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<blockquote data-quote="Great In Grass" data-source="post: 1818364" data-attributes="member: 79"><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong>Persistency and palatability key to Scottish grassland success in 2016</strong></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong>[ATTACH=full]238440[/ATTACH]</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><em><strong>Scottish farmers advised to consider other factors alongside yield </strong></em></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><strong>AgriScot 2015, The Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh - 18 November 2015</strong></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><span style="font-size: 15px">Scottish livestock farmers considering reseeding fields and pastures in spring 2016 should think carefully about the persistency and palatability of seed varieties as well as anticipated yield per hectare – that’s the advice Barenbrug will take to Agriscot next week. </span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><span style="font-size: 15px"></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><span style="font-size: 15px">Overall, 2015 was another challenging year for Scottish livestock farmers. When it came to grass a cold spring meant the grass-growing season got off to a slow start and the summer that followed was unusually cool and wet with temperatures consistently below the seasonal average by one or two degrees. While silage results were generally good, and autumn grass growth has been better than average, results across Scotland were varied.</span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><span style="font-size: 15px"></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><span style="font-size: 15px">To give Scottish farmers the best chance of grassland success in 2016, regardless of weather, Barenbrug is advising them to pick persistent grass varieties that deliver good spring growth to combat the shorter Scottish grass-growing season. The business is also recommending that farmers try out seeds that provide a tight persistent sward as they will be more resistant to compaction and poaching. When it comes to palatability, Barenbrug recommends that farmers consider not only disease resistance and fertility but general grazing management too. Just as humans tend to eat more of the foods they like, livestock will eat more if the palatability is high – typically when grass is young, dense and leafy. </span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><span style="font-size: 15px"></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><span style="font-size: 15px">Mhairi Dawson, Research & Development Manager for Forage at Barenbrug UK, said, “We believe there is huge potential for Scottish farmers to boost the quality and quantity of grass they are producing and ultimately improve their profitability. When making a decision about which type of grass to go for, yield figures are of course important but there are other critical factors too – including persistency and palatability. The problem is that many farmers stick with the same grass seed varieties and mixtures year after year – even if they aren’t getting the best results. Few farmers would rely on genetics from the 1950s for livestock breeding so why do the same with grass.</span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><span style="font-size: 15px"></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><span style="font-size: 15px">“Grass seed research and development has come a long way in recent years and there are many new forage strains and blends available, which are proven to dramatically improve the performance and productivity of animals. High levels of dry matter production will always be a priority but consideration must also be given to palatability and persistency as well as nitrogen efficiency, drought and disease tolerance, winter survival, rumen stimulation and protein production.” </span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><span style="font-size: 15px"></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><span style="font-size: 15px">Barenbrug’s advice to farmers selecting grass seed for spring 2016 is to decide if they want a good all-round grass or a highly specialist breed or blend to suit a particular habitat, microclimate or management programme. The selection process can be simplified by thinking about how long the sward needs to last and the growing challenges in the area. Are there disease pressures from, for example, drechslera? Will the grass sward need to resist poaching or tolerate intensive silage production? And would adding clover into the mix be beneficial? </span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><span style="font-size: 15px"></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><span style="font-size: 15px">Armed with this information it’s possible to apply some general rules of thumb. If the grass will be used for silage, pick a mixture with a tight heading date to help optimise yield output. If high quality grazing grass is the aim, consider your livestock’s nutritional needs carefully. Choose a mixture that meets your turnout schedule and will grow consistently from spring to autumn.</span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><span style="font-size: 15px"></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><span style="font-size: 15px">Concluding Mhairi said, “Finding the ideal grass seed mixture can seem daunting but it doesn’t have to be. Pick from recommended lists so you know that yield, persistency and palatability have been rigorously tested. And if you’re still unsure, ask your local seed merchant. They should know what performs well in your area and can best meet your requirements”</span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><span style="font-size: 15px"></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><span style="font-size: 15px">Barenbrug has a grass seed research site near to Aberdeen where it is screening trials of varieties and species particularly well suited to the Scottish market. The site is part of the SAC National and Recommended List trials at Blackburn.</span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><span style="font-size: 15px">Attached: Grass & Clovers varieties for Scotland 2015-2016</span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong></strong></span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Great In Grass, post: 1818364, member: 79"] [SIZE=5][B]Persistency and palatability key to Scottish grassland success in 2016[/B][/SIZE] [SIZE=5][B][attach=full]238440[/attach][/B] [B][/B] [B][I][B]Scottish farmers advised to consider other factors alongside yield [/B][/I] [B]AgriScot 2015, The Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh - 18 November 2015[/B] [SIZE=4]Scottish livestock farmers considering reseeding fields and pastures in spring 2016 should think carefully about the persistency and palatability of seed varieties as well as anticipated yield per hectare – that’s the advice Barenbrug will take to Agriscot next week. Overall, 2015 was another challenging year for Scottish livestock farmers. When it came to grass a cold spring meant the grass-growing season got off to a slow start and the summer that followed was unusually cool and wet with temperatures consistently below the seasonal average by one or two degrees. While silage results were generally good, and autumn grass growth has been better than average, results across Scotland were varied. To give Scottish farmers the best chance of grassland success in 2016, regardless of weather, Barenbrug is advising them to pick persistent grass varieties that deliver good spring growth to combat the shorter Scottish grass-growing season. The business is also recommending that farmers try out seeds that provide a tight persistent sward as they will be more resistant to compaction and poaching. When it comes to palatability, Barenbrug recommends that farmers consider not only disease resistance and fertility but general grazing management too. Just as humans tend to eat more of the foods they like, livestock will eat more if the palatability is high – typically when grass is young, dense and leafy. Mhairi Dawson, Research & Development Manager for Forage at Barenbrug UK, said, “We believe there is huge potential for Scottish farmers to boost the quality and quantity of grass they are producing and ultimately improve their profitability. When making a decision about which type of grass to go for, yield figures are of course important but there are other critical factors too – including persistency and palatability. The problem is that many farmers stick with the same grass seed varieties and mixtures year after year – even if they aren’t getting the best results. Few farmers would rely on genetics from the 1950s for livestock breeding so why do the same with grass. “Grass seed research and development has come a long way in recent years and there are many new forage strains and blends available, which are proven to dramatically improve the performance and productivity of animals. High levels of dry matter production will always be a priority but consideration must also be given to palatability and persistency as well as nitrogen efficiency, drought and disease tolerance, winter survival, rumen stimulation and protein production.” Barenbrug’s advice to farmers selecting grass seed for spring 2016 is to decide if they want a good all-round grass or a highly specialist breed or blend to suit a particular habitat, microclimate or management programme. The selection process can be simplified by thinking about how long the sward needs to last and the growing challenges in the area. Are there disease pressures from, for example, drechslera? Will the grass sward need to resist poaching or tolerate intensive silage production? And would adding clover into the mix be beneficial? Armed with this information it’s possible to apply some general rules of thumb. If the grass will be used for silage, pick a mixture with a tight heading date to help optimise yield output. If high quality grazing grass is the aim, consider your livestock’s nutritional needs carefully. Choose a mixture that meets your turnout schedule and will grow consistently from spring to autumn. Concluding Mhairi said, “Finding the ideal grass seed mixture can seem daunting but it doesn’t have to be. Pick from recommended lists so you know that yield, persistency and palatability have been rigorously tested. And if you’re still unsure, ask your local seed merchant. They should know what performs well in your area and can best meet your requirements” Barenbrug has a grass seed research site near to Aberdeen where it is screening trials of varieties and species particularly well suited to the Scottish market. The site is part of the SAC National and Recommended List trials at Blackburn.[/SIZE] [SIZE=4]Attached: Grass & Clovers varieties for Scotland 2015-2016[/SIZE] [/B][/SIZE] [/QUOTE]
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