Take full advantage of the ideal conditions being thrown up to reseed this autumn is advice being given by Agritech’s Bil Ryan. At the recent Moorepark open day, farmers heard that losses in grass production due to a lower proportion of Perennial Ryegrass and lower yield in a sward, is worth up to €300/ha.
With adequate levels of winter feed secured on most farms Bil advises farmers to use this autumn as an opportunity to catch up on the reseeding backlog of the last two years and set their farms up to maximise grass production from underperforming paddocks for 2018. This has the potential to add up to 3 extra grazings in the first 5 months of 2018 from the reseeded swards.
Doing the job right
Bil’s advice to farmers for optimum germination and a successful reseed this autumn is achieving a properly prepared seedbed; vital to ensuring a quicker germination. “Applying appropriate nutrients will also help ensure optimum germination and adequate fuel to sustain the new reseed through the winter ahead. At index 3, applying at least 3 bags of 10.10.20 per acre is advisable”, Bil outlined.
Complementing your preparation efforts with the right grass seed mixture is key. Bil’s advice is to choose a mix of grass seed that will improve animal performance, increase forage yield, be easily managed and have good persistency. “Agritech mixtures from the Tipperary Range of grass seed are showing proven performance on farms all over the country and that is something we continuously push forward on” stated Bil.
For any further advice on autumn reseeding or to choose a suitable grass mixture from the Tipperary Range, contact your local Agritech distributor.