The Royal Northern Agricultural Society’s (RNAS) has unveiled the winners of its annual turnip and fodder beet growing competitions which attracted increased entries on the year.
Farmers from across the north-east highlighted their crop growing skills, with 29 crops of turnips and 13 crops of fodder beet forward for judge Graeme Christie of event sponsors Murray Duguid Seed Merchants.
Brothers William and David Moir from Home Farm, Cairness, Fraserburgh, who farm with their parents John and Gillian, took top honours in the turnips.
They scored 52 points, with a yield of 194.05 tonne per hectare.
The business is home to a beef suckler cow herd and a breeding flock of Mule ewes as well as cereal crops.
The winning turnips, which is a new crop for the Moirs, will be grazed from now until lambing, then lifted and fed to ewes after lambing.
After early ploughing, the crop was sown on the flat in May and benefited from heavy rain followed by warm weather which allowed the crop to establish quickly.
William said: “The plants were well leafed early on and had filled the rows before the end of June. From then on, they never looked back.”
The same Lomond variety, this time with a yield of 182.24 tonne per hectare, won the reserve champion spot for William Ritch, East Fingask, Oldmeldrum, with just one point separating the two top positions.
Regular winner of the competition Stewart Davidson of West Cortiecram, Mintlaw, took overall in the fodder beet section.
Along with his family, he finishes 800 cattle and 2,000 lambs annually as well as growing cereals, mainly for feeding and oilseed rape which is mostly sold locally.
His crop of Brigadier, grown for the third year, achieved a yield of 224.86 tonne per hectare to win 50 points in the competition.
Stewart favours the variety due to a lot of the bulb growing above ground, making it ideal for strip grazing lambs.
Just two points behind were the joint reserve champions with 48 points each.
Colin Morrison, Nether Blairmaud, Cornhill, Banff, recorded a yield of 100.17 tonne per hectare with a crop of Fielder, whilst Brigadier from Arthur & Scott Duguid, North Cranna Farms, Aberchirder, yielded 148.05 tonne per hectare.
Judge Graeme Christie said: “There were more entries this year and the standard of crop was very good with some big yields. The management of weed control is improving every year and the quality was good across board.”
RESULTS
Turnips – LFA – 1, Rodney Blackhall, The Green, Raemoir, Lomond, 46, 148.64; 2, R & K Williams, Ranna Farm, Tarland, Lomond, 45, 130.28; 3, W Stewart Bomakelloch, Keith, Airlie, 45, 146.71. Non-LFA – 1 and champion, Home Farm, Cairness, Lomond, 52, 194.05; 2 and reserve champion, William Ritch, East Fingask, Lomond, 51, 182.24; 3, Cairness Ltd Home Farm, Cairness, Kenmore, 50, 195.12. Best under 30 – 1, Home Farm, Cairness, Lomond, 52, 194.05; 2, Home Farm, Cairness, Kenmore, 50, 195.12. Best yield – Home Farm, Cairness, Kenmore, 50, 195.12; 2, Home Farm, Cairness, Lomond, 52, 194.05; 3, William Ritch East Fingask, Lomond, 51, 182.24. Best management – 1, Leslie Shepherd Cowiehillock, Echt, Lomond, 44, 135.72; 2, William Ritch, East Fingask, Lomond, 43, 182.24; 3, WJ Morrison & Sons, Fairburn, Longmanhill, Invitation, 43, 115.56.
Fodder beet – LFA – 1 and joint reserve champion, Arthur & Scott Duguid, North Cranna Farms, Brigadier, 48, 148.05; 2, Gavin & Matthew Allardyce, easttown, Tarland, Bangor, 46, 130; 3, KR & K Williams Ranna Farm, Tarland, Lactimo, 45, 89.26. Non-LFA – 1 and champion, Stewart Davidson West Cortiecram, Mintlaw. AB43 4UL Brigadier 50 224.86; 2 and joint reserve champion, Colin Morrison Nether Blairmaud, Cornhill, Fielder, 48, 100.17; 3, William Ritch, East Fingask, Bangor, 47, 161.42. Best under 30 – Scott Duguid, North Cranna Farms, Brigadier, 48, 148.05; 2, Lynne Stewart Rashenlochy Farm, Drumoak, Banchory, Bangor, 39, 153.17. Best yield – 1, Stewart Davidson, West Cortiecram, Brigadier, 50, 224.86; 2, William Ritch, East Fingask, Bangor, 47, 161.42; 3, Jonny Stewart Rashenlochy Farm, Drumoak, Bangor, 39, 154.42. Best management – 1, Colin Morrison Nether Blairmaud, Cornhill, Fielder, 45, 89.26; 2, Gavin & Matthew Allardyce Easttown, Tarland, Bangor, 43, 130; 3, R & K Williams Ranna Farm, Tarland, Lactimo, 43, 89.26.