Early autumn reseeding is the preferred option for many to reseed grazing ground due to reduced pressure on grass availability and the increased availability of grazing ground after second cut silage.

After several months of poor grass growth this year, many reseeds were delayed so it’s important to get back on track when the opportunity presents itself.

However, timing is crucial so the earlier you plan on completing reseeding, the more flexibility they’ll have regarding grazing and weed control.

The target turnaround with a reseed should be 50 to 60 days. Therefore if spray-off is completed by mid-August, target first grazing should be approximately the same date in October. Ideally, one more grazing before winter should create a more established sward for the following spring.

Taking the reseeding opportunity earlier will also help with clover establishment. With clover high on the agenda for those reseeding grazing block ground, its important to get the basics correct to aid in its establishment. Clover has a high pH requirement, favouring soils at a pH of 6.5, and index 3-4 for P&K.

Avoid jeopardising your investment in reseeding by skimping on weed control or missing the ideal window. Post-emergence spraying is always your best chance to control weeds, typically applied approximately 5-6 weeks after sowing. Where clover was incorporated in the seed mixture, use a clover-safe spray (take care to use a clover-safe spray at the three-leaf stage).

One of the most common issues seen with reseeds where conventional ploughing has not been used is inadequate rolling of new reseeds/poor firmness.

Rolling is essential to create good soil–to–seed contact and also helps to maintain moisture within the seedbed.

New plants emerge quickest where the tractor tyre marks are, or in the headlands due to greater contact. So roll the seed bed prior to sowing to increase firmness.

For more information contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor

For many, autumn reseeding is the preferred option, due to reduced pressure on grass availability, increased availability of grazing ground after second cut silage, and the threat of drought has subsided.

As autumn progresses, the weather can change quickly so timing is critical; earlier reseeding allows for more flexibility with grazing and weed control. Remember, an unproductive sward could be losing you 3t of dry matter/ha/year. Swards with a low percentage of perennial ryegrass, that are not producing sufficient levels of grass in the shoulders of the year and have a poor response to N, shouldn’t be tolerated on the grazing platform.

Reseeding Management 

As ever, the target turnaround should be 50-60 days with a reseed. Therefore, complete spray-off by mid-august, target first grazing should be approximately the same date in October. Ideally, aim to graze at least once before closing for the winter to create a more established sward for the following spring.

With late autumn reseeds, avoid jeopardising your investment in reseeding by skimping on weed control or missing the window of opportunity. Post-emergence spraying is always your best chance to control weeds, typically applied approximately 5-6 weeks after sowing. When using a clover safe spray, keep in mind these can only be used until the end of September 2022.

Get the seedbed right

One of the most common issues seen this summer has been the inadequate rolling of new reseeds. Rolling is essential to create good soil-to-seed contact and it also helps maintain moisture within the seedbed.

Often new plants emerge quickly where the tractor tyre marks are, or in the headlands due to greater contact; this is a sign the field has been inadequately rolled. Ensure the seed bed is firm, not fluffy – roll prior to sowing if necessary to firm it up.

For further autumn reseeding advice or to find out more about our Tipperary Grass Seed Range, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor. 

Although spring 2022 seems a distance away, it is important to focus on setting up your farm to enable early grazing next spring.

There will be plenty of discussion in the coming weeks and months on building grass covers on-farm. The aim over the coming weeks is to ensure there is grass available in the autumn when growth rates decline. Every extra day at grass in the autumn is worth €1.80/cow. However, this is a balancing act as it’s also important to close off paddocks to have sufficient grass to achieve early turnout next spring.

Taking action

• Aim to extend the rotation to 30 days by September 1st.
• Aim to have all land on the grazing platform available for grazing to extend rotation.
• Remove surplus stock from main grazing platform and/or reduce their demand by supplementation.
• If average farm cover drops below the target at any stage, a quick reaction is vital to get it back on track.
• Aim for residuals of 3.5 – 4cm to stimulate growth throughout the winter and to avoid carryover of dead material into the following spring.
• Depending on growth, surplus paddocks should be removed in August. Removing paddocks after the first week of September should be avoided if possible.

For further information on setting the farm up for spring 2022, please contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor. 

Due to the inclement weather conditions across many regions in May and dry conditions in June, spring reseeding plans in some cases were postponed. However, it is imperative to proceed with reseeding plans as soon as the opportunity arises this autumn.

Recent research on commercial farm trials has indicated that early sown autumn reseeds have resulted in greater grass availability the following spring.

• New leys that were sown prior to September 1st (mid-August – September 1st) yielded an extra tonne of grass dry matter (DM) per hectare compared to those sown after September 15th.
• The results highlighted that the earlier sown leys yielded 3.1 tonnes of grass DM/ha relative to 1.9 tonne DM/ha in later sown leys the following spring (up until mid-April).
• Alongside this, early autumn reseeding also allows for greater flexibility around post-emergence spraying. Post-emergence weed control is vital and the most cost-effective opportunity you will have to control weeds in your new sward.
• Grazing, once ground conditions allow, will also ensure you have a denser and more established sward by the following spring.
• Weather conditions and timing of the reseed will be pivotal to achieving desired milestones before ground conditions deteriorate.

6 steps to autumn reseeding success 

1. Choosing a grass seed mixture

Once you have identified the poorest-performing paddocks, the next step is to choose a grass seed mixture that will best suit the system on the farm. Soil type and climate will influence your choice; however, is it going to be used for grazing, silage, or perhaps a dual-purpose sward? Only use varieties on the Irish Recommended List and the Pasture Profit Index (PPI) is essential to reference specific characteristics and values within the pasture. Choosing varieties with positive values for spring growth and grazing utilisation will help increase grass availability at the key points in your grazing season.

The inclusion of clover in your mixture will also give many additional benefits including increased grass production and animal performance. For farmers in derogation, it is now compulsory to include a minimum of 0.6kg of clover per acre.

Learn more about the Tipperary Grass Seed Range below:

2. Soil Fertility 

To achieve maximum results from your new reseed and to improve the productivity of a sward, soil fertility must be correct. Prior to reseeding, it is crucial to carry out soil tests for Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K) and pH, testing to a minimum of 10cm soil depth.

Your fertiliser plan is crucial as this will address any soil fertility issues. Ideally, fertility status should be in Index 3, with a target pH of 6.3 or above. Where soil fertility is below this recommended rate, it will require 2 to 3 bags of 10-10-20 to provide enough P to feed the sward, kick start early growth and allow the sward to reach its full potential. Lime should also be applied pre-sowing to improve soil structure and seed-soil contact.

3. Seedbed Preparation

The target turnaround time to get a reseed back into production should be 60 days.

The time that the sward is out of production can be minimised by cultivating 7-10 days after spraying off the old grass – a major failing at farm level is to wait too long after spray-off. When spraying off paddocks for stitching in, let the grass cover grow to 400-500-600 kg DM/ha before spraying off to avoid old grass coming back into the sward.

To kill off any existing vegetation present, the paddock for reseeding should be sprayed off with high-quality glyphosate. For minimum cultivation, the vegetation needs to be either grazed off or topped to allow for a cleaner surface with little trash as possible.

4. Sowing

Sowing rates should be increased in autumn to help overcome challenges around poorer growth conditions. There are two main methods of reseeding, conventional and minimum cultivation.

Ploughing:

• Once the vegetation has died off about 7-10 days after spraying, the field is ready for ploughing. After ploughing, it is time to spread lime and fertiliser based on the soil sample results.
• The surface is then power harrowed to produce a fine, firm and level seedbed, providing optimal conditions for sowing.
• The field should be rolled before sowing to achieve a firm seedbed.
• Avoid having a fluffy seedbed as this will cause the grass seed to go too deep into the soil and lead to poor germination/establishment.
• Weather permitting, the reseed should be rolled again in an opposite direction to compress the seedbed and increase seed to soil contact.

Direct Drilling:

• Existing sward needs to be sprayed off as well as grazed tightly or mowed after being sprayed off.
• Some direct drills place seeds in a slit 2-5cm apart, others rotavate a 4cm slot and place in both seed and fertiliser. Both work very well but it is recommended to do an additional run over the field in a diagonal direction.

Power Harrow:

• Involves using a power harrow to cultivate soil surface to a depth of 2-3 inches.
• Ideally, the field should be harrowed 3 times in different directions to ensure a fine tilt and to break up old sods sufficiently.
• After harrowing, the field should be rolled before seeding to ensure the seedbed is firm.
• Seeding should then take place with the seed being placed on the soil rather than deep in the soil.
• The field should then be rolled again in the opposite direction to optimise soil/seed contact.

5. Grazing Management

• Grazing, once ground conditions allow, will also ensure you have a denser and more established sward by the following spring.
• Graze the new reseed as soon as the plants do not pull out of the ground (pulling test), at a cover of approximately 700 – 1000 kg DM/ha.
• For the first number of grazings, frequent light grazings (≤1400 kg DM/ha) are advisable.

6. Post-Sowing Management

Post-sowing management is just as important as sowing itself. For best results, walk the reseed once per week to monitor germination, weeds, and pests.

Teagasc research indicates that a paddock capable of producing 10t DM/ha, with a 1t infestation of docks, will reduce yields of grass DM by 10%. Therefore, a typical paddock growing 10t DM/ha/year, with a 40% infestation of docks, will grow 6t DM/ha and 4t DM/ha of docks – resulting in a 40% reduction in grass DM yield potential.

A post-emergence spray should be applied 5-8 weeks after reseeding to eliminate broadleaved weeds that have germinated.

Further Information 

For further autumn reseeding advice or to choose a suitable grass seed mixture, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor or visit the Tipperary Grass Seed page.

With ground conditions finally favourable and excellent grass growth levels, now is an ideal time to take the opportunity to reseed.

The never-ending debate always raises its head at this time of year as to ‘when is it too late to reseed?’. Although, the calendar acts as a guide to reseeding, it is not always the primary criteria and especially not this year.

At this stage, it is a matter of deciding between risk versus reward. If your plan is to reseed a certain percentage of the farm each year, it is important to stick to this plan and reseed now especially while ground temperatures are very good and there is excellent and almost unseasonable grass growth.

Making the decision to defer reseeding may only put additional pressure on next year. Autumn 2017 is a recent good example of this scenario as in that year, the weather was difficult, and many reseeding jobs were not completed. With a slow spring in 2018 and a drought hitting in early June, it meant that much of the ground not completed for reseeding in autumn 2017 had returned little in terms of new herbage by mid-summer.

Management Guide:
The objective of reseeding at this stage is to have the crop established before the winter sets in and to have the post emergent spray (if available) applied. In doing so, there are some important key factors that need to be taken into consideration:

Soil Fertility:
Reseeded pastures will not perform to their potential if soil fertility is not correct. To achieve maximum results, it is vital that the new reseed receives adequate levels of 10:10:20 and lime levels to balance pH requirements and kick start early growth.

Reseeding Method:
With a lot of ground burnt off beyond the recommended three weeks at this stage, some of the destroyed vegetation is now beginning to re-establish. It is therefore imperative that this ground is cultivated as soon as possible.

By now, it is becoming too late for reseeding methods such as minimal cultivation or direct drilling. Once you past the middle of September, ploughing or discing are the most reliable methods, as they create the best environment to facilitate germination.

Seeding Rate:
Increasing the seeding rate by 15-20% will maximise the rate of success and compensate for lower ground temperatures and growth levels at this time of year.

Clover inclusion is also essential when reseeding, with current research indicating that 1kg of clover is typically recouped with one month of clover growth. Rather than leaving clover out, we recommend increasing the level in the hope of achieving a better strike rate.

At Agritech, we have long recognised the importance of including optimal levels of clover in our grass seed mixtures. Our Tipperary Grass Seed mixtures are also treated with a biological seed stimulant called, GroQuik®, to ensure maximum germination and a stronger well rooted plant, even in more difficult growing conditions. The application of GroQuik® is especially beneficial to clover establishment as it has a more extensive and complicated root structure.

Post Management:
Watch out for the three most significant pests of reseeds, frit fly, leatherjackets and slugs which are particularly problematic in the autumn.

For further advice or to find out more about our 2020 Tipperary Grass Seed mixtures, contact your local Agritech sales representative or distributor. 

Since making the switch to dairy farming, Co. Roscommon farmer, Enda Doran believes that following an autumn reseeding plan which focuses on soil fertility and using grass seed of the highest quality has been a major contributing factor into achieving a successful and profitable dairy business.

Located in Kilbegly, Co. Roscommon, Enda runs a spring calving, grass based dairy farm of 140 British-Friesian Holstein cross cows, having converted from sheep and suckler farming in 2016.   

In the video below, Enda outlines the key traits that he looks out for in a grass seed mixture and why selecting the most suitable one for his farm has given him the best return on investment:

Selecting the right grass seed mixture

According to Enda’s local Agritech Sales Representative, Melissa Kelly, “Farmers are increasingly recognising the benefits of reseeding with good quality grass seed. However, in order to get the biggest return on investment, it’s critical that you choose the most suitable grass seed mixture for your own individual system.

“At Agritech, our Tipperary Grass Seed Range has a mixture to suit every requirement, whether that is intensive grazing, cutting, zero-grazing or overseeding. For Enda, Tipperary Grass 4A was chosen as the most suitable mixture as it successfully encompasses all of the key traits that he looks for in a grass seed mixture; high digestibility, palatability and a good inclusion of clover.” 

Tipperary Grass Seed – GroQuik® Benefits

What makes the Tipperary Grass Seed range unique is that every mixture is treated with a biological seed stimulant called, GroQuik®, which accelerates germination and especially root growth in both grasses and clover. The application of GroQuik® is especially beneficial to clover establishment as it has a more extensive and complicated root structure.

Recent on farm experiments have highlighted the benefits of an improved root structure by comparing dressed and non-dressed grass mixture plots. Despite both plots receiving the same management in the same field at the same time, it was found that dressed plots showed a significant increase in herbage yield compared to the non-dressed plots.

Melissa concludes, “Going forward, seed stimulants such as GroQuik® will play a vital role in improving herbage output. Seedling establishment has improved significantly for Enda with results seen just one week after sowing. The benefits of GroQuik®, can also be seen for years after sowing, with older sown paddocks still producing high yields for Enda.”

Autumn Reseeding Tips

On the same day we met with Enda, Melissa Kelly also outlined what she attributes as top tips when reseeding this autumn:

For further advice on autumn reseeding or to choose a suitable grass seed mixture from the Tipperary Grass Seed Range, contact your local Agritech sales rep/distributor or click here.

With grass a key ingredient on livestock farms, reseeding is the most important factor for overall farm profitability as replacing old or rejuvenating existing ones will give one of the best returns on investment. Furthermore, reseeding will ensure a continued supply of high-quality forage throughout the year from both grazed grass and from the production of quality grass silage.

According to John Kenny, Sales Director at Agritech, “With autumn reseeding, timing is critical. On most farms, many fields grow less than 2 tonne DM/ha after the 1st August. At this stage, the key is to figure out which fields need attention most urgently and decide on the method of reseeding that best fits your requirements.”

Soil Fertility

Prior to reseeding, it is crucial to carry out soil tests for Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K) and pH, testing to a minimum of 10cm soil depth. Where soil fertility is at an optimum, it will require two to three bags of 10-10-20, plus 1 tonne of lime minimum, to provide enough P to feed the sward, kick start early growth, and allow the sward to reach its full potential. Too often, reseeding results disappoint solely due to the lack of a simple soil test beforehand.

Grass Seed Mixture

Our Tipperary Grass Seed range has a mixture to suit every requirement. The flagship premium mixture, Tipperary Grass No. 4A is suitable for intensive paddock grazing, whereas Tipperary Grass No.2 can be used for a less intensive grazing and silage systems. Tipperary Grass No.5 is designed to produce up to five cuts of high-quality forage, while the traditional Tipperary Grass No.3 is ideal for two cuts of silage, plus shoulder grazing. 

Agritech have also developed the Renovation Overseeding Mixture which is specifically designed to extend the life of an existing sward.

Every mixture is treated with a unique biological seed stimulant called, GroQuik®, which accelerates germination and especially root growth in both grasses and clover. This will help to produce more grass on the farm, thereby reducing concentrate feed requirements. It is now well established that this production lasts for years following the sowing of the crop.   

Post Management

All the benefits of reseeding can be lost after sowing if attention is not paid to weed and pest control. It is essential that post-emergence control of weeds such as docks and chickweed is carried out 4-6 weeks after emergence and not before the clover is well developed at the 3 leaf stage. It is also essential to watch out for the three most significant pests of reseeds, Frit Fly, Leatherjackets and Slugs, and treat accordingly.

For further advice on autumn reseeding or to choose a suitable grass mixture from the Tipperary Grass Seed range, click here.

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