The dry but cool weather has put a bit of a dampener on the very high growth rates that we expect at this time of year. The average grass growth rate is 50kg/day. Some farms are growing in excess of 80kg/day, and some fields within farms are growing much higher than the average.
What are the common denominators for high growth rates?
Fields that were grazed in FebruaryFields that got up to 100 units of nitrogen alreadyFields that have a high percentage of perennial ryegrass swardsFields that are on target for pH and are at soil index three and four for P and KFields that have received their maintenance application of P and K alreadyFields that were grazed at covers less than 1,600kg/ha.
The more fields you have doing this, the more the farm will be growing now. The point is, growth rate is not just down to location. Farms growing well have been strategically managed to achieve high growth rates and therefore can afford to be stocked higher or feed less supplement.
Now is a good time to identify paddocks that are not performing on your farm. What is the root cause? Reseeding should not be the first port of call. Look at drainage first, then soil fertility and then look at reseeding – but fix the other two first or it will revert back to the bad species within a few years.
Read more
Grass+ dairy: growth rates good and steady
Dairy management: calves
Dairy management: spraying
The dry but cool weather has put a bit of a dampener on the very high growth rates that we expect at this time of year. The average grass growth rate is 50kg/day. Some farms are growing in excess of 80kg/day, and some fields within farms are growing much higher than the average.
What are the common denominators for high growth rates?
Fields that were grazed in FebruaryFields that got up to 100 units of nitrogen alreadyFields that have a high percentage of perennial ryegrass swardsFields that are on target for pH and are at soil index three and four for P and KFields that have received their maintenance application of P and K alreadyFields that were grazed at covers less than 1,600kg/ha. The more fields you have doing this, the more the farm will be growing now. The point is, growth rate is not just down to location. Farms growing well have been strategically managed to achieve high growth rates and therefore can afford to be stocked higher or feed less supplement.
Now is a good time to identify paddocks that are not performing on your farm. What is the root cause? Reseeding should not be the first port of call. Look at drainage first, then soil fertility and then look at reseeding – but fix the other two first or it will revert back to the bad species within a few years.
Read more
Grass+ dairy: growth rates good and steady
Dairy management: calves
Dairy management: spraying
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