The Hybrid Ryegrass & Red Clover mixture from Drummonds
There has been a lot of focus on protein use on farms in recent times, both in terms of feed product origins and the efficiency of it’s use by animals. The need to produce ‘home grown’ protein is an important strategy for dairy, beef and sheep farms to ensure future sustainability, with red clover having a major part to play.
With this in mind, we at Drummonds have launched the Pit Buster Pro mixture for 2021. A medium - term (3-4 year) specialist cutting mixture containing Hybrid Ryegrasses and Red Clover; this mixture is capable of producing 15 – 16 tonnes of DM/ha of quality, high protein forage.
Red clover improves animal performance due to its higher nutritional value and increased intake characteristics. Red clover in silage increases average Crude Protein (CP%) by 3-4%, and can fix up to 250 kg/ha of atmospheric Nitrogen. The Hybrid Ryegrass (Perennial Ryegrass x Italian Ryegrass) component of this mixture complements the Red Clover in terms of its growth pattern and its’ high water soluble carbohydrate content (WSC) ensures optimum protein conservation when ensiled alongside the red clover.
This mixture is suitable where the aim is to maximise the amount of high-quality forage grown on leased ground or on ground outside of the grazing block. This mixture would also offer benefits as a break crop in terms of Nitrogen Fixation and improved soil structure.
For more information please see the attached article from Teagasc which focusses on Red Clover - 6-Red-clover-agronomy-and-management.pdf (teagasc.ie)
Please get in touch with your local Drummonds Technical Sales Advisor for more information.