This year, to make the farm as productive as possible, I started by soil sampling every field we have. Back in January it was a very enjoyable experience to get out and walk the land after being confined to the yard and looking at cows all winter.

It was also a great opportunity to see what had been going on in the fields. With the mild winter, I was able to walk most paddocks and hardly even dirty my boots.

However, last week, before the drier weather kicked in, the water was squelching beneath my feet.

In 2016, the low yielders were out grazing by St Patrick’s Day. This year, grass has definitely started to grow and I would like to get some cows out this week to make a start to the wedge. At this time of year, a few good dry days can make a big difference to ground conditions.

One thing I have noticed in the paddocks is a number of bare patches. I don’t know if this is a Leatherjacket problem or not, but I am told if it is, I will just have to suffer on, as there is no longer a pesticide available to control it. This problem seems to be confined to the grazing paddocks more so than silage ground. As this part of the farm is not too well fenced for sheep, I wonder perhaps if there is an element of too much grass going into the winter and actually it is winter kill that is the problem.

Lime

Back to the soil analysis, around 100 acres were below the optimum level of pH, although most of this ground was sitting around 5.9 or 6.0, which isn’t too far away. Depending on who you listen to, granulated lime is either the best invention ever or a total waste of time and money. Rightly or wrongly, I have decided to spread some of this granulated lime on 50 acres.

One thing that swung me this way was that a tractor and fertiliser sower is a lot lighter on ground at this time of the year than a lime spreader full of lime.

The other 50 acres will get conventional lime later in the year when ground conditions are firmer. This will also help to spread the cost a bit.

Fertiliser

This week, the contractor will spread the fertiliser. Silage ground will get three bags per acre of 24%N plus 15% sulphur. Any ground low in phosphorous will get topped up with DAP (18-46-0). Ground low in potash will get straight potash later in the year.

This may seem like a complicated approach but to my mind it makes much more sense to invest in our own ground to make it as productive as we possibly can, rather than rent poorer quality ground with no guarantee of getting it long-term.

If push comes to shove and I run short of forage next winter, there is usually no shortage of bales and silage available to buy around the country. Also, we can buy what we need and be selective when it comes to quality.

Hybrid rye

Hopefully in the next few weeks we will be able to get on with work in the fields. This year I am planning to grow spring hybrid rye after having trouble with take-all in our winter wheat last year. The rye will be a break, and I’m told that it is cheaper and easier to grow than wheat. If it’s a success, we will follow this with winter hybrid rye – the seed company maintain that a winter crop will be higher yielding than winter wheat.