Grassland
Increasing sward and animal performance with red clover
Increasing sward and animal performance with red clover High artificial nitrogen costs have sparked a renewed interest in red clover silage. When grown in conjunction with a companion grass, these crops have the potential to provide a winter feed to livestock production systems from zero chemical nitrogen input. Dr. Nicky Byrne, Research […]
22 April 2023
Maintaining grass quality as we approach May
Maintaining grass quality as we approach May Every year, farmers get caught moving from spring to summer grazing management. This week as part of their weekly newsletter, the Teagasc Grass10 team ask are you ready for the change? With a jump in growth rates expected on top of high farm covers, walking […]
19 April 2023
Tips on establishing white clover in grassland swards
Tips on establishing white clover in grassland swards The benefit of clover in grassland has previously been reported through increased animal performance, increased herbage production and potential saving in chemical nitrogen (N) fertiliser, as well improved N use efficiency and N farm gate surplus. If Irish farms are to successfully establish clover […]
15 April 2023
Don’t delay! Fertilise silage swards today
Don’t delay! Fertilise silage swards today Weather conditions over the last number of weeks have resulted in delayed applications of fertiliser to silage fields. In addition, livestock have been housed for longer than normal, eating into farm silage stocks. Fertilising silage fields, once field conditions allow, will be critical in order to […]
14 April 2023
Grass10: Heavy rainfall making grazing conditions difficult
Grass10: Heavy rainfall making grazing conditions difficult Most farms, particularly those on the western seaboard and in the border, midlands and west region, have received significant rainfall volumes over the past weekend, the latest Grass10 newsletter explains, while also offering advice for the week ahead. This has hampered grazing conditions on many […]
13 April 2023
Watch: April assessment of clover content
Watch: April assessment of clover content Assessing the clover content of your swards now will enable you to tailor nitrogen fertiliser applications, while also allowing the identification of paddocks which may require reseeding or over sowing to increase clover content. In the below video, Michael Egan, Teagasc Grassland Researcher, offers practical steps […]
12 April 2023
Reseeding checklist: spring or autumn?
0 Reseeding checklist: spring or autumn? Regular reseeding of pasture allows farmers to grow increased yields of higher quality grass. Despite this, reseeding levels in Ireland are low with less than 2% of our national grassland area reseeded annually. As grass is our dominant feed during the main grazing season, and the primary […]
8 April 2023
Harvesting the benefits of clover swards
0 Harvesting the benefits of clover swards Patrick O’Neill farms in partnership with his father Tom, 5km north of Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford. They milk approximately 115 cows, supply Lakeland Dairies, and rear their own replacements. Patrick is a participant under the Ballyhaise Monitor Farm project. “The project was set up by Donal Patton […]
7 April 2023
Watch: The multiple benefits of multispecies swards
0 Watch: The multiple benefits of multispecies swards High nitrogen fertiliser prices, combined with a drive to farm in a more environmentally sustainable way, has seen the interest in multispecies swards peak at farm level. These swards, as discussed by Dr. Shona Baker at the recent Farming for Soil Health event in Teagasc […]
5 April 2023
Grass 10 weekly checklist: Transitioning from the first to the second rotation
0 Grass 10 weekly checklist: Transitioning from the first to the second rotation With huge variability in the percentage grazed and regrowth across farms, it is important to calculate what area is remaining to graze in the first rotation. When starting the second rotation, the average pre-grazing yield on the first three paddocks […]
5 April 2023