Reseeding with a Güttler at thereseeding demonstration event, hosted by Germinal in association with Teagasc at the Salesian Agricultural College, Pallaskenry, Co Limerick. \ Donal O'Leary
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This is by no means a good year for reseeding. The late spring, the long drought and a looming fodder shortage have meant that most farmers can’t afford to take land out of production for any period of time. But this year has reaffirmed the importance of reseeding.
Back in spring, it was the recently reseeded fields that started growing first. And during the drought it was the recently reseeded fields that were the last to burn up. The importance of good grasses and good soil fertility really shows up when grass is stressed.
There’s a big interest in Italian ryegrass, Westerwolds and fodder crops this autumn and this is reflected in this special Focus. We have two articles on the fast-growing grass species; we look at the varieties and their traits, while Owen Cashman reports from a demonstration on sowing the crops in Cork.
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In terms of varieties, from talking to the seed suppliers, it seems that getting your hands on seed is more important than the variety of seed as demand is outstripping supply.
Alternatives
While on the subject of alternatives, Matthew Halpin has a report on multi-species work at Lyons Estate. While currently lacking some animal performance data, the fact that growth is similar with fewer fertiliser inputs and more environmental benefits is good to see.
Anecdotal evidence also suggests that these pastures are more drought-resistant.
This study looks at how varieties perform on farms and is a real acid test of how good a variety is. It’s good to see new varieties come up well on this study.
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This is by no means a good year for reseeding. The late spring, the long drought and a looming fodder shortage have meant that most farmers can’t afford to take land out of production for any period of time. But this year has reaffirmed the importance of reseeding.
Back in spring, it was the recently reseeded fields that started growing first. And during the drought it was the recently reseeded fields that were the last to burn up. The importance of good grasses and good soil fertility really shows up when grass is stressed.
There’s a big interest in Italian ryegrass, Westerwolds and fodder crops this autumn and this is reflected in this special Focus. We have two articles on the fast-growing grass species; we look at the varieties and their traits, while Owen Cashman reports from a demonstration on sowing the crops in Cork.
In terms of varieties, from talking to the seed suppliers, it seems that getting your hands on seed is more important than the variety of seed as demand is outstripping supply.
Alternatives
While on the subject of alternatives, Matthew Halpin has a report on multi-species work at Lyons Estate. While currently lacking some animal performance data, the fact that growth is similar with fewer fertiliser inputs and more environmental benefits is good to see.
Anecdotal evidence also suggests that these pastures are more drought-resistant.
This study looks at how varieties perform on farms and is a real acid test of how good a variety is. It’s good to see new varieties come up well on this study.
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