The grass can be greener.
An alliance of supply companies is seeking to improve forage agronomy
Attention to ground conditions, soil nutrient status, disease and weed control, and variety selection is routine for the majority of arable crops. The agronomy and care of grassland areas on many farms, however, is often undervalued or even ignored. This is despite the widely acknowledged fact that the cheapest source of energy is grazed grass.
Working to change the mindset of livestock farmers to adopt an integrated approach to grassland management and maximise ley productivity is the Grassright Group, consisting of Kemira Growhow, Dow Agrosciences, Advanta Seeds and OPICO. Collaborative activities include on-farm grassland projects and the provision of advice and information.
“Livestock farmers have the advantage over arable farmers in that animals are natural fertiliser manufacturers!” says GrowHow’s Mike Denney, “but their contribution has in the past been sadly under-estimated
“To determine how much additional fertiliser, if any, will be needed to produce grass profitably next year, serious consideration of the nutrient value of all livestock inputs – feed, fertiliser and straw – is needed now, in conjunction with soil test results,” he adds.
Soil tests from more than 100 grass fields across the UK were carried out earlier this year, as part of the Monarch Grassland Health Check conducted by Advanta Seeds. Reserves of soil P and K on grassland were found to be very healthy with 65% of fields tested being at target index 2 to 3. Similarly, for potash, 73% of fields were in the range of index 2 to 3.
SCOPE FOR SAVINGS
“This indicates that in many cases there is scope for savings to be made by carefully matching the crop requirement to the soil reserves and overall livestock management,” says Mr Denney.
He adds: “High levels of phosphate on farm soils have been linked back to algal blooms in reservoirs, lakes and rivers, so limits on phosphate application might be introduced together with controls on farm such as they have in Denmark, Holland and Southern Ireland. Evaluation of the import of phosphate based products on to the farm needs to be considered before choosing a fertiliser regime to match.”
“For grass and clover leys, a pH of 6.0 to 6.5 is needed for successful establishment and maximum productivity,” explains Advanta Seeds’ David Rhodes. “In the Monarch survey, however, only 36% of the soils analysed were within this range; 46% had a pH of less than 6, so those fields will benefit from lime application.”
Soil condition is another factor affecting grassland’s potential. Waterlogged or compacted soils will not allow applied nutrients to pass into the crop. Yield losses of 30% are typical and common in these circumstances and the life of the ley is also severely curtailed, leading to more frequent replacement.
On heavy soils, where possible, sub-soiling at least every three years is recommended to ensure that water and air can penetrate the pores of the soil profile. It will also improve the ability to travel on land earlier in the spring, which will help if the target is earlier silage cuts as well as early grazing.
GRASS QUALITY
Recently reseeded leys will have better digestibility, palatability, and sugar and protein levels than old leys, resulting in a higher quality of grazing and/or silage. This will have a positive impact on profits, unless there is a soil nutrient deficit: new leys will give higher dry matter yields, yet nitrogen applications on many farms have fallen.
Mr Denney says: “The consequence is a fall in the national average for silage protein levels – from 15% to 12%. This will cost about 10 pence a cow per day over the winter, as higher protein rations will be needed to make up the difference.
“The solution is to ensure that sufficient levels of nitrogen and sulphur are available to the crop. Timing of application is also important.
“For example, late application of slurry or bagged nitrogen is one of the factors that can prevent early cutting. Where first-cut silage is planned for the first week of May, nitrogen must be applied earlier and rates adjusted according to the earlier date of harvest and the target protein levels.”
Duncan Connabeer, of Dow Agrosciences, says: “Keeping pastures weed-free is another aspect of grass-land quality.”
Docks are a common problem on many dairy farms. A recent survey revealed that 90% of farmers were not spraying pasture for docks until more than 10% of grassland was infested.
“For every 1% of weed infestation that’s a loss of 1% in grassland productivity”, says Mr Connabeer. “Use of appropriate herbicides at appropriate times should be part of an integrated approach to weed control. For persistent weeds like docks, select a herbicide that tackles the foliage, as well as translocating down to the roots to prevent re-growth next year.”
He adds: “The inclement weather pattern this year will have put a strain on forage supplies on many farms. Thanks to prolonged rainy periods, there’s a lot of unused product on farms. Some good fine autumn weather will encourage vigorous growth of grass and weeds, and this is an excellent time to apply herbicides. Use the autumn to tidy up weedy areas and get a head-start on regaining some yield potential next spring.”
In conclusion, the national average annual yield from grass is eight tonnes of dry matter a hectare, with a minority of top grassland farmers reaching 13 tonnes. By taking an integrated approach, however, the Grassright Group believes around 15 tonnes of DM is an achievable figure.
Attention to detail on most grassland farms will be rewarded on the bottom line. So, if livestock farmers can be persuaded, agronomic advice and planning are worth spending money on. The integrated approach recommended by Grassright is somewhere to start.