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Grassland management: new training courses

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Interested in improving your grassland management skills? Then these new courses could be for you.

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Soil Testing | Soil pH | P & K Index | Slurry | Compound Balancing

Good productive soils are the foundation of any successful farming system and key for growing sufficient high quality grass to feed the herd. Therefore, the management of soil fertility levels should be a primary objective of every farm. To measure soil fertility we test soil to identify the pH level, Phosphorus (P) level, and Potassium (K) level. A recent review of soils tested at Teagasc indicates that the majority of soils in Ireland are below the target levels for pH (pH 6.3), P and K (i.e. Index 3) and will be very responsive to application of lime to increase pH, and also P & K. On many farms sub-optimal soil fertility is leading to a drop in output and income if allowed to continue.

Protected Urea Fertiliser List (PDF)

John Maher, of the Grass10 campaign, highlights 5 steps for effective soil fertility management in the video below.

Correct your soil fertility with 5 simple steps #Grass10

Correct your soil fertility and grow an additional 25% more grass which in turn will mean approx. €100 additional profit per acre. Two thirds of our farms are deficient in lime, P or K but can be easily fixed. As part of the #grass10 campaign, John Maher brings us through 5 simple steps to improve

Soil Testing

How to Take a Soil Sample

Soil testing is the first step in correcting any soil fertility issues on your farm and to get accurate soil test results you need to get a soil sample which is representative of the area you're testing. To understand how to take a soil sample, the soil index system and interpreting your soil sample results click on Soil Analysis.

Specialist Mark Plunkett (Teagasc, Johnstown) speaks with Declan McArdle (Teagasc Equine Specialist) on the best way to get a true reading of your soil fertility so you know what paddocks are below target and can be improved.

How to take a soil sample

Soil pH

Applying Lime

If the soil pH is below target pH 6.3, there is potential locked up in the soil waiting to get out. When lime is applied to soils below target pH there is an immediate realise of nutrients which unlocks this potential and drives grass production on the farm. Our wet climate in Ireland means that a lot of calcium and lime is naturally washed out of our soils making our soils very acidic. For this reason it is important that we apply lime regularly to control soil acidity and keep soil pH as close as possible to the optimum range. For more information click on Soil pH & Liming and for advice for grasslands click Liming Grassland Soils.

In the video below Mark Plunkett, Soil Nutrition specialist talks to Declan McArdle about the importance of looking after our soils. Remember Grow More - Graze More - Earn More!

Soil Fertility in Irish Soils - Soil pH and Liming

P & K Index

Target Index 3

The aim is to have optimum soil P and K (Index 3) fertility levels in all paddocks. At optimum fertility levels, nutrients being removed in products as meat or milk need to be replaced. Low fertility (Index 1 & 2) soils need to be fertilised correctly to achieve soil index 3.

For soils in Index 3 the fertiliser program should be designed to replace the nutrients being removed, thus maintaining the soil fertility levels.

Index 1 and 2 soils have a very low to low nutrient supply, and require additional nutrients to increase the fertility levels on an annual basis.

Index 4 soils have a high nutrient supply. These soils present an opportunity to save money on fertiliser inputs by harvesting the P and K soil reserves for a number of years depending on the soil test reading.

If you're looking for fertiliser advice for your dairy, beef or sheep farm please click Grassland Fertiliser Advice Also check your Nutrient Management Plan to ensure you don't exceed your maximum limits.

Slurry

Make the most of what you've got!

Slurry is a valuable resource when used effectively by targetting the paddocks which need it most and applying in the right conditions. The nutrient value of cattle and pig slurry are in the following table:

This table should only be used as a guideline as values can differ. For the values of other organic manures click Value of Organic Manures. Patrick Forrestal, soil nutrient researcher explains how to get the most from your slurry, which will help save you money on chemical fertilisers.

Maximizing the Efficiency of Slurry Use

Patrick Forrestal outlines how to identify what fields should receive slurry, what method reduces the loss of Nitrogen to the atmosphere, the best time and weather conditions to spread it in.

Balancing

Balance with Compound Fertilisers

After making the best use of slurry and other organic manures the farm will likely need to be topped up with chemical fertilisers to reach the soil fertility targets. The time it takes to balance soil nutrients can vary depending on the nutrient. K can usually be fixed relatively quickly (move up 1 index per annum) whilst P generally takes longer especially on heavier soils. The amount of P & K needed for optimum soil fertility will also vary depending on farm stocking rate (higher stocking rates will require more P & K to replace higher offtakes), soil indexes (lower indexes require higher P & K to build fertility) and whether the field is being grazed or used for grass silage/hay making (silage/hay production has high K offtakes whereas grazing is usually harder on P index). It is important to remember that getting the soil pH right is foremost as this can in itself raise the P and K soil index.

If you're looking for fertiliser advice for your dairy, beef or sheep farm please click Grassland Fertiliser Advice. Also check your farms Nutrient Management Plan to ensure you don't exceed your maximum limits.
Other Useful Information: Trace Elements For Grassland
Soil Fertility Frequently Asked Questions

Soil Fertility Support Material

Soil Quality

Along with soil fertility the quality of the soil is also an important factor wich can limit the functionality of the soil in terms of production, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, water purification and biodiversity. Of the physical indicators which influence soil function, soil structure is considered a key factor. Decline in soil structural quality can lead to soil degradation and compaction. Click on the link below for advice to avoid this happening on your farm.
Soil Quality

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Soil Testing | Soil pH | P & K Index | Slurry | Compound Balancing Good productive soils are the foundation of any successful farming system and key for growing sufficient high quality grass to feed the herd. Therefore, the management of soil fertility levels should be a primary objective of every farm.

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Reaching the Grass10 Goals

If you're serious about reducing your feed costs and getting the most from grass you need to be serious about grazing management, so are your grazing management skills enabling you to Utilise 10 Ton Grass DM/Ha and Achieve 10 Grazings/Paddock/Year?

As long as soil fertility and grazing infrastructure are adequate, good grazing management will ensure a long grazing season whilst getting as much quality grass (high leaf content) into the animals' diet. This will increase output on livestock farms driven by high grass utilisation.

A long grazing season will involve three periods of grazing management:
1. Autumn Grazing Management (Mid-August to Housing)
2. Spring Grazing Management (Early Feb to Mid-April)
3. Summer Grazing Management (Mid-April to Mid August)

To utilise 10 Ton Grass DM/Ha and Achieve 10 Grazings/Paddock/Year, the farm must grow about 14 Ton Grass DM/Ha which is utilised at around 75%. The table below shows the breakdown of when this grass grows, rotation length and how many rotations can be achieved in each grazing period.

As you can see 10% of the grass is grown in spring, 60% in summer and 30% in autumn. Also notice the numbers circled during the summer period (between 2-7 rotations), this is where the Grass10 goals are usually won or lost as individual management decisions determine the number of rotations and therefore the amount of grass grown. It is often heard said by some farmers that the grass growth is outside of their control, but looking at trends from PastrueBase Ireland there is much more variation in grass grown between farms than there is between paddocks on the same farm, this would indicate that farmer's own grazing management decisions are having a greater affect on the grass grown rather than external factors like geographic location, soil type, climate, etc.

Watch the Grass Grow -

Grass growth as you've never seen before! Time lapse video using a time lapse camera taking 48 images a day over 25 days of a paddock at Teagasc Moorepark, capturing all the stages of grass growth over one rotation. Achieving the right grazing rotation is critical to having enough quality grass.

Grass - Steps of Stairs

Have your grass looking well - like steps of stairs

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If you're serious about reducing your feed costs and getting the most from grass you need to be serious about grazing management, so are your grazing management skills enabling you to Utilise 10 Ton Grass DM/Ha and Achieve 10 Grazings/Paddock/Year?

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Weekly Newsletter

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-Grass is cheapest feed source and high levels should be included in the diet

-“The utilization of grass by grazing
should provide the basis of sustainable livestock systems as grazed grass is the cheapest source of
nutrients for ruminants.” (O’Donovan et at., 2011).

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-Educated from Kildalton College

-Dry farm with good growth potential, 12.5 tonnes DM/ha

-Free draining sandy soil

-Cows are Pedigree Holsteins and have the ability to produce high levels of milk from grass

-Management for ZeroGrazing allows for chances to produce silage at times of excess grass

-Keeping track of grass available and cutting is importat to bring in fresh grass at the right grwth stage or to allow it progress fro longer to produce good quality silage

-Previously signed up for Pasture Base with occasional farm walks taken place

-Dad has good computer skills which allowed for the uptake of the robotic system

-Open to try new things and new ideas

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-Mapping of Land

-Soil test, Nutrient plan

-Reseeding plan

-Enter grassland disccssion group

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-Begin a weekly grass walk and measuring system

-Record every walk on Pasture Base

-Form a rotation planner to help allocation of fields in spring depending on number of cows due to calve and alter accordingly

-Good quality grass is essential in spring for freshly calved cows for high intakes, recently reseeded paddocks a good opton perhaps

-Refer to soil test results and treat fields accordingly

-Use grass management tools to plan rotation for milking platform ZeroGrazing

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Dairy Farm in Kilkenny

-170 Pedigree Holstein Friesian Cows
-Indoor System for Main Herd
-ZeroGrazing
-Robotically milked with Lely robots

-Total farm area 108 ha
-89 ha grassland
-46 ha of total farm is rented
-30 acres around home farm block
-Very fragmented farm due to rented land and farm location

Main Reasons for ZeroGrazing:
-Close proximity to Kilkenny city which resulted in cows walking public roads
-This became too dangerous fro both animals and workers
-ZG allows highest quality grass to be brought to cows from outblocks

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-Continue to measure and record data

-Use grass wedge accordingly

-Any surplus grass can be left for silage to store for winter period or at times of weather issues similar to previous years

-Purchase grass measuring equipment for more accurate measuring

-Soil test and analyse against data from year 1 to see progress

-Use data to plan paddocks for reseeding based on performance

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-Continue to monitor all aspects including the data recorded for individual paddocks

-Reseeding of another 10% of the farm

-Ensure reseeding plan is being followed to allow for maximum utilization

-Maintain reseeded swards

-Ensure fields are being treated accordingly after grazing

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-Achieve 14 tonnes DM/ha

-Maintain grazing targets

-Majority of Farm to be Reseeded

-Continue with 10% reseeding each year

-Grass measuring is accurate and data build up is beneficial

-Based on data, consider altering paddock sizes or allocation based on output

-Monitor milk yields to access paddocks of poor output

-Achieve higher quality solids and yields by selecting of grass correctly

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-Limited space to expand in an indoor system

-Weather

-No local group for a ZeroGrazing system for support

-Can be difficult starting off to understand the importance of choosing the correct grass to feed to cows

-Milk price volatility in the aftermath of Brexit

-Rented ground could cause problems in future with leases

-Increase in cow numbers results in more feed requirement all year

-Animal welfare and public image, indoor robotic system

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-Fragmented farm

-Land on the other side of the main road is rented so an underpass is not an option

-Geographical location on the outskirts of Kilkenny City

-High prices for land in the area

-ZeroGrazing management can be difficult

-Indoor robotic systems are not supported at times as it can often not be seen as grass grazing system even though it is majorly grass fed

-Indoor system can be difficult to manage slurry storage

-Nitrates derogation

-Leased land should not be an issue but it may prove challenges

-Not in discussion or advisory groups

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-ZeroGrazing gives the opportunity fro cutting earlier than you would allow for cows to be let out to the paddock, this allows for more grass in the diet during season

-Potential to grow more grass with a good soil type
-Robotic system and computer sytsem allows to see the change in milk yields as different grass is fed tot he cows, showing which fields may be lower quality which will help for selection of reseeding

-Potential to join a local discussion group

-Introduce or join an AMS discussion groups

-Attend farm walks and open days

-Increase the use of Pasture Base to plan

-Reseeding plan of the whole farm

-Location allows for access to advisors in the area

-Opportunity to do courses in grass measurements or walking with IFJ

-Media publications - IFJ, Agriland, Farming Indo

-Using the soil fertility reports accurately to reach target grass growth