The dry weather over the last 5-6 weeks has resulted in many farmers taking advantage of the ideal conditions to carry out some reseeding. The recent rainfall will now help drive on these reseeds which were struggling with the lack of soil moisture.
Post emergence spraying should be carried out on within 6-8 weeks of reseeding. Reseeds left un-sprayed will often turn out to have higher weed numbers than the old pasture. This is because there is a huge bank of weed seeds waiting in the soil just for the opportunity to germinate.
The changes to the nitrates derogation rules mean those farmers who previously excluded clover from their grass seed mixtures must now either include clover in the mixture, or over-sow clover afterwards.
Where the farmer is keen to promote clover in his/her sward, a clover safe spray should ideally be used. It is of particular importance that this is done at the correct time (6 weeks) to ensure its effectiveness. There are a number of clover-safe options to be considered, including Eagle and Clovex (2,4-DB) +/- Triad. Please consult your Drummonds Technical Sales Advisor for advice on the best product to use for your situation.
If clover is not included in the mixture or where over-sowing is taking place sometime afterwards, Pastor Trio should be used at 1.0 l/ha or Envy at 1.5 l/ha.
For those operating at extremely high stocking rates, now can be an opportunistic time to take out a paddock for reseeding. Growth rates over the next three months will hopefully average close to 70 - 80 KG of DM/ha/day. This means most grazing platforms will have a grass surplus, which leaves ‘room’ to tighten up the stocking rate while taking out ground for reseeding. Leaving reseeding until the autumn may result in you being short of grass when you need it most; and too often, it becomes too wet to graze the reseeds and to follow on with the all important post emergence herbicide.
Soil Fertility
As always, be sure to soil test the ground you intend to reseed beforehand and use the acquired information to correct any deficiencies. For farmers working under derogation, a liming program must be implemented and based on a current nutrient management plan and associated nutrient analysis results. Reseeding provides a good opportunity to get this job done if it is required.
Reseeding Method
Teagasc Moorepark research has shown little difference in grass growth from various reseeding methods (see chart). What is important is that the job is done correctly and that a fine firm seedbed is achieved.
Burning Off
The correct rate of glyphosate depends on the product being used. Please ask your sales advisor for the appropriate rate when purchasing. Burning off 5-7 days before cutting for silage is becoming an increasingly popular way to ensure the ground is thrash free. This is of particular importance for those using minimal tillage reseeding methods. If burning off after cutting/grazing ensure there is sufficient regrowth to take up the chemical.
Choosing a Suitable Sward
Recently there has been a switch in emphasis from choosing grass varieties purely based on yield to picking varieties with good feeding quality and ‘grazeability’. Many farmers now realise that achieving high levels of grass utilisation is extremely important. A sward which is consistently grazed down to target residuals will be easier managed; have higher quality regrowth; as a consequence, and will result in improved animal performance. GreenAcres Sweet Bite contains the leading grass varieties in terms of yield, digestibility and palatability.
Sweet Bite – Specialist Grazing Mixture
Astonenergy - the No. 1 variety for its palatability and ‘graze -out’ characteristics.
Abergain – Ranks highly on Teagasc‘s PPI. Posesses excellent quality.
Aberchoice – When it comes to quality no other diploid comes close !!
Drumbo – A high quality diploid which brings great density and ground cover to the sward.
White Clover: A blend of small and medium leaved varieties selected for their persistency and suitability for grazing.
Gold Bite – Dual Purpose Mixture
Gold Bite is our best selling mixture. The varieties Oakpark and Abergain (T) carry strong values in the ‘Silage’ & ‘Quality’ sub-indices of the Teagasc PPI. Oakpark is one of the best late heading diploids for silage yield. The inclusion of Meiduno (T) ensures Gold Bite also provides excellent early spring grazing for those looking for an early bite before closing up for silage. The synergy created by this blend of varieties ensures Gold Bite is recognised for its seeding value, resiliance and consistency.
Also Available:
Mega Bite: Intensive Silage Mixture
Super Grow: Permanent Pasture Mix
Heavy Ground: Formulated for difficult soils.
The varieties contained within this mixture carry strong values in the ‘Silage’ & ‘Quality’ categories of the Teagasc PPI. This mix is renowned for producing high D-value silage and aggressive re-growths.
Our 2020 Grass Seed Leaflet is available online - Drummonds Grass Seed Brochure - Click Here.