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Know How / Grassland management

In the current challenging climate, all livestock producers are under pressure to maximise the cheapest food source – forage. See the latest thinking on grazing methods, forage systems, reseeding and varieties as well as how others are making more from grass and maize.

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GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Dairy-beef outwintering setup saves on winter housing costs

Careful site selection allows Graham Parks to use outwintering as an entry for a reseed. It also saves him £35 a head on winter housing and feeding costs, maintaining his…

LIVESTOCK

How brothers secured future with second autumn-block herd

A second dairy unit set up on neighbouring arable land has given two brothers a long-term future on their Leicestershire family farm Martin Wade and his sons, George and Ben,…

BEEF

450ha woodland core to low-cost dairy-beef system

Agroforestry has gone from a novel idea to a core part of a resilient farming model at Yeo Valley in Somerset, with 405ha (1,000 acres) of woodland grazing targeted by…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Zero-grazing switch cuts dairy feed costs by 2p/litre

Transition Farmers Tom and Karen Halton, who milk 530 ProCross cows near Congleton, Cheshire, have always grazed low-yielding cows to improve milk from forage and lower feed costs. However, they…

BEEF

Video: How an estate grazes beef cattle on 1,000ha marsh

Innovative grazing practices have enabled a Cumbrian estate to capitalise on more than 1,000ha (2,471 acres) of saltmarsh, giving a beef finishing system an extensive, low-input store period. Each summer,…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

FW Awards 2023: Grassland Manager of the Year finalists

A passion to impart grassland wisdom to fellow farmers and improve business resilience is driving this year’s three Farmers Weekly Grassland Manager finalists to maximise grazed grass and experiment with…

Practical advice

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MAIZE

Maize crops perform well in this year's challenging weather

Maize has done well in this year’s challenging weather conditions, utilising summer rain for excellent plant growth, reports Neil Groom, manager of forage specialists Grainseed. “Spring was wet and maize…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Why farmers should make efficient use of autumn flush

After another challenging growing year, grazing platforms are finally where they should be. But with current warm, moist conditions creating good growth rates at the right quality, Livestock Improvement Corporation…

LIVESTOCK

Three-cut silage: Go for leaves, not bulk

Three-cut silage systems can take first cut a week earlier next year and still get the same yield, plus better quality. Scheduling all three cuts in the clamp before the…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How to stop losses when grazing youngstock on herbal leys

A fundamental misunderstanding of how to manage stock grazing herbal leys has caused heartache on some farms this summer, as more yearling cattle and weaned lambs have died from twisted…

PIGS

Benefits of grass leys for outdoor pig units

Grass mixes can establish well and withstand grazing by outdoor pigs, helping protect soils and watercourses, a three-year trial has shown. The trial took place in north Norfolk on 16ha…

LIVESTOCK

Advice on grazing far-off-dry cows for correct dietary needs

Far-off dry cows at grass could be getting too much energy if summer rainfall has produced lush regrowth. Cows either need to graze stemmy pasture, below 10MJ of metabolisable energy…

Insights

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LIVESTOCK

Why diverse forage mixtures could improve outwintering

Findings from a recent trial in Devon have concluded that outwintering cattle on a diverse mix of forages can help improve both animal and soil health, while also benefiting the…

LIVESTOCK

How multispecies swards can improve production efficiency

Grassland in the UK has traditionally been dominated by ryegrass. While ryegrass provides high yields of good-quality forage, it is dependent on applications of now-expensive nitrogen fertiliser and is susceptible…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Benefits of winter sheep grazing for silage performance

Tack sheep have a “Marmite” reputation among dairy farmers – some value their benefits as grass managers and a source of income, while others only see their ability to rob…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Forage Aid gears up for busy winter feed campaign

The prolonged hot weather and lack of rain has created serious issues for livestock farmers, with increasing reports of forage shortages. Following massive increases in feed, fertiliser, fuel and energy…

GROUNDSWELL

7 farmer tips on moving to regenerative farming

At a packed Groundswell event on 22 June, a panel of farmers talked to delegates about the challenges and benefits of moving to regenerative agriculture. Infrastructure and time were two…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Ulster farmers must act to avoid forage crisis

Immediate steps to ensure sufficient winter forage supply need to be taken by Northern Irish farmers facing unprecedented cost escalation, say farm advisers responding to stark findings of a survey. …

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

How remote sensing tech can help fine-tune grass management

A farm-level study in Wales has shown remote sensors can provide valuable information on how grass responds to inputs. Furthermore, they can do this in greater detail and more rapidly…

Maize

MAIZE

Maize crops perform well in this year's challenging weather

Maize has done well in this year’s challenging weather conditions, utilising summer rain for excellent plant growth, reports Neil Groom, manager of forage specialists Grainseed. “Spring was wet and maize…

LIVESTOCK

Farmer networks will be key for SFI uptake

Building confidence via networks of farmers will be crucial to the successful implementation of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and rollout of agroecological practices on UK farms. This is according…

MAIZE

Benefits of undersowing maize for soil, water and grazing

Tom Kimber has been growing maize at Higher Stavordale Farm near Wincanton in Somerset for at least 10 years, but it is only recently that he has turned his focus…

MAIZE

Why shallow cultivations are best option in maize trial

With maize often criticised for its high environmental cost, Cornish farmers Malcolm and Catherine Barrett were keen to find ways to improve the sustainability of their operations. They decided to…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How maize is helping beef producer hit target weights early

A focus on improving forage quality in beef rations has helped a Dorset farmer speed up throughput by up to six months. Beef and arable farmer Stuart Casely is using…

MAIZE

How maize is driving dry matter intake in NI dairy herd

Feed intakes are up, fertility has improved and milk yield is on the rise after a successful first winter feeding maize at Purcell Farms, County Londonderry. Mixed farmer James Purcell farms…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How a maize crop hit 57t/ha fresh weight despite drought

Growing maize under film helped a South West dairy farmer achieve yields of 57t/ha freshweight last season, despite being hit by drought. Patrick Palmer, who grows 202ha (500 acres) of…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Maize-bean cropping tipped to see huge growth in Germany

More German growers are companion-cropping maize with beans to address astronomical ammonium nitrate and protein costs, saying the dry matter and protein performance of the resulting silage outweighs the energy…

AHDB resources

See AHDB resources on rotational grazing

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GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Cell grazing improves liveweight production from grass

Cornish young farmer and engineer James Daniel believes UK farmers can grow more grass than their New Zealand counterparts by harnessing rotational grazing strategies. Following a six-month stint working in…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Video: Should you do a full reseed or renovate pasture?

In most cases, if a sward is past its best, there is no substitute for ploughing. However, overseeding can also be beneficial. In the video below, Germinal’s Daniel Loe sets…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Video: How near-infra red technology measures grass quality

Near infra-red spectroscopy (NIRS) technology is helping grassland farmers produce better quality silage by pinpointing when grass is at the optimum nutritional value for harvesting. At Grassland & Muck 2017, Limagrain demonstrated…

BEEF

Video: Return of native beef breed benefits Welsh farm

Livestock farmer Richard Lewis swapped his Limousin cattle for native Welsh Blacks and has seen the farm flourish. He invested in 45 head of the cattle, which was quite an…