Grassland Roadshow Ayr: Building Resilient Pastures

As input costs remain high and weather patterns become increasingly unpredictable, making better use of the grass we grow has never been more important. For livestock businesses, productive and resilient grasslands can help reduce reliance on bought-in feed and fertiliser, improve soil health and make better use of the resources already available on farm.

As part of this year’s Grassland Roadshow, join us at Sorbie Farm, Ardrossan, by kind permission of Alan Hogarth and family, for a practical event looking at how farmers can build more resilient grassland systems and make better use of pasture later in the season.

Senior consultant and grassland specialist Lorna Galloway will explore “Making multispecies grasslands work in Scotland”, looking at the opportunities offered by diverse swards within regenerative farming systems. Multispecies grasslands can combine grasses, legumes and herbs with different rooting depths and growth characteristics, helping to improve soil structure, nutrient cycling, drought resilience and forage quality while potentially reducing dependence on artificial nitrogen. But establishing and managing them successfully under Scottish conditions requires careful thought. Lorna will look at what works, what does not, and how multispecies swards can be incorporated practically into a productive livestock system.

We will also be joined by Michael Blanche, who will discuss “How to get the most out of your autumn pasture.” Autumn grass can represent a valuable and sometimes underused resource. With good grazing management, farmers can extend the grazing season, reduce winter feed requirements and make more efficient use of home-grown forage. Michael will consider how decisions around grazing rotations, residuals, stock demand and pasture recovery can help farms capture more value from autumn grass without compromising the sward going into winter and the following spring.

Whether you are already experimenting with multispecies swards and regenerative grazing or are simply interested in getting more from your existing grassland, this event will provide practical ideas that can be taken home and applied on farm.

FAS Related Resources

https://www.fas.scot/downloads/grassland-and-herbal-leys-species-guide/

https://www.fas.scot/downloads/the-role-of-major-nutrients-in-grass-plants/

https://www.fas.scot/downloads/technical-note-tn656-soils-information-texture-liming/

https://www.fas.scot/downloads/technical-note-tn736-optimising-application-livestock-farmyard-manures-slurries/

Booking is essential for catering purposes!

https://what3words.com/nobody.overgrown.safely