28 April 2010

2 minute read

Europe

The event, organised by the British Grassland Society (BGS), DairyCo and EBLEX, included four short practical sessions with experts speaking on a variety of grassland management topics and a tour of the Recommended Lists trial plots with NIAB (National Institute of Agricultural Botany).

DairyCo’s Chris Duller was the first stop for groups, looking at how producers could make the right choices about when to reseed, and encouraging them to think about the potential of their ley.

“Now is decision time,” said Chris, “decide what you want to get from your ley, consider if it is up to the job and then look at what needs to be changed to make it really perform. If the ley isn’t up to speed then it is probably costing you money.

“A nice new ley which is young and vigorous will grow at a cost of around 5p/kg DM for grazed grass and 10p/kg DM for ensiled, an old worn out ley will cost you nearer 9p for grazed grass and 16p for ensiled. To put this into context, bought in barley will be around 11p/kg DM.

“It might be that you can improve the quality simply through making some changes to the way in which it is managed, you might consider over-sowing, or there may be a need for reseeding. Establish what your priorities are to make sure you get a return on your investment.”

Independent consultant Charlie Morgan, who spoke on behalf of EBLEX, followed on from this by talking about how to find the right species and varieties for leys, he stressed the importance of using the Recommended Lists to make choices and get the right varieties for the purpose. “You need to get quality mixes of seed,” he explained, “this is why it’s important to look at the list and use it to choose what you want. I’d suggest that spending an extra £5 per acre is a valuable investment if you get the mix right.”

To order a copy of the Recommended Lists call the BGS on 02476 696600 or download a pdf from www.eblex.org.uk.

TheCattleSite News Desk