Barenbrug more than a century of knowledge and experience in grass innovation

With more than a century of knowledge and experience in grass innovation, meaning you'll be dealing with a company that understands grass, so you can rest easy with the knowledge that a quality product will be delivered for you.
About Barenbrug UK
HISTORY
Established in the UK in 1983, Barenbrug UK is now established as one of the largest grass seed producers in the UK, distributing more than 4,000 tonnes of grass seed each year through an efficient network in both amenity and agricultural markets.

Barenbrug have a team of regional technical experts as well as production and warehouse locations across the UK.

Barenbrug are the UK’s largest amenity seed producer, producing clean, quality grass seed for all sports, highlighting their commitment to UK industry. Alongside supporting the UK farming industry, Barenbrug also aim to produce all their grass seed to the Higher Voluntary Standard (HVS), which is unique to the UK, guaranteeing a higher level of purity than European Union standards.

LOCATIONS
At Barenbrug, we work together as a team to serve our clients wherever they need us. We have a team of technical experts based around the UK, as well as office locations across the UK and as part of the wider Barenbrug Group worldwide. We make our collective knowledge, experience and global network available to our clients.

Our head office, administration centre and main production facility is in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk as well as in Falkirk, Scotland. Our research site at Cropvale, Evesham, trials both agriculture and amenity varieties and mixtures, providing a solid testing ground for our material.

Download the new 2021 catalogue;

England & Wales https://dxgh891opzso3.cloudfront.net/files/1/2/1/7/3/Barenbrug_Agriculture_ENG_LR.pdf

Scotland https://dxgh891opzso3.cloudfront.net/files/3/2/1/7/3/Barenbrug_Agriculture_SCT_LR_21.pdf

 

[Great In Grass]

PROTERRA MAIZE
Quick and easy undersowing solution for maize crops in your rotation producing a green cover which doesn’t compete with the crop.
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[Great In Grass]

BAR GS4
A true multispecies legume, grass, wildflower and herb rich sward for increased biodiversity.

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[Great In Grass]

The benefits of the right reseed

Keeping your grassland healthy and productive is a vital part of livestock farming enterprises. Productive leys provide an extremely cost-effective feed, costing just 5p for 1kg DM of grazed grass and 10-12p for 1 kg DM of grass silage. To achieve this, leys must be reseeded regularly with high-performing grasses well suited to the farm’s requirements.

Regular reseeding
Start your reseeding plan by walking your farm to examine each ley, looking for areas of concern. Pay particular attention to more mature leys as these will have a higher proportion of weed grasses and likely to be less productive.
Signs of an unproductive ley suitable for a reseed:

• High proportion of unproductive grass varieties including bents, meadow grasses, red fescue and Yorkshire fog
• High number of weeds such as docks, thistles, nettles and chickweeds
• Reduction in silage production or stock carrying capacity
• Rejection by livestock or uneven grazing
• Slower regrowth, intermittent growth or reduced response to fertilisers

The long-term aim of a reseeding plan is to ensure leys do not deteriorate over time and remain as productive as possible. To gain the most from your leys, aim to reseed around 10-15% of your farm each year.

Use high-quality seed mixtures
To implement a successful reseeding plan and maintain grass quality, pick your seed mixtures carefully. Select grass varieties bred specifically to support livestock production, as these result in the most effective conversion into milk or meat. They are also 25-50% more responsive to nitrogen than mature permanent pasture.

Select a mixture with grass varieties on the Recommended Grass and Clover List (RGCL). The difference in performance between the highest and lowest-ranked varieties can be substantial. Varieties on the RGCL are tested in Britain under trial conditions over a four-year period, so you can have confidence in their performance in this country.

Ask your merchant if the varieties in your grass mix are on the RGCL. The list acts as a safeguard, so you know you are buying the best. If your varieties aren’t there, ask why.

To best fulfil your production goals, a good mixture for livestock should strike a balance between quantity (DM yield) and quality (D-value). Other agronomic factors, such as seasonal growth, ground cover and disease resistance, also influence performance so should be considered.

Soil health check
Before you start reseeding, carry out a quick health check of your soil to make sure conditions are right. For optimum growth, soil pH should be 6 – 6.5, with P and K indices of 2. Addressing any deficiencies well in advance is important for a successful reseed. In the long term, carrying out regular soil health checks and addressing problems as soon as they occur helps ensure your leys remain as productive as possible.

Choose what is right for your farm
Deciding how and when to reseed largely depends on your farm type and soil conditions. Whichever method is used, always aim to produce a fine, firm seedbed to maximise seed-to-soil contact and increase the chance of a successful germination. Sowing when soil is moist and at least 5°C also increases your chances of success, as well as using the correct seed rate of 15 kg/acre or 35 kg/ha at an optimum seed depth of 10mm (maximum 15mm).
Ploughing is usually best where soil compaction is an issue, but for those with stony soils minimum tillage is more suitable to avoid disturbing too much top-soil. Whichever method you use, following best practice and good post-drilling management maximises your chance of success.

Spring vs autumn
Whether done in spring or autumn reseeds can be successful, the timing largely down to your farm and soil conditions. Spring provides a wider window of opportunity with generally better weather and soil conditions favouring good growth and effective control of post-emergence weeds with herbicide sprays. But spring reseeds leave leys out of use at their most productive, with the soil too tender for travel or grazing in the early stages.
An autumn reseed has a narrower window of opportunity, with poorer weather conditions and soil conditions worsening as the season progresses. But autumn provides the prospect of a ley reaching its full production potential over winter and gives the soil time to settle before travel or grazing in spring.
Both spring and autumn reseeds allow break crops to be grown, and this can be a useful tool for farms looking to break grass-specific pest, parasite or disease cycles. They can also control weeds and address any problems with soil nutrients or condition, as well as providing a useful forage crop for livestock.
Overseeding can give a short-term boost to production when a complete reseed is unsuitable. This can be when leys still have at least 50% perennial ryegrass species and the type of land makes a full reseed challenging.
Overseeding is also a good way of starting a reseeding programme on farm if you are heavily stocked or don’t want to take a field out of production for any length of time. To make it effective, aim to overseed between July and September after either tight grazing or a silage cut. Use a seed rate two thirds of the full reseed rate, around 10 kg/acre, and ensure good seed-to-soil contact by harrowing and rolling as required.