With spring just around the corner, it’s time to get serious about planning your fodder beet crop for the season ahead. Success doesn’t just happen – it’s the result of getting a lot of small but important details right from the very start.
Everything matters:
- The condition and preparation of your seedbed
- Choosing the right sowing date for your region
- Monitoring soil temperature to hit that optimum window for establishment
- Selecting the cultivar best suited to your farm system and feed requirements
- Nailing the correct sowing rate, row spacing, and depth
- Applying pre-emerge herbicide at precisely the right timing to give your crop the best possible start
At Catalyst, our agronomists specialise in bringing all of these factors together into a clear, tailored plan. We’ve spent years refining our approach to fodder beet in the South Island, from high-country dryland to irrigated flats, and we know the difference that precise, timely decisions can make to yield and feed quality.
Growing exceptional fodder beet isn’t just about following a checklist – it’s about understanding the crop, the conditions, and your farm’s unique challenges. Our team is committed to helping you get the most out of every paddock, every season.
For the 2025–2026 season, the fodder beet cultivars Catalyst will be managing for our customers include:
Kokomo is a recent release consistently high-yielding with 14-16% dry matter content bulbs that sit 50% above the ground. Boasting a large, tankard-shaped bulb, positioned 50% above ground, Kokomo ensures good disease and bolting tolerance. With large bulbs and strong foliar growth, it's ideal for grazing applications.
Bangor is a modern monogerm hybrid variety that is ideal for grazing. Bangor is a uniform fodder beet with a medium-bulb dry matter percentage (16-18 percent), and a high yield potential. Approximately half the bulb sits above ground.
Delicante A recently released high yielding monogerm variety. Suitable for grazing in-situ or can be mechanically lifted. It has exceptional leaf retention and when compared to other varieties sits higher above ground. Dry matter percentages are +/- 18 percent.
Feldherr has a low bulb dry matter percentage (12-15 percent), which some farmers prefer for grazing. Feldherr can produce large bulbs and high yields for its type with an abundance of leaf growth. It is suitable for all classes of stock, particularly young stock, older animals, and deer.
Jamon Fodder Beet A specialised fodder beet variety with excellent field performance and consistent bulb development. Known for its reliability and adaptability to various growing conditions. 15-17%. Excellent leaf: bulb ratio for a medium DM variety.
Timbale Fodder Beet A recent DLF release, Timbale offers enhanced disease resistance and improved yield stability. Features superior bolting tolerance and consistent performance across varying seasonal conditions. Will become the successor to Bangor in-time.
Dynamo A recent release from Cropmark offering a true monogerm Low DM variety with excellent yield potential with strong disease resistance. Dynamo is suitable for all stock classes but more suited to young dairy/cattle, sheep and deer.
Lactimo A mono-germ fodder beet with a yellow/orange bulb, Lactimo sits 50 percent above the ground. It produces large tops with a medium dry matter content of +/- 16 percent. Subject to management and climatic conditions its bolting tolerance is very good, as is its disease tolerance. Lactimo is exclusive to Catalyst Performance Agronomy.
Geronimo origins trace back to France. It is identifiable by its yellow-orange tankard shaped bulb. This variety is known for its tolerance to diseases such as ramularia and mildew. It is versatile across various grazing applications and can be grazed in-situ, lifted or fed whole or chopped.
Anselmo is a newly released medium dry matter variety. It is a yellow-orange bulb and has a dry matter range of +/- 16 percent. Anselmo sits 50% above the ground. In trials it has performed very well in particular with its leaf disease score. Anselmo is exclusive to Catalyst Performance Agronomy.
Gustea is a recently bred high dry matter (20-22 percent) fodder beet. Gustea sits approximately 30 percent above the ground and has very strong disease and bolting tolerance. It is best suited for farmers who want to lift and feed fodder beet to stock, although under certain conditions it can be grazed in-situ by some classes of stock. Gustea is exclusive to Catalyst Performance Agronomy.
Brigadier Fodder Beet A robust variety with superior disease tolerance and consistent yield performance. Brigadier is well-suited for both grazing and mechanical harvest systems with excellent feed value.
SF 1505 Fodder Beet This variety is a genetic mono-germ hybrid-type fodder beet. It offers medium to high dry matter ensuring maximum yield potential. SF1505 will suit both grazing in-situ or self-harvesting, ensuring feeding system versatility. It offers a high leaf-to-bulb ratio which makes it suitable for a range of grazing systems.
Seed Treatment Options
BASF Poncho seed treatment Insecticide
Poncho (Clothianidin) is a seed treatment insecticide widely currently used on a wide range of seed types in New Zealand. This year, we have certain varieties with Poncho treatment, providing proven insect protection during crop establishment.
Available with Poncho:
Cropmark: Dynamo, Lactimo, Kokomo, Anselmo, Geronimo, Gustea
RAGT: Brigadier Fodder Beet, SF 1505 Fodder Beet
Rampart Fungicide
A newly introduced fungicide treatment which has control over Rhizoctonia. Rampart is a locally systemic fungicide treatment which has both preventative and suppressive activity. It has been extensively trialled in Europe and the USA. It provides up to 4 weeks protection which in most cases is the danger period for Rhizoctonia damage occurring.
Beet the Odds This Season
Getting fodder beet right is about more than just choosing a variety – it’s about matching the right cultivar and seed treatment to your farm system, timing every step, and managing the crop from the ground up. Whether you’re chasing maximum yield, lifting for feed, or grazing in-situ, our team has the experience, local knowledge, and attention to detail to help you make the most of every paddock. Talk to your Catalyst agronomist now to lock in your seed and set your fodder beet crop up for success in the 2025–2026 season.