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	February 2012 Press release 17 February Road-show talks on improving grassland from the ‘bottom up’ » more ...

	Grassland Management Calendar

	February Providing your fields are not covered in snow, February offers excellent opportunities to evaluate your pastures. Check to see how much ground is covered with the sown species (usually ryegrass and white clover), and estimate the percentage of bare ground, broad leaved weeds and weed grasses. If you have less than 70% of the sown species, you ought to programme in some appropriate renovation from early spring onwards. Less than 50% cover of sown species means that the performance of your ley will really suffer, and a full reseed may be necessary. Care and consideration should be given to soil structure, as a compacted soil will not reward anyone with early grass growth or spring turnout. What this month does offer, is an opportunity to soil sample and assess, allowing the appropriate action to be taken in early spring.

Case Studies

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Some of the grassland improvement projects undertaken by the Grassright Group over the past few years are outlined below. These farmers have received technical advice and support to help them achieve their goals of making more from their grass.

Dave Richards

Dairy farmer Dave Richards of Ridgend Farm near Worcester is to receive technical advice and practical support from the Grassright Group. He currently milks 150 cows and has a flock of 360 sheep. Over the next few years, the Grassright Group will be working with him to improve his grassland productivity.

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Edward Dean

Cumbrian farmer Edward Dean began receiving practical help and advice from the Grassright Group in 2009. Edward was running 150 Limousin-cross spring-calving suckler cows, selling calves as 12month old stores. A small flock of sheep served as a grazing management tool.

After just two years of grassland improvement activities, Edward now has a lot more grass, ewe numbers have been doubled to 100, and store calf weights are higher.

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Richard Corlett

Over the past three years, a focus on grassland improvement, with advice and support from the Grassright Group, has enabled Lancashire dairy farmer Richard Corlett to increase grass DM yields and improve sward quality.

Thanks to now having a higher quantity and quality of grazed grass, he has been able to increase stocking rates by 0.5cows/ha and rent out 20ha of land to a neighbour. Despite the dry summer of 2010 reducing grass growth, herd milk yield still averaged 9200litres, a rise of 850 litres from 2007, with only a small increase in the amount of concentrate fed.

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