22 May 2025

Current management tips from the Grass10 Team

Focusing on rotation length, grass allocations and supplementation rates, Joseph Dunphy of the Teagasc Grass10 team shares key tips and advice as soil moisture deficits still have the potential to limit grass growth in some locations.

PastureBase Ireland growth data informs us that grass growth has been resilient at 64kg DM/ha on dairy farms. This is being helped by some thundershowers in certain areas and strong levels of dew.

However, most areas throughout the country have not received adequate rainfall and soil moisture deficits (SMD) have increased to 40-50mm this week. This will have a negative impact on grass growth when you pass 30mm and a significant impact when you pass 50mm.

The Grass10 team advises farmers, particularly in drier regions, to move to a 25 day rotation when growth reduces to between 40-50kg DM/ha. At growth rates of 50kg DM/ha/day over a 25 day rotation, the pre-grazing yield will be 1,250kg DM/ha. For a 100ac farm, the key advice is to graze 4ac/day and fill the feed gap with supplement.

Matching growth and demand

Farms must match growth and demand. If you are growing 50kg DM/ha and your farm is stocked at 3.7 LU/ha (PBI average on dairy farms this week), your grass allowance will be 13.5kg (50kg DM/ha/day divided by 3.7LU/ha). At an assumed grass intake of 12-13kg DM of grass, 5-6kg of meal plus 2kg of silage DM supplementation will be required to meet 20kg of intake to support 2.2kg of milk solids per cow. A strip wire must be used, and a high level of grass utilisation is required.

Monitor the situation

Most areas are predicted to receive some level of rainfall over this weekend. If you receive adequate rainfall, bring cover/LU back to 200 and bring pre-grazing yield under control at 1,300-1,500kg DM/ha. Hold average farm cover (AFC) at 600kg DM/ha as below this, growth will be impacted.

Keep applying fertiliser nitrogen (N) at 15-20 units/ac with S. Apply soiled water (1,500-2,000 gals/acre). This always gives the best response with grass growth during this type of weather.

Keep walking the farm every five days to assess grass growth rate. Many farms are now showing a hole in the middle of the grass wedge and particularly on paddocks under 600kg DM/ha, as recovery is starting to slow.

Weekly Grass10 Update

For more tips and advice, listen to the weekly Grass10 Update below, where Joseph Dunphy discusses current grazing advice and provides and update from Michael Walsh in Co. Laois.

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View this week’s Grass10 weekly newsletter here.

The weekly Grass10 update is hosted on the Dairy Edge podcast platform, which is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com.