27 April 2023

No time like the present for white clover incorporation

Apart from the benefits associated with lower levels of artificial nitrogen use, the inclusion of white clover into grassland swards has also been shown to improve animal performance.

The latest edition of the Teagasc Grass10 newsletter provided details on clover oversowing on Teagasc’s Moorepark, Clonakilty and Curtins research farms, where there has been between 10% and 20% of the farm areas oversown in the past two weeks.

Oversowing took place on paddocks with optimum soil fertility (pH >6.3 and index 3 and 4 for phosphorous and potassium) immediately after grazing. A medium-leaf white clover was oversown at a rate of 2.5kg/ac (5.5kg/ha) using an Einbock machine. These paddocks will be managed at a low pre-grazing herbage mass (<1,100 kg DM/ha) for the remainder of the year to ensure clover is not shaded by the grass.

Grass10 Featured Farmer

This week’s Grass10 Featured Farmer, Mike Bermingham, who milks cows in Ballyhooly, Co. Cork, plans to oversow 7% of his milking platform with 3kg/ac of Coolfin white clover this week. A further 6.5% of the milking platform will be reseeded with grass and 2kg/ac of white clover.

Grass10 Clover Reporter

Grass10 Clover Reporter, Patrick O’Neill – a dairy farmer from Co. Longford – also has plans to oversow 10ac this week, using a seeding rate of 2.5kg/ac. A further two paddocks have been earmarked for reseeding in the next two weeks. He explained that paddocks with a low clover percentage need to be oversown so they have the required percentage to reduce nitrogen.

For tips on establishing white clover in your grassland swards, click here.