Rapid Root: The All-in-One Brassica Mix for Fattening Stock
When you need a fast-establishing, high-performance forage crop that does it all, Rapid Root delivers. This carefully balanced brassica seed mixture combines three proven varieties – forage rape, stubble turnip, and kale – to provide a versatile, nutritious, and palatable crop for fattening sheep and cattle through the summer and into autumn.
What is Rapid Root?
Rapid Root is a brassica forage seed mixture comprising:
- 65% Forage Rape – fast establishment and high protein yields
- 30% Stubble Turnip – energy-rich with excellent stockholding capacity
- 5% Kale – added winter hardiness and persistence
This combination is specifically designed for farmers looking to fatten stock quickly and efficiently, reducing reliance on expensive bought-in concentrates.
Why Choose a Mixture Over a Single Variety?
Sowing a brassica mixture rather than a single variety offers several advantages:
- Spread of risk – if one component struggles in dry or wet conditions, the others compensate
- Extended grazing window – different varieties mature at slightly different rates, providing a longer period of quality grazing
- Balanced nutrition – the combination of rape, turnip, and kale provides a broader nutritional profile than any single crop
- Better stockholding – the turnip component adds bulk and energy alongside the leafy rape
When and How to Sow Rapid Root
- Sowing period: Mid-April to mid-September
- Sowing rate: 6–8.5 kg/ha drilled or broadcast
- Drilling depth: 10–15mm into a fine, firm seedbed
- Pack size: 10 kg
Rapid Root performs best when sown into a well-prepared seedbed with good moisture. Rolling before and after drilling improves soil-to-seed contact and aids establishment. It is particularly well suited to sowing after first-cut silage or following cereal harvest.
Grazing Management
Rapid Root is typically ready to graze 8–10 weeks after sowing. Strip grazing is recommended to maximise utilisation and reduce waste. As with all brassica crops, introduce livestock gradually over 7–10 days to avoid digestive issues.
The mixture is ideal for fattening lambs and store cattle, providing high-energy, high-protein grazing at a critical time of year. The kale component also provides good persistence, meaning the crop holds well into early winter if required.
Agronomic Ratings
Rapid Root scores well across key agronomic measures (rated 1–9, where 9 = best):
- Crude Protein: 8/9
- Digestibility: 7/9
- Metabolisable Energy: 7/9
- Dry Matter Yield: 6/9
- Winter Hardiness: 6/9
Shop Rapid Root
Available in 10 kg packs from The Puzzle Seed Company, Rapid Root is a cost-effective and reliable choice for UK farmers looking to maximise forage production from summer sowings.