LAST year’s long dry summer failed to limit the growth of the winning crop in the Royal Northern Agricultural Society’s annual turnip competition. Winner, Leslie Shepherd of Cowiehillock, Echt, put his success down to luck – but the careful management of his crop of Kenmore was the factor which swung the balance despite having only the third highest yield in the competition.

“The crop was grown in a back-lying field surrounded by trees which wasn’t subject to so much direct sunlight,” said Mr Shepherd. “As a result, the soil didn’t dry up like some of our other fields so was ideal for turnips which continued to grow throughout the summer. Every turnip grew – we didn’t have any gaps.”

As is Leslie’s normal practice, the 7.5 acre field received a 'good mucking' with farmyard manure before early ploughing. The traditional 28 inch drills were rolled before sowing to firm the top soil and the seed drilled at four inch spacing. Boronate manure was applied at five cwt/acre and the crop sprayed for both weeds and 'beasties' before being scarified and shimmed for easy control of weeds.

“We keep a close eye on weed control and start grazing the field with store lambs in January,” he explained. Around 1200 hoggs are finished through the spring, mostly Blackfaces bought as lambs at Stirling and Dalmally. They are finished on turnips with some concentrates and hay fed in the last few weeks and are generally sold live at Thainstone at 45-46kg liveweight.

“Turnips are important to provide the bulk feed requirements of the hoggs and minimise the requirement for concentrates,” he explained.

A sample of the crops entered for the competition, covering an area from the Mearns to Banffshire, are test weighed towards the end of the year to estimate yield and points are awarded for yield, uniformity, soundness of bulb and freedom from disease, pest damage and weeds. Unusually, the three top-yielding crops in the competition were all grown on land classified as LFA.

Leslie, who farms with son, Graham, scored a total of 117.39 points with a yield of 68.39 tonnes/acre. The family farming enterprise extends to 480 acres rented and 100 acres of seasonal grazing and the other main enterprise on the farm is a suckler herd of 180 cows.

The top-yielding crop of Airlie with an estimated yield of 70.72 tonnes/acre and 114.72 points from Billy Stewart, Bomakelloch, Keith, was runner-up for the main award and Mr Stewart also had the second highest yielding crop of 69.17 tonnes/acre with Kenmore.

First equal for the best management award were J and E Forrester, Aldie Farms, Cruden Bay, and Liam Wink, 4 Richmond Terrace, Rhynie, who also topped the under-30 class. First for shopping turnips was AM and AJ Jacobsen, Grange of Kinneff, Inverbervie.

The judges for the competition were Sandy Duguid, Ian Moir and Graeme Christie from sponsors Murray Duguid Seed Merchants, Oldmeldrum.