Grassland Management

Livestock producers looking to make the most of grazed forage can increase intake and digestion by 10 per cent when supplementing pastures with a nutrient-rich Rumevite block, says Dr Alison Bond, nutritionist for Rumenco.

Farmers who missed out reseeding fields in this year’s dry spring can still upgrade their pastures now by carrying out an autumn reseed.

Farmers who are short on silage or worried about straw supplies for the winter should think about whether outwintering in-calf heifers to reduce winter rearing costs, says AHDB.

Farmers using Forefront T to control perennial weeds such as docks, thistles, ragwort and nettles to turn infested pasture back into productive grassland, must remember treatment comes with certain obligations.

Balancing the correct choice of energy sources and buffer feeding will be key to optimising dairy herd productivity, advises nutritional supplement manufacturer UFAC-UK, in the light of seasonal lower grass yields.

Generally, first cuts are below average, particularly those cut in the latter half of May. Second cut regrowth has also been very slow. The result is many farmers, understandably, would like to see more silage in their clamps.

As exceptionally dry weather has meant poor early grass growth in many parts, forage supply may not meet demand for grazing cattle and sheep.

Agriculture students at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) were challenged to be the ‘best in grass’ in a competition sponsored by fertiliser company Yara.

Ten new varieties of ryegrass, two Hybrid and one Timothy (grass) have been added to the 2020/2021 Recommended Grass and Clover Lists (RGCL) for England and Wales.

Two new Italian ryegrass varieties bred by ILVO, the Belgium government’s plant breeding institute, are now available in the UK and Ireland.

CLAAS introduced the world’s first four-rotor swather, the LINER 3000, twenty years ago. The design concept was to eliminate the swathing bottleneck, and allow the capacity of the forage harvesting convoy to be fully utilised. Today’s four-rotor LINER 4000 and 3600 models remain a byword for productivity, forage quality, user convenience and reliability.

  Kuhn Farm Machinery is holding a series of bale wrapping workshops, demonstrations and best practise clinics to help farmers improve the quality of, and get the most from, their