The average growth rate across the country is now at 61kg DM/ha/day, up 11kg DM/ha/day from seven days ago. What is more significant for farmers in the south and east of the country is that growth seems to have sprung into life as the east grows 55kg DM/ha/day while the south is on 53kg. Farmers are commenting on how the recent growth pattern is somewhat similar to having a second spring season all over again – although this is possibly only the first spring that 2018 has witnessed. However, despite the surge in grass growth being similar to the spring, the grassland management practices in spring most certainly cannot be applied now. There are three scenarios facing farmers right now: the first is building enough grass covers for autumn grazing; the second is taking out covers as wrapped silage to re-build fodder stocks; and the third, lingering in the background, is the need to close ground for spring grazing in 2019.
The average growth rate across the country is now at 61kg DM/ha/day, up 11kg DM/ha/day from seven days ago. What is more significant for farmers in the south and east of the country is that growth seems to have sprung into life as the east grows 55kg DM/ha/day while the south is on 53kg.
Farmers are commenting on how the recent growth pattern is somewhat similar to having a second spring season all over again – although this is possibly only the first spring that 2018 has witnessed. However, despite the surge in grass growth being similar to the spring, the grassland management practices in spring most certainly cannot be applied now. There are three scenarios facing farmers right now: the first is building enough grass covers for autumn grazing; the second is taking out covers as wrapped silage to re-build fodder stocks; and the third, lingering in the background, is the need to close ground for spring grazing in 2019.
Sowing redstart on Shane Gleeson’s farm.
I think the final scenario is one that many people have either forgotten, or are choosing to ignore. However, this could be the most important of them all.
Ground should be closed at the start of October, and aim to have 60% of the farm grazed and closed by the last week in October on wetter farms and the first week of November on drier farms. Having grass covers suitable for turning out stock early next spring will take a significant burden off fodder stocks.
The first week of October is only six weeks away, so covers should be starting to build now. Aim to have the highest cover in mid-September, around 450kg DM/ha per LU. As a result, this leaves the middle scenario of taking surplus covers out as bales, looking like long shot. The best advice is to grow as much grass now as possible. The recent fertiliser spreading extension should help towards this. Undeniably, it has been an expensive year on farms. However, 25 to 30 units of N applied now may save a lot of feeding costs over the winter. Anyone who has already done so is extremely glad they did.
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Grass growth still below 10-year average
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