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Weather conditions are forecasted to be generally dry and settled in the week ahead, with little change predicted for next week.
This will put grazing covers under pressure again, despite the rainfall that has been received in recent days.
If another sustained period of dry weather does materialise, silage swards will head out and turn white at the base as grass starts dying back. Yields are unlikely to increase significantly at this stage.
Therefore, give careful consideration to harvesting silage swards when there is a window of opportunity and grass quality is still relatively high.
Leave a margin
As most farmers will look to graze field boundaries with cattle after cutting silage, you could leave a slightly wider margin around the field to give cattle a few extra days on silage ground.
This will give grazing paddocks a longer rest, helping to build covers. Opt to leave a margin that is one width of the mower around the field.
Wilting
If you are worried about residual nitrogen in the silage, wilting grass for a 24- to 36-hour period will reduce the risk and give a stable fermentation.
If there is no rain forecast after silage has been cut, do not rush on to aftermaths with a tanker and splash plate to apply slurry.
There is scope to use a trailing shoe, as this method places the slurry on the soil surface, rather than coating grass. However, this will probably mean using a contractor, which adds to costs.
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