Turnips

[TOM4CWB]

Ianben;

Charliep and I were treated to the turnip patch Thursday past... what sort of history do turnips have for cattle feed in England?

Why couldn't turnips be used in ethanol production... as they do seem to be very high biomass producers?

[charliep]

What are you suggesting Tom4cwb?

I did eat a few turnips at lunch myself on Thursday (Alberta Barley Commission district meeting at Athabaska). There are times (perhaps for others peoples comfort) that it is good to be travelling alone.

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie:

VERY FUNNY!

I think that for the northern prairies that turnips make a much more efficient biomass producer for livestock/ethanol production than corn... especially if we can keep fusarium out by not growing corn.

[charliep]

I agree we will have to think outside the box and look at alternative crops. My only question would be on harvest equipment/capital expense. Is it the same equipment as for potatoes?

If we are looking at alternative feeds, a couple of crops you are familiar with should come to the lime light - rye and triticale. Opportunities for fall seeding and the resultant ability to shift operations including harvest ahead. Good drought tolerance. The need is to work on higher valued uses and a more fair price relative to other grains based on nutrient value.

It would be interesting for people to think about other alternative grain/other agriculture crops that may have a fit agronomically and fit niches for feed or bio fuels.

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie;


CROP INSURANCE farm proxy crops are needed... for turnips and rye and triticale... as Ken M. said these new options will be needed to expand and diversify our crops.

We need to start planning now what is going in the ground next spring, how soon will crop insurance come out with the new options avaliable for AB for 03?

Will there be Canola specialty/prepriced contract price options, that have been promised, come into the insurance program for the 03 crop insurance year?

[kslseed]

Hello Tom & Charlie, we have many other products, that could be used for ethanol. The problem is, that we have no provincial or federal agreement to pay the right price for the ethanol. Look at the sugar beets in our area, could be profitable, but the government and copanies are only half warm on it, don't let it die, but don't support it.

Getting attitional seeding and harvesting equipment out for turnips, particularlly in central / northern Alberta is useless. And for eating, turnips belong into the cattle stomach if used at all, best is leave the seed in the bag. I rather eat salat or brussel sprouts.

[charliep]

On crop insurance - stay tuned.

[ianben]

Turnips are mostly history here too. Some grown locally for human consumption and specific harvesters or adapted potatoe harvesters will harvest them.
Have mostly been replaced by forage maize or fodder beets.
Fodder beets give I believe the greatest biomass/acre and are harvested by sugar beet harvesters. Soil contamination is the problem for stock feed as well as volume and tonnes/unit of energy.

No idea if this is good or bad for ethanol.

I too would like to think outside the box.

Could I fill my tractor with canola straight form the bin when the energy price of the fuel delivered to my tank was greater than the ex farm price of canola.

Could a machine be developed which when the price of canola was low could turn canola from my bin into a fuel which would compete with the local delivered price of diesel and leave a saleable animal feed bi product.

Cant see many partners who will be rushing to help with these ideas as most benefit will be with farmer.

It would be the location which would make this competative canola a long way from market and diesel a long haul for customer

I think the best way to use these alternatives is to be able to switch when any crop has a greater value for energy than it has for food.

Still cant get anyone to give me some values though.

[grassfarmer]

Turnips have a great tradition as stock feed in Scotland although they are less common nowadays.They were used primarily for sheep but also for dairy and beef cattle.
Grazed in the field by sheep is the best way to harvest them - in the UK climate the ground would be too wet to support cattle grazing them but that should not be a problem here.The biggest problem for them in Canada would be lack of moisture - they really need the rain to yield well.Frost would be another problem but you certainly have the soil quality to grow good turnips crops.

[ianben]

Found this web site allows you to compare different fuels .
http://energy.cas.psu.edu/energyselector/cornfuel.html.
Wheat is a little better than corn I believe Useing my exfarm wheat price verses bought in oil I am well into the burn wheat sector.

How about you?

[ianben]

Heres some more price comparisons
Although prices will vary according to location, here's a look at the affordability of corn as a heat producing, cost effective fuel.
Total Cost to Produce 1,000,000 BTUs:
Shelled Corn $3.33
Fuel Oil $7.10
Natural Gas $13.39
Liquid Propane $18.59
Electricity $21.39
And of course, there is no price tag for the environmentally friendly aspects of the corn burning stove! The CO2 neutral fuel burns clean and promotes local agriculture. U.S.A.

Does this idea just need some investment and marketing?