Future Biogas: Elsoms Seeds promotes the benefits of hybrid rye which supplies anaerobic digestion plant
Hybrid rye is an increasingly popular option among farmers supplying feedstocks to biogas plants, offering many agronomic and crop-rotation benefits, says Elsoms.
Hybrid rye is a crop with a reputation for being hardy and ‘cheap’ to grow and while input costs may be lower than other cereals, careful management is essential to maximise returns, says Elsoms energy and forage manager Heather Oldfield.
“Hybrid rye often performs best on lighter soils, but it can do equally well on heavy land. It is grown widely across Europe in much harsher conditions than the UK, but you must look after it for best results.”
Treat the crop as well as a decent second wheat and the margins can be just as good, adds south Yorkshire farmer Willie Mackintosh, who grows a commercial crop of SU PERFORMER and a range of conventional and hybrid rye in a variety trial.
The total 40-hectare (99 acres) area goes alongside 200-hectare (494 acres) of maize to supply an on-site AD plant built and operated by Future Biogas. “Hybrid rye is a good crop to grow and responds well if you treat it properly.”
Source: FG Insight
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