bloat
Rich in minerals and trace
elements
It may help reduce the effect of
internal parasites
Proven to increase live-weight gain
Plant Yields and Animal Growth Potential
In New Zealand the better varieties can yield up to 20 tonnes of dm/ha but given our shorter season,
grazing yields of 15 -16 tonnes may be more realistic. The crude protein level can reach up to a very useful
25%, with D values of between 70 and 80 when rotationally grazed. Forage Chicory is naturally rich in
minerals, especially zinc potassium and copper; essential for animal health.
Animal growth rates have been shown to be even higher than clovers with typical lamb growth rates of
300 to 400 grams per day.
Establishment
Field Selection Choose a well-drained
field. Drought prone fields are often
chosen because of chicory’s excellent
drought resistance
Seedbed Aim for a fine, firm tilth as you
would for grass and drill or broadcast to a
depth no greater than 10mm
Sowing time Spring to mid-August when
Weed Control This should be undertaken soil temperatures exceed 10 degrees
prior to sowing
Best sown as a pure stand in blocks or in
Fertiliser Requirements Similar to grass strips through a grass ley or with the
companion species described in the
so correct any deficiencies before sowing
mixture section of this booklet. It can be
Sowing rate 6 kilos per hectare (2.5 kilos mixed in with a conventional grass ley, but
at the risk of causing management
per acre) as a pure stand or 2 – 4 kilos
problems if the chicory runs to flower.
per ha in mixtures
Management and Utilisation
Best rotationally grazed when two to four leaves per
plant and crop height is at least 150mm.
Graze to maintain vegetative growth and to avoid
bolting (running to flower) except once in the autumn
as allowing this can improve persistency.
Avoid over-grazing in wet conditions as this can
damage the crown resulting in lower persistency. If
bolting occurs, graze with cattle. Topping is another
method of bringing the plants back to a vegetative
status but it is not without risk as it may allow water
to penetrate the hollow stems, damaging or even killing the plant. If feeding to dairy cows, limit to 25% of
the total dry matter intake to avoid milk taint.
Preferred Varieties
NEW! Chico
Bred by Cropmark in New Zealand, Chico is
a very persistent variety which produces a
tap root one metre long, giving it especially
good drought tolerance.
Chico is a very high yielding, upright and
leafy variety with very high metabolisable
energy and digestibility.
Like Choice, Chico not only grows strongly
during the summer but also exhibits
improved growth at lower temperatures.
Grasslands Choice
Bred from Puna by AgResearch New Zealand
for improved yields, higher cool season
growth (making it more suitable for the UK
and Ireland) and reduced concentrations of
Lactucin and Lactucopricin, the lactones that
cause bitterness and can lead to milk taint.
For this reason Choice is the variety that we
recommend for dairy cows.
Potential for higher yields of 1 tonne over
Puna 11 (source Smart Forage NZ).
Specialist Chicory Mixtures
Cheviot Chicory Mix
35% Forage Chicory (Choice or Chico)
20% Timothy
20% Trintella Intermediate Perennial
Ryegrass (tetraploid)
10% Elgon Late Perennial Ryegrass
(tetraploid)
15% Cheviot White Clover Blend
100%
Sow at 14 kilos per hectare
(5.7 kilos per acre)
White clover, Timothy and Tetraploid
Ryegrasses make excellent companion crops
for Chicory and this mixture provides a
complete summer diet for finishing lambs.
Lamb Tonic
25%
White Clover
12.5 % Forage Plantain (Tonic)
62.5% Forage Chicory (Chico or Choice
100%
Sow at 10 kilos per hectare
(4 kilos per acre)
Development of a New Zealand concept for
faster finishing of beef and lambs.
Forage Herb Mixture
30% Forage Plantain (Tonic)
20% Forage Chicory (Chico or Choice)
20% Trintella Intermediate Perennial
Ryegrass (tetraploid)
15% Timothy
15% Cheviot White Clover Blend
100%
Sow at 14 kilos per hectare
(5.7 kilos per acre)
Similar attributes to Cheviot Chicory mixture
but the inclusion of forage plantain elevates the
mineral content.
NEW! Stock Finisher
30%
40%
15%
15%
100%
Forage Chicory (Choice or Chico)
Red Admiral Red Clover Blend
Cheviot White Clover Blend
Trintella Intermediate Perennial
Ryegrass (tetraploid)
Sow at 14 kilos per hectare
(5.7 kilos per acre)
Up to three year mixture for intensive finishing.
Very high source of protein; ideal for
finishing early lambs. Full season production.
For further information please contact:
Limagrain UK Ltd
Rothwell
Market Rasen
Lincolnshire
LN7 6DT
August 2012
Tel: 01472 371471
Fax: 01472 371386
Email: info@limagrain.co.uk
www.limagrain.co.uk/grass
Limagrain UK Limited Registered No. 1305690 England. Registered Office, Rothwell, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire