Grass 2016: May explosion and bumper backend

According to figures from Pasture Base Ireland (PBI), total grass growth in 2016 was on par with the 10-year average, though the pattern of this year’s growth was anything but.

Ciarán Lenehan

4 December 2016

Grass 2016: May explosion and bumper backend

The pattern of grass growth in 2016 was not on par with the year average.

Grass growth in 2014, 2015 and 2016

After a spring-that-never-was, cumulative grass on PBI’s measuring farms to 15 May stood at 2,345kg. In 2015, these farms had grown 3,172kg at the same point, while the 10-year average is 4,123kg. This translates into daily growth rates of 21kgDM/ha for 2016, 28kg for 2015 and 37kg for the 10-year average.Here comes the boom

Here comes the boom

Then on 15 May grass growth rates doubled in the space of a week, from 53kg DM/ha daily up to 99kg. It almost seemed like a compensation effect was occurring to make up for the lax spring. Between 15 May and 31 July, the PBI farms grew a total of 5,985kg, up 600kg from 2015 and 125kg on the 10-year average.

On the majority of farms, grass was a nightmare to manage during this time. Not enough mouths to utilise the excess meant bales, bales and more bales. Good grass managers were forced to spend hours making extra silage in what was a long, drawn out battle to keep stem at bay.

No stopping

But, the green feast didn’t stop. From 1 August right through to the end of November, daily growth rate across the country averaged 47kg DM/ha, compared with a 10-year average of 34kg. Since 1 August, PBI farms have grown a total of 5,642kg, up almost 300kg on 2015 and a whopping 1,554kg on the 10-year average.

Waterlogged ground did not get any real chance to recover

While the backend balanced the scales for many – salvaging grazing in 2016 after a disastrous spring – this wasn’t the case for everyone. Consistent episodes of heavy rain in the western part of the country was a thorn in farmers’ sides. Waterlogged ground did not get any real chance to recover.

Cleaning out fields became difficult. On some of the wettest ground cattle were moved indoors and brought back out a number of times during August, September and early-October to try and protect the sod.

In terms of total growth for the year, PBI farms produced 13,972kg of grass between 27 January and 1 December 2016. In 2015, the figure was 13,939 and the 10-year average was 14,070.

As the graph shows, a similar outcome, but a very different journey.

Thanks to Micheal O’Leary, Teagasc PastureBase Co-ordinator for providing this data.

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