The grass and hybrid rape crops that were sown over the last few weeks are now up and away.
Most of the country got over 10mm of rain over the past week and this will help to drive on seeds and aid in the recovery of grass covers. However, other parts only got 2mm or 3mm of rain for the week and these areas have now gone very dry once again. Many farms in these areas, particularly in Limerick, north Tipperary and Kilkenny, are now in a green drought, with average grass growth rates less than 25kg/day.
John Doyle from Bunclody in Co Wexford joins the lineup this week. John is a beef, tillage and sheep farmer. While he has fodder crops in the ground, he believes that maximising grass growth over the next three months will go a long way towards bridging the gap between how much fodder he needs for the winter and how much he has in the yard.
The key message is that there is a great response from fertiliser this autumn. Every kilo of nitrogen applied in August, September and October grows 27kg, 19kg and 10kg respectively of grass dry matter.
To put this in context, spreading one bag/acre of nitrogen in August will grow the equivalent of 1.5 round of bales of silage per acre.
One bag of CAN costs about €13 and a bale of silage costs about €35 at present which is a 4:1 return on investment.
Third-cut silage
Jack Kearney's field stopped for silage has acover of about 1,000kg/ha. \ Donal O' Leary
Jack Kearney’s third-cut silage is flying it. The Kearneys are milking at Rathcormac, but have land leased in Fermoy and the Moorepark weather station recorded 6mm of rain for the past week. The field had a cover last week of 500kg/ha but had increased this week to 1,000kg/ha, which is a 71kg/day growth rate. Jack spread 38 units of 20:0:19 after the second cut, and is going to go with a bag/acre of the same product this week.
Tullamore Farm, Co Offaly
Fodder crop on livestock farm
Redstart hybrid rape/kale is up and away in Tullamore Farm.
The crop of Redstart and Interval has germinated on the Irish Farmers Journal farm at Tullamore. The crop was sown with a one-pass last Wednesday in good conditions after the field was ploughed. The field was spread with three bags/acre of 18:6:12 after sowing and then rolled with a Cambridge roller. Farm manager Shaun Diver plans to leave out round bales in rows on the field over the next week.
Buying third-cut silage
The field in the midlands was fertilised last weekend and has a cover of about 700kg/ha.
Two and a half bags per acre of 24:2.5:10 were applied to the 23 acres last weekend at a cost of €860 for the fertiliser and €75 to get it spread. The fertiliser was spread by the local contractor but he will be paid by the Kilkenny farmer taking the crop. Just 2.9mm of rain was recorded for the past week at Mullingar, the closest weather station to the field. At the moment, there is a cover of about 700kg/ha on the field and it is growing 30kg/day.
Growing grass on a tillage farm
John Stokes’ Westerwolds that were sown for demonstration purposes on 27 July are showing the same growth as the majority of the crop which was sown one week later. Grass emergence has been good, as has volunteer barley which John reckons will bulk up the crop. John is checking the crop for slugs and flea beetle but so far there is no sign of either. Nitrogen will be applied as soon as there is more rain. Only 5mm has fallen in the last week.
Growing a fodder crop on a tillage farm
Michael O’Brien’s 30ac field of Redstart hybrid rape is fully emerged. Winter barley volunteers in the field are a problem, however. The application of 90kg/ha of 0:7:30 and 90kg/ha of 27% N + S has provided nutrients for the volunteer barley as well as the fodder crop. The crop will be sprayed with Stratos Ultra (1.0l/ha) at a cost of €11/ha to avoid potential yield losses of 45% to 50%. Spraying will cost approximately €15/ha and Michael intends to spray this week.
Spreading more fertiliser on livestock farm
John Doyle's fields have been transformed since the rain came. \ Philip Doyle
John Doyle is back about 130 bales of silage compared with this time last year but luckily for John he sowed six acres of fodder beet in spring which should see him through the winter. He has also sown 4.5 acres of stubble turnips and will have sown 20 acres of fodder rape by the end of the week. His main way of filling the deficit is to spread more fertiliser now to grow more grass in the autumn. He went with one bag/acre of 18:6:12 before the rain came two weeks ago and plans to go with one bag/acre of 27:2.5:5 in a week’s time.
The grass and hybrid rape crops that were sown over the last few weeks are now up and away.
Most of the country got over 10mm of rain over the past week and this will help to drive on seeds and aid in the recovery of grass covers. However, other parts only got 2mm or 3mm of rain for the week and these areas have now gone very dry once again. Many farms in these areas, particularly in Limerick, north Tipperary and Kilkenny, are now in a green drought, with average grass growth rates less than 25kg/day.
John Doyle from Bunclody in Co Wexford joins the lineup this week. John is a beef, tillage and sheep farmer. While he has fodder crops in the ground, he believes that maximising grass growth over the next three months will go a long way towards bridging the gap between how much fodder he needs for the winter and how much he has in the yard.
The key message is that there is a great response from fertiliser this autumn. Every kilo of nitrogen applied in August, September and October grows 27kg, 19kg and 10kg respectively of grass dry matter.
To put this in context, spreading one bag/acre of nitrogen in August will grow the equivalent of 1.5 round of bales of silage per acre.
One bag of CAN costs about €13 and a bale of silage costs about €35 at present which is a 4:1 return on investment.
Third-cut silage
Jack Kearney's field stopped for silage has acover of about 1,000kg/ha. \ Donal O' Leary
Jack Kearney’s third-cut silage is flying it. The Kearneys are milking at Rathcormac, but have land leased in Fermoy and the Moorepark weather station recorded 6mm of rain for the past week. The field had a cover last week of 500kg/ha but had increased this week to 1,000kg/ha, which is a 71kg/day growth rate. Jack spread 38 units of 20:0:19 after the second cut, and is going to go with a bag/acre of the same product this week.
Tullamore Farm, Co Offaly
Fodder crop on livestock farm
Redstart hybrid rape/kale is up and away in Tullamore Farm.
The crop of Redstart and Interval has germinated on the Irish Farmers Journal farm at Tullamore. The crop was sown with a one-pass last Wednesday in good conditions after the field was ploughed. The field was spread with three bags/acre of 18:6:12 after sowing and then rolled with a Cambridge roller. Farm manager Shaun Diver plans to leave out round bales in rows on the field over the next week.
Buying third-cut silage
The field in the midlands was fertilised last weekend and has a cover of about 700kg/ha.
Two and a half bags per acre of 24:2.5:10 were applied to the 23 acres last weekend at a cost of €860 for the fertiliser and €75 to get it spread. The fertiliser was spread by the local contractor but he will be paid by the Kilkenny farmer taking the crop. Just 2.9mm of rain was recorded for the past week at Mullingar, the closest weather station to the field. At the moment, there is a cover of about 700kg/ha on the field and it is growing 30kg/day.
Growing grass on a tillage farm
John Stokes’ Westerwolds that were sown for demonstration purposes on 27 July are showing the same growth as the majority of the crop which was sown one week later. Grass emergence has been good, as has volunteer barley which John reckons will bulk up the crop. John is checking the crop for slugs and flea beetle but so far there is no sign of either. Nitrogen will be applied as soon as there is more rain. Only 5mm has fallen in the last week.
Growing a fodder crop on a tillage farm
Michael O’Brien’s 30ac field of Redstart hybrid rape is fully emerged. Winter barley volunteers in the field are a problem, however. The application of 90kg/ha of 0:7:30 and 90kg/ha of 27% N + S has provided nutrients for the volunteer barley as well as the fodder crop. The crop will be sprayed with Stratos Ultra (1.0l/ha) at a cost of €11/ha to avoid potential yield losses of 45% to 50%. Spraying will cost approximately €15/ha and Michael intends to spray this week.
Spreading more fertiliser on livestock farm
John Doyle's fields have been transformed since the rain came. \ Philip Doyle
John Doyle is back about 130 bales of silage compared with this time last year but luckily for John he sowed six acres of fodder beet in spring which should see him through the winter. He has also sown 4.5 acres of stubble turnips and will have sown 20 acres of fodder rape by the end of the week. His main way of filling the deficit is to spread more fertiliser now to grow more grass in the autumn. He went with one bag/acre of 18:6:12 before the rain came two weeks ago and plans to go with one bag/acre of 27:2.5:5 in a week’s time.
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