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With first-cut silage harvested, thoughts will now be turning to closing off ground for second cut.
Ground remains dry and with little rain forecast in the days ahead, a big issue for farmers is what to do with slurry.
Normally, slurry would be applied to silage aftermaths in June without issue. But with dry conditions and the lack of rain, it will not be possible to get slurry washed into ground properly.
Stunt growth
As such, slurry will most likely stick to grass and this could possibly stunt growth. But with storage tanks filled to capacity on many farms, there will be farmers facing little option but to apply some slurry now.
Where slurry is going out on silage aftermath, make sure it is well mixed and has plenty of water added. The more water-like the consistency, the better.
Spread slurry either during early morning or from the evening onwards and go with a lighter coat of around 2,000 gallons/acre.
Avoid spreading in the middle of the afternoon when daytime temperatures are at their peak.
Using a dribble bar can help to get slurry on to soil, rather than the coating the plant as happens with a splash plate. Again, make sure that slurry is as watery as possible.
If slurry is thick, it will form lines on the soil surface that are slow to break down. These lines could possibly be lifted in the second cut.
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