Katie grew up on her parent’s arable farm just outside of Shrewsbury and has always had an interest in agriculture and farming. Katie joined the Wynnstay team in July 2016 as a Seed Sales Co-ordinator for Grass and Roots, later moving on to become Assistant Product Manager.
During her time at Wynnstay, Katie has gone on to become a licensed crop inspector for both Cereal and Herbage seed and can help with all grass and root seed enquiries.
Reseeding an existing ley can lead to a significant return on investment. Within several years ‘weed grasses’ will ingress into a sward – particularly if the field has experienced poaching or after a hard winter. These ‘weed grasses’ have poor quality characteristics compared to ryegrass varieties from the Recommended List. These include poor digestibility and a poorer response to fertiliser, as well as not converting to meat and milk as efficiently as ryegrass.
Quality grass is a cost-effective part of feeding and regular reseeding ensures that the required nutritional value of the ley is maintained. In a year with soaring nitrogen costs and other inputs rising the production of high-quality forage is crucial. New leys can help deliver a 33% increase in yield in the first year compared to a typical old sward, and in a drought year this can increase up to 50%.
