Buchan farmer Stewart Davidson has won the Royal Northern Agricultural Society (RNAS) growing turnip competition for 2022.
The annual contest, which included a fodder beet section won by Rodney Blackhall from Banchory, attracted 19 turnip entries and eight fodder beet entries.
Judges Ian Moir and Graeme Christie from sponsors Murray Duguid Seed Merchants, picked out a crop of Kenmore as champion from Mr Davidson, who farms with his father and grandfather at West Cortiecram, Mintlaw.
The crop topped the non-LFA (Less Favoured Areas) and feeding section, producing the best yield of 72.67 tonnes per acre after being sown on May 16.
Mr Davidson, who has won the fodder beet section on two occasions, said the turnips were being used to feed some of the 2,000 store lambs which the farm finishes each year alongside cattle.
He said: “The Kenmore variety is better for grazing and is softer for the sheep to eat. The frost doesn’t suit it well but we are near the coast so this isn’t so much of a problem for us.”
Mr Blackhall, who farms at The Green, Raemoir, stood reserve in the turnips.
He also dominated the fodder beet section, winning champion and reserve.
Along with brother Alex, he is a past champion winner in the turnips and this year won reserve with a crop of Lomond which stood first in the LFA section and won the best management title.
His crop of turnips were sown on May 14 and produced a yield of 62.22 tones per acre.
Winning the fodder beet section for Mr Blackhall was a crop of Bangor which produced the best yield of 64.33 tonnes per acre.
His reserve winning fodder beet crop was Blaze at 50.14 tonnes per acre.
This is the fourth year the family has grown fodder beet and the third time using the Bangor variety which Mr Blackhall said is the most consistent he has come across.
Mr Blackhall said: “The field had plenty farmyard manure applied before the beet was sown on 3rd May and it’s not the driest of fields which suited last year’s dry summer.
“It’s used to graze Texel and Bluefaced Leicester tup hoggs and then lifted to feed to ewes with lambs at foot and cattle in the spring.”
RESULTS
Turnips – LFA – 1, Rodney Blackhall; 2, William Stewart, Bomakelloch, Keith; 3, Alan Simpson, Mains of Leslie, Insch. Non-LFA – 1, Stewart Davidson; 2, Gregor Seivwright, Hillend Farm, Fordyce; 3, WJ Morrison and Sons, Fairburn, Longmanhill. Feeding – 1, Stewart Davidson; 2, Rodney Blackhall; 3, Gregor Seivwright. Shopping – AM and AJ Jacobsen, Grange of Kinneff, Inverbervie. Fodder beet – LFA – 1 and 2, Rodney Blackhall; 2, G and B Walker, Newton of Lewesk. Non-LFA – 1, Stewart Davidson.