Despite my update last week, growth in the southeast corner of Ireland, which was worst affected by the drought, has bounced back considerably.

Growth rates in counties such as Kilkenny and Carlow hit the mid 40s to mid 50s this week, with some individual farms hitting as high as the low 80s regarding the kg DM/ha grown per day.

It’s some turnaround and leaves farmers in a better position for grass supplies.

However, we need to be cautious that we are not lulled into a false sense of security.

While it may feel like April growth, with swards lovely and clean to the butt due to them being grazed out tight in the last round, days are shortening and temperatures will gradually lower. Farmers need to be mindful that the closed period for spreading fertiliser begins on 14 September, with any fertiliser left sitting in the yard to be noted on the fertiliser database by 15 October. Anything not spread in the last two weeks should ideally get a top-up where you feel confident that the nitrogen (N) will be utilised.

New reseeds or warmer, dry soils should usually plough on growing into the back end well.

Slurry spreading

Farmers should also be mindful of getting slurry out on paddocks, more so to get tanks emptied for the winter ahead.

A little bit of thinking needs to go in towhere this slurry goes - a lot of meal feeding went into cows in the summer months along barriers, with this slurry high in nutrients, while some paddocks may have been used as sacrifice fields with silage or other forage fed out in them for several days or weeks in a row.

These types of paddocks have a high nutrients load on them and this high-value slurry is not needed and will likely lead to nutrients leaching.

Target paddocks with low fertility with this slurry and there should be a good response. Watery is always best, especially as we are looking for stock to graze it within a month.