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Figures from Teagasc’s Pasturebase system show that to date an average of 770kg grass DM/ha has been cumulatively grown around the country in 2018. The five-year average figure for the same period is 1,359kg DM/ha.
In 2017, almost 1.8t of grass/ha had been produced around the country by 14 April, over 1t more per hectare than this year.
Looking at other difficult spring years, total production in 2016 was 1.1t/ha at this point, while 2013, the most recent ‘fodder crisis’, saw total production of just over 1t/ha for the same period.
Growth
Average growth rate so far in 2018 has been 9.2kg DM/ha/day, versus a five-year average of 16.2kg DM/ha/day. In 2017 average grass growth to date was 21kg/day.
However, according to the Pasturebase system, growth has almost quadrupled in the past three weeks – national average growth rates of 25kg DM/ha/day were recorded yesterday.
Pasturebase administrator Micheal O’Leary urged farmers to be ready for a glut of grass.
“In 2016 we went from mid-40s up to 100kg DM/ha in growth over a few days. Grass quality suffered as a result for a full rotation – farmers were too slow to react after a bad spring. We don’t want that to happen this year,” Micheal said.
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