AHDB Clover Event

I recently attended the AHDB ‘curious about clover’ meeting.  The event comprised of a series of lectures, given by experts within the field as well as a farmer panel which helped to put into context the theory of the morning lectures.

The event highlighted the benefits that clover has for both farmers and the environment, whether it be providing a forage source that is also high in protein or reducing the risk of nitrate leaching.  Other benefits of using clover-based swards are:

• That it decreases the density and porosity of the soil.
• 100kg of Nitrogen/ ha can be saved, decreasing both cost to the farmer and harm to the environment.
• Increased milk volume and milk solids when using clover-based grass swards as opposed to rye grass swards.
• And many more.

One piece of information that particularly stood out to me from the day was that to get the full benefit from feeding clover-based grass silages, you must reduce leaf shatter.  This is because leaf shatter causes a loss of protein from the from the clover plant, reducing its value as silage.  Leaf shatter can be avoided by disengaging the mower conditioner, not tedding and refraining from using the forage harvester.  Furthermore, Red and white clovers are low in dry matter when compared with rye grasses, so allowing the mown crop to wilt for 48 hours is essential to maintain its nutritional value.

To see how clover can be incorporated into your SFI farm plan. contact Morgan at Morgangray@fcgagric.com  or your local FCG Office.