Did you ever have a new reseed that cows don’t graze out clean, have animals unsettled or paddocks needing to be topped after grazing?
2021 is the first year that accurate animal grazing results have been added to the Pasture Profit Index, and recommended list by DAFM. In the new Grazing Utilisation Index, varieties are ranked between one and five stars; five stars being the best, for their ability to be grazed clean by animals.
Previous Years
Up until this year, all the information included in the Pasture Profit Index included; seasonal growth; silage yield; quality; persistency; and ground cover. This information came from an extensive cutting plot system managed by the Department of Agriculture on their five trial sites across Ireland.
All new varieties are tested for their suitability to the Irish climate.
Even though animal grazing is the most common use of grass on Irish farms, no grazing data was included in the PPI, despite farmers noticing the considerable differences between varieties under grazing conditions.
Poor grazing has a negative effect on the quantity of available grass during the year, and animal performance in subsequent rotations. Grass varieties that are difficult to graze out create hassle and cost farmers real money.
New Grazing Data
New grazing data is now included in the 2021 Pasture Profit Index, based on the results of grazing trials based at Teagasc Moorepark.
New varieties are sown in large plots in a random arrangement, and cows are free to choose which varieties they like and want to graze out the best.
Dr. Tomas Tubritt of Teagasc Moorepark, who conducts much of the variety evaluation for grazing, commented:
“If we want to know how well these varieties will be grazed out on-farm by animals, the surest way to know the best ones is to test them under real cows here, at Teagasc Moorepark, in a controlled setting.”
Varieties like AstonEnergy, AstonKing and AstonConqueror have four or five stars for grazing utilisation, meaning that they will graze out well when compared to other grass varieties.
AstonEnergy is consistently grazed out clean on-farm, even when pre-grazing cover rises slightly to 1800 or 1900 kgs DM/ha. Resulting in a sward that will regrow from a clean base.
More Information
Goldcrop is hosting a free webinar on the new grazing utilisation trait on Wednesday, April 21, at 11:00am.
Dr. Tomas Tubritt will join Dr. Patrick Cashman to discuss the work that has created the new grazing utilisation trait, and what else can be done on the farm to improve grazing efficiency.
The panel will also be joined by dairy farmer Peter Hynes, who farms alongside his wife Paula, and family in Aherla, Co. Cork. Peter will discuss his experiences and the challenges of grazing utilisation.
The webinar will be highly interactive, with plenty of opportunities to question the panel on all grass and reseeding topics for spring 2021.
Patrick Cashman of Goldcrop commented.
“Good grazeout is something that we get much feedback from farmers on because it can be so frustrating, affecting both animal performance and future grazing rotations if previos graze outs have been poor. Grass varieties are a crucial part of the overall grazeout picture, but we hope to discuss many of the solutions around improving grazeout during the webinar next week.
Registration for the webinar can be done online here.
