Why Autumn Re-Seed!
Well managed grass is the cheapest feed for ruminants. Research has shown that reseeding increases the amount of grass grown and utilised, resulting in increased profitability. As we head into Autumn, now is a good time to assess the condition of your grass leys and identify any that need reseeding or overseeding.
When assessing which fields to reseed/overseed look at each ley’s overall roductivity, and does it show signs of:
- Bare patches
- Weeds including weed grasses
- Poaching/machinery damage
- Drought/water damage
Why Reseed?
- Increased yields - With constant improvements in grass breeding technology individual varieties are becoming more and more productive, with higher ME and better disease resistance.
- Increased quality from the ley - ME levels and digestibility will be significantly improved.
- Reduction in bought in feed - Feed supplements can be costly, good grass produced on farm is the cheapest form of feed available.
- Reduction on the Weed Burden - Older leys by nature are weaker growing and often far more open. This allows competitive weed species to establish themselves within the ley requiring more inputs and reduced yield and quality.
- Improved response to inputs - Denser swards, modern breeding and high vigour of new leys all combine to give a far better response to any fertiliser applied.
Research has shown that increase in the proportion of the farm reseeded each year increases the amount of grass grown and utilised leading to increased farm net profit.
Why Reseed in the Autumn?
- Growing Conditions - In general soil is much warmer which increases the speed of germination and growth, the air is generally cooler than spring and the chance of regular rainfall is much higher, a vital constituent for sustained growth.
- Less chemical inputs - Weed pressure is greatly reduced in the autumn which means less competition and better establishment.
- Spring growth - An established autumn ley will go through the winter in a position to storm away in the spring as soon as the soil is warm enough. This can put your ley 3 - 4 weeks ahead of a spring sown ley and give you a vital boost at turnout or first cut.
- Ready for summer - If we move into a very dry summer the grass roots are already well established and drought resistance will be much better than that in spring sown leys.
- Less water management - Spring sowing means you have to worry more about hot weather and the availability of water as seeds need constant supply. Cool autumn rain means less water management will be required.
- Minimising loss in production - By reseeding in autumn the grass establishes in the run up to winter dormancy and then gets away quicker in the spring. Minimising the amount of time the field is out of production.
When selecting grass mixtures, you need to consider what will the sward be used for, will it mostly be used cutting or grazing?
If you are re-seeding following grass, it might be worth considering a break crop such as stubble turnips to help break any pest or weed cycles.
There are a number of grant opportunities through the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) including the inclusion of legumes for improved grassland and herbal leys, so it is worth bearing this in mind when selecting your grass mixes, please contact us for further advise.
It is important to check the varieties are listed on the Recommended Grass and Clover List (RGCL). To be included on the list, each variety goes through rigorous testing for attributes such as:
- Yield
- Persistency
- Quality
- Disease resistance
If you would like to discuss your seed requirements,
please contact Louise Cox on 07943 684215 or e-mail louise@dblbuyinggroup.co.uk.
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