17 July 2018
Farmers all over Wales are praying for rain soon to signal an end to the lengthy dry spell in Wales but spreading fertiliser before the weather breaks may not be the best approach to boost immediate grass growth.
Grassland expert Andre van Barnevald advises against applying nitrogen (N) fertiliser unless substantial rain is forecast. Heavy thundery downpours would wash away the fertiliser before it could be utilised.
“There is sufficient N in the soil from previous applications at this point,’’ points out Mr van Barnevald, of the Ireland-based Graise Consultancy.
“If the first rain is heavy, the percentage of water that is retained in the soil will be very low and it may be safer to avoid applying fertiliser for between a week and 10 days following rain,’’ Mr van Barnevald suggests.
He warns farmers not to regard the first periods of rainfall as marking an end to the feed deficit.
Initially, it may even cause short term issues because dry grass will begin to decompose and the plant will need to grow new tillers to provide sufficient pasture for livestock.
“The first rain will green things up, the follow-up rain makes it grow,’’ says Mr van Barnevald.
If it rains by July 20th, good silage fields could possibly be able to grow4TDM/Ha by mid-September to bridge the winter feed deficit that has been created by first cut silage stocks being fed during the dry spell.
Chris Duller an independent grass specialist suggests looking at options for growing additional dry matter and to sow a hybrid forage crop or Italians and Westerwolds. These should grow well with the warm soil conditions providing valuable forage into the Autumn. Timing the cultivation operations will be key with ground conditions unfavourable until it rains. Working the soil when it is too dry can lead to structural problems as seed beds can be easily overworked and fine particles can either cap off the surface or form a pan layer
It is also an important time to re-evaluate winter stocking rates. “In many cases, less than 50% of required silage is on hand and it is currently being fed. Do your sums on what forage stocks you will need for the coming winter and carry no passengers,’’ Mr Duller advises.
Farming Connect will host a series of events during August to help farmers explore ways of bridging the forage gap, including cropping options to shorten the winter.