Grass10 Newsletter - 6th September 2022

Get your weekly tips from the Grass10 team. It includes: PastureBase Ireland Dairy and Drystock figures; Predicted Grass Growth and Rainfall; Grass10 featured farmer - Eoin Corrigan; The Clover Reporter with Brian McCarthy; Autumn Fertiliser Advice; Grassland Farmer of the Year Competition and more.

212th Edition - 6th September 2022

PastureBase Ireland - Dairy Figures

• Average Farm Cover - 606 Kg DM/Ha
• Cover/LU - 200 Kg DM/Ha
• Growth - 35 Kg DM/Ha
• Demand 37 Kg DM/Ha - Stocking rate 3.15 LU/Ha
• Pregrazing yield - 1,497 Kg DM/Ha
• Diet - 12 Kg DM Grass - 4 Kg Meal - 2 Kg Silage

Predicted Grass Growth

Counties map showing predicted grass growth over the next 7 days from farms involved in Elodie Ruelle’s MoSt grass growth model (78 farms).

Predicted rainfall

Counties map showing predicted rainfall (mm) for the next 7 days from farms involved in Elodie Ruelle’s MoSt grass growth model (78 farms).

Grass Dry Matter %

• Ballyhaise 16%
• Moorepark 19%
• Athenry 15%

Grass10 Weekly Tips

Hold 30 + day rotation length on your farm

As we enter September, we are down to the final two grazing rotations on farm. Rain over the weekend was welcome in most areas around the country. Whether you are in a drought scenario with a low AFC or on/close to target, the advice is to keep 2 x 30 day + day rotations for the last 2 grazing rotations. This will help to build grass on farms that are coming out of drought and keep grass in the diet later on the Autumn. Grass grows grass, so it is important grass supply quickly. October growth rates will be less than September growth rates.

Keep walking your farm weekly to monitor AFC against the targets. This is not rotation length between grazing events, it is rotation length based on area per day. E.g. 30ha grazing block should be grazing 1 ha per day.

Mid Sept targets for different levels of stocking rate-:

• 2.5 LU/Ha - 1000 Kg DM/Ha AFC
• 3.0 LU/Ha - 1050 Kg DM/Ha AFC
• 3.5 LU/Ha - 1100 Kg DM/Ha AFC

Keep supplement in the diet to increase Average Farm Cover (AFC)

Although rain has being recieved on many farms, farmers must resist the urge as farms start to "green up" to reduce supplementation and continue to build AFC over the next number of weeks. Continue with low daily grass demand. Maintain/extend rotation length at 30 + days. 1Ha per day of a 30 Ha grazing platform. This will facilitate the last 2 grazing rotations, i.e September and closing up of the farm during October.

For those with low growth rates in the 20-30 Kg DM/Ha the "6/6/6" of 6kg DM grass, 6kg DM silage, 6kg meal is an option for dairy farms. Try and hold grass cover on the farm (>500 Kg DM/Ha), continue with sufficient supplement. 

For drystock farms, the options to reduce demand are: house finishing cattle, feed meal outside, feed silage outside, other feeds/forages, sell some animals. Post grazing residuals of 4 to 4.5cm should be maintained, don’t waste feed.

All farmers should do a fodder check on what fodder they have in store, especially those in the eastern half of the country.

Autumn Nitrogen Advice

The rain over the weekend in most of the drought affected areas of the country has farmers asking about the best approach to the application of nitrogen fertiliser on grassland. It is essential that a balanced approach be taken, which will help to meet forage requirements and avoid losses of nitrogen to water. Click the link below to read the fertiliser advice for the coming week.

Enter the 2022 Grassland Farmer of the Year Competition!

This year’s Grassland Farmer of the Year competition has been extended until Friday, 16th September for enteries. The competition recognises and acknowledges those dairy, beef and sheep farmers who are achieving high levels of grass utilisation in a sustainable manner. This year’s competition has 7 different categories for you to enter-:

• Dairy
• Drystock
• Clover/Sustainable farming
• Heavy soils/Disadvantaged Land
• Innovation
• Young Farmer (under 30 years)*
• Organic Farmer

Click on the link below for more information and to enter. Good luck!

Click here to enter the 2022 Grassland Farmer of the Year Competition! 

Autumn Fertiliser Advice

As rain has arrived to most areas throughout the country, farmers have the questions on N application before the deadline of the 14th September. 

View advice here

Grass10 Featured Farmer

Eoin Corrigan, Co. Meath

Eoin and Roisin Corrigan farm in Boardsmill near Trim, Co. Meath. They were new entrants in 2021 and they are milking 245 cows, stocked at 2.4 LU/Ha on the whole farm.

They have struggled with drought over the last month and the 2nd cuts have been zero - grazed along with significant increases in other suplementation.

Click here to read more

Autumn Grazing Targets

PastureBase Ireland - Drystock Figures

• Average Farm Cover - 640 Kg DM/Ha
• Pregrazing yield - 1,604 Kg DM/Ha
• Growth - 25 Kg DM/Ha
• Stocking rate - 2.25 LU/Ha
• Demand - 30Kg DM/Ha
• Days ahead - 21

The Clover Reporter

This section will give weekly reports and videos from farmers who have a lot of clover established on their farms.

This week, we hear from researcher Brian McCarthy, from Clonakilty research farm, where AFC is struggling around 500 Kg DM/Ha on the farm but 2022 clover reseeds have  excellent clover contents.

Brian's Clover Report

Swards For The Future Conference

Click here for more information and to register | View the promo video here

Sign up for weekly grass 10 newsletter