Grassland management is often overlooked for new leys, but by prioritising weed control early during establishment, you will achieve cost-effective, long-lasting control, resulting in higher yields of grass.
Modern grass varieties have the potential to deliver superior yields and excellent feed values if managed correctly, with soil nutrition and pH being prioritised and maintained throughout the year.
Reseeding an existing ley can lead to a signifi cant 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.
Home-grown forage, especially good quality grass, is the most cost-effective livestock feed available, and at Wynnstay, we pride ourselves on offering a comprehensive range of grass seed mixtures to help producers maximise forage potential in this volatile time.
The evidence that most grassland soils require the application of sulphur from fertilisers to maximise grass silage and grazing yields still mounts. Most farmers now appreciate that all light and medium soils, and even now some heavier loam soils, don’t release enough sulphur from organic matter to allow grass growth and quality to meet potential. They also realise that there is not enough available sulphur in slurries and manures to meet demand.
Quality grass is a cost-effective part of feeding and regular reseeding ensures that the required nutritional value of the ley is maintained. 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%.
2020 has seen an extremely dry spring followed by a wet summer for some, but how has this impacted on grass growth on Welsh farms?
Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) will discuss the challenges of the 2020 grass growing season in its next online webinar on 12 October 2020 at 7:30pm.
A spotlight on our top choices for grass silage this September.
Destroy the old sward using a product containing glyphosate. Ensure there is sufficient new growth for the chemical to be taken up and that an appropriate rate is applied under correct conditions. Whilst this treatment will control actively growing plants it will not kill dormant seed in the soil.
Timing is imperative with overseeding and the main aim is to minimise competition from the existing sward, the best time to over seed is March, April, July or September as the grasses are not growing as vigorously as they are in May and June.
