2018-09-12 |
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Uplift in Farmers Buying Grass Seed this Autumn
With temperatures across the UK forecast to remain slightly higher than average for the remainder of September and into early October, many farmers are taking advantage of warmer soil conditions and seizing the opportunity to reseed or overseed older leys.
In the last month, the agricultural team at Barenbrug - one of the UK’s leading producers of forage grass - has seen a significant uplift in sales with much of the country sowing 30% more seed than normal. As well as short term leys, which are being heavily used to help fill the forage gap, Barenbrug has seen a massive upsurge in upland / hill ground reseeding. In Scotland, upland mixture sales are more than 50% up on last year. While in England and Wales, sales are around 40% higher than normal.
The news comes as Barenbrug launches the second edition of its Good Grass Guide - a free-of-charge booklet packed with practical pointers about gauging grass quality and repairing and renovating fields.
Mhairi
Dawson, Research & Development Manager at Barenbrug UK
said:
“It’s been a really difficult grass-growing year for many UK
farmers - with the weather literally throwing everything at us. After
a very long, hard winter, many farmers needed several good cuts this
summer to replenish dwindling forage reserves. Unfortunately, because
of the hot dry weather, that didn’t happen. With the weather now back
to normal, but slightly warmer than average, many farmers are opting
to invest in new grass. Favourable conditions are enabling farmers
to make ground improvements plus an early maize harvest has opened
up opportunities for extra autumn reseeds. The grass varieties currently
proving most popular are specialist mixtures that germinate well into
October and give farmers total flexibility with 12, 18 or 24-month
production potential - including extra grazing opportunities over
winter.”
While Barenbrug’s figures don't show if farmers are planning to reseed or overseed with the mixtures they are buying, there are compelling arguments for both options - as set out in the company’s Good Grass Guide, which has been described as an essential tool by many seed merchants.
Explaining more Mhairi said:
“Some livestock producers may still
be reticent about reseeding given the impact this summer’s weather
has had on farm finances. But you can actually make a real impact
on grass quality, productivity and utilization by doing very little.
A reseeding rate of just 10% is enough to prevent a decline in grass
productivity while 15% will start to deliver real gains. Farmers also
shouldn't rule out overseeding, which can make a big difference after
the kind of summer we’ve just had. Implemented carefully, overseeding
can improve pasture productivity by between 30-40% for between three
to four years, depending on field quality. When it comes to investing
in grass, our message is simple. Doing something is always better
than doing nothing and new swards will always be more productive than
old ones and better equipped to deal with weather extremes.”
To help farmers get their grassland management back on track this autumn, after one of the hottest, driest, summers on record, Barenbrug has updated its Good Grass Guide - adding more information and hints and tips to the booklet, which farmers can obtain from the Barenbrug website. The second edition of the Good Grass Guide includes information about reseeding versus overseeding; seed selection and managing new swards. There are pages dedicated to soil nutrition and structure; and why investing in grass is important. There are also photographs and facts and figures about productive grass species, common weeds, diseases and pests. At the back of the guide there is also space for farmers to note down observations about individual fields and pastures.
