Abstract
Sugar beet tops harvested with a mower chopper make a good silage, without additives, but the losses through effluent are great. A low silo model — flat silo or stack— reduces the losses. Effluent losses can also be decreased by ensiling dry straw with tops. Straw binds the effluent 3 5,5 kg/kg. corresponding to 150 —200 g dry matter/kg, of which about 60 g is crude protein. About 20—25 kg long straw/tn beet tops is suitable in the feeding of cattle.
Highlights
When the sugar beet grows in the Finnish climate, the weight of tops amounts to the same as for the crops beet, i.e. about 25—30 tn/ha
The high mineral and protein content make the beet tops a good fertilizer, their profitability would increase if they were fed to cattle
The ensiling of sugar beet tops was studied on the Viik Experimental Farm in the years 1971 1974 (Salo and Sormunen 1974, Salo 1975)
Summary
When the sugar beet grows in the Finnish climate, the weight of tops amounts to the same as for the crops beet, i.e. about 25—30 tn/ha. The high mineral and protein content make the beet tops a good fertilizer, their profitability would increase if they were fed to cattle. Since the tops are very wet material they must be ensiled in a low layer, in m a flat silo or stack.
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