Fill Your Boots Now!

What a difference a month makes! The weather patterns of the last two springs have been the opposite of each other. What we lost in grass growth in April this year we regained in May. Certainly, in the south of the country the rapid recovery in grass growth in May has filled silage pits, leaving a lot less room for planned second cuts and whole crop.

Grass growth has continued above the June averages with the help of adequate rainfall.  In these situations I get asked regularly whether it is worth applying some Nitrogen to grow more grass if it isn’t required. I answer by saying take advantage of the growing conditions as the resulting surplus silage will be required at some stage. This is where having some surplus clamp capacity is an asset.

Otherwise plan to bale some quality silage/haylage to feed back to livestock in deficit grass growing periods later in the summer. Quality silage will cost £120/TDM. It is better than purchasing expensive concentrates at £300+/TDM or unknown quality silages. Quality conserved silage is better than money in the bank!.

You can maybe cut back on the nitrogen applied by using slurry in these wetter periods or opting for a compound fertiliser with some P, K & S. If clover is emerging in your swards, halve the Nitrogen usage of non-clover fields this time of the year to encourage the clover to grow which enables the nitrogen to be fixed free from the atmosphere.

A Bird in the Hand is worth Two in the Bush!

Contact Gerard on 07976 426420 or e-mail gerardfinnan@fcgagric.com for forage and grassland advice.