New Entrants to Farming – Grassland Matters (Caithness) Event Summary

Paddy from DLF gave an insight to grass growth and getting the best from the farms biggest asset (a copy of his presentation is available to view below).

Take home messages from the meeting included:

• Grass has to be managed- from establishment to when it is established.
• Do not graze grass to short as the first leaf is critical for the energy of the plant and for the plant to keep growing.
• Do not let grass flower as this is too late for forage harvesting.
• Cut silage dependent on the growth stage of the plant rather than the date.
• Use mixtures of grass seed- as this will cover a variety of situations.
• Overseeding is quick easy and can be very effective when ploughing can not be undertaken.
• Different grass varieties can be used to maximise returns from EFA Fallow, Margins, Catch Crop and Green Cover.