Grass and forage crop

Question 1

What is the key principle for growing good quality grassland?

Answer 1

You cannot let the grass get too long, an you must maximise the use of grass when it is at its most nutrituous, when young and leafy

Question 2

What are the main types of grassland?

Answer 2

Temporary Grass (TGRS)
Permanent Grass (PGRS)
Rough Grazing (GRG)

Question 3

Summarise Temporary Grass (TGRS)?

Answer 3

• They are the most productive, sown grass and clover.
• Lasts around 5-8 years but as short as 2
• sometiemes used in rotation with arable crop, helping to knock out weeds.
• boosts yield of the field when returned to arable.
• found on good ground class 3-4
• Stocking rate of 37t per ha

Question 4

Summarise Permanent grass (PGRS)?

Answer 4

• Sown grass and clover, but of a greater variety.
• Often more persistent grass
• Lasts longer than Temporary grass (approx 10 years).
• Over time becomes less productive, sward dominated by weeds and less favourable grass
• mainly for grazing
• on poorer ground class 4-5
• 25-40% less productive than Temporary grass because on poorer ground

Question 5

Summarise rough grazing grass (RGR)

Answer 5

• Native, naturally established grass
• Poor ground, class 5 and beyond uplands and hills
• used for less productive livestock, like breeding beef cowns/sheep

Question 6

What is the benefit of using clover, and what type has limitations?

Answer 6

White clover especially used for natural nitrogen fixing of the land. Provide a long consistent growth for crops and can be used for grazing. You generally want 3/4 types of clover in a field to create variety.

Issues lie with red clover- they are not persistent and need resowed. Used for fattening lambs, but cannot be used for feeding breeding ewes. This is because of the phyto-oestrogen content.

Question 7

What should you do to ensure a good growth of grassland?

Answer 7

When seeding, make sure the soil seedbed is fine and warm, to ensure the seed reaches the surface as they have a finite energy supply. They are sensitive to a lack of heat. Best to wait for the right weather in late spring.
Vital to then roll, to ensure seeds have a good contact with the soil and establish. A flat surfaced bed/field will make this easier.

Question 8

How else can you establish a grassland? 4 types.

Answer 8

Undersow- sown a month or so after a sown cereal crop, 2 things growing instead of 1.

Slit seed- machine opening up slits, seeding (clover usually) and closing. It is accurate, and saves cost of entire reseed. Done on grass swards.

harrow- existing sward harrowed, and grass spread at the same time.

Broadcast- spread over established grass sward. mixed with fertiliser. Hit or miss, takes 2-3 years before you notice change.

Question 9

What are the most common methods of grazing grass?

Answer 9

1/ set stocking- easiest least labour intensive. Stock go into field at the start of season, leave at the end.
2/Paddock grazing- stock moved around different paddocks in fields every few days, allowing grass to recover.
3/leader follower-same as paddock grazing, only lambs or calves given priority, so to speed up growth while young.

Question 10

If you have too much grass, what can you then do?

Answer 10

Cut the grass and store it as Silage or Hay.
Predominantly silage as hay is expensive. Silage is an energy feed (11Mj/kg of dry matter). Highly digestible.

Hay is hit or miss and takes several days to dry to 85% dry matter. Harder to digest too.