Crop to graze then reseed august

[dannewhouse]

What crop would be worth drilling now to graze ready for a reseed late August.

Field won't be ploughed.
Combi drill/ cultivators.

Ph was 6.8 2 year ago.
P and k indices high 3-4.

I was thinking stubble turnips forage rape kale?

 

[ollie989898]

Why won't you plough it? Ploughing is helpful as it buries the weed burden and gives the new ley later a better start in life.

 

[neilo]

I've just taken delivery of a bag of Redstart (rape/kale hybrid) to do just that. I was thinking cheap & cheerful stubble turnips, but then I might be left with bits of bulb for the following reseed. A rape or hybrid should leave a cleaner field to work/drill in late August.

Mine won't be ploughed either. Spray off & DD next week, then disc to level after grazing (there are a few uneven bits) and drill grass seed.

 

[ollie989898]

Redstart is the kiddie if you want to drill now and graze off August-September.

 

[dannewhouse]

Not ploughing due to horrible field shape, not much soil banks in wired directions. It's only 4 acre any ways.

 

[Great In Grass]

Redstart or higher yielding Unicorn from Limagrain would suit.

 

[milkloss]

Can you sow mixes like this with grass so you save drilling a second time?

 

[Sid]

Redstart or higher yielding Unicorn from Limagrain would suit.

why not Winifred?

 

[Great In Grass]

why not Winifred?

Being outclassed by newer & better varieties.

 

[Sid]

Being outclassed by newer & better varieties.

What would you recommend for grazing dairy cows this summer

 

[neilo]

Being outclassed by newer & better varieties.

According to Limagrain’s trial data, Redstart has a similar DM yield to Winifred, which surprised me.
They had Swift, etc a long way in front.

 

[bobk]

What crop would be worth drilling now to graze ready for a reseed late August.

Field won't be ploughed.
Combi drill/ cultivators.

Ph was 6.8 2 year ago.
P and k indices high 3-4.

I was thinking stubble turnips forage rape kale?

I've just put stubble turnips in , bit left field but not many options imo

 

[AndrewM]

if paddock grazing, how do you utilize a paddock of redstart without upsetting the cattle's digestion in august ? in the autumn we always introduce animals slowly to rape/turnips with access to silage.

 

[beltextexel]

Just drilled 4kg/ac of westerwold and 1kg/ac of forage rape. Hoping the grass will aid lambs getting on to the crop quicker as apposed to a straight brassica.

 

[Sid]

Just drilled 4kg/ac of westerwold and 1kg/ac of forage rape. Hoping the grass will aid lambs getting on to the crop quicker as apposed to a straight brassica.

Did you do that on part of the field or all of it?

 

[neilo]

Just drilled 4kg/ac of westerwold and 1kg/ac of forage rape. Hoping the grass will aid lambs getting on to the crop quicker as apposed to a straight brassica.

It certainly does, and several companies sell that as a mix (usually 9kg of Westerwold + 1kg of rape, or thereabouts). It gives an early bite the following Spring too, but cranks the cost up somewhat.
I’ve opted for brassica only on that particular field as I will be reseeding to grass in the Autumn, like the OP.

On an adjacent field, I was going to go with a Westerwold/Winfred mix, but have decided to try a mix with the rapper replaced by Crimson clover. It’s actually a slightly cheaper mix but shouldn’t need N applied after the initial grazing like a brassica does for regrowth.

 

[beltextexel]

Did you do that on part of the field or all of it?

Across the whole field

 

[Sid]

Across the whole field

I thought you may have just done the first 10% just to get them into the crop maybe

 

[Great In Grass]

Just drilled 4kg/ac of westerwold and 1kg/ac of forage rape. Hoping the grass will aid lambs getting on to the crop quicker as apposed to a straight brassica.

I have been trialling a similar mix with IRG and "Avalon" leafy turnip. We found a kilo of turnip was a little strong for the grass and for this year we have dropped it down slightly to 750grm.

 

[Great In Grass]

According to Limagrain’s trial data, Redstart has a similar DM yield to Winifred, which surprised me.
They had Swift, etc a long way in front.

Swift has 99.7% DNA of the top-performing variety Interval, now there's a story.