Located in Kilbegly Co. Roscommon, Enda Doran runs a spring calving grass-based dairy farm of 140 British-Friesian Holstein cross cows.
He is a new entrant to dairy farming having converted from sheep and suckler farming in 2016.
Since making the switch to dairy farming, maximising output from forage has never been more important for Enda as he considers it a vital part of achieving a successful and profitable dairy business.
From a recent visit to Enda’s farm, it became clear that developing a grassland management plan – which focuses on soil fertility and reseeding with grass seed of the highest quality – has been a major contributing factor into why his farming system works so well.
In the video below, Enda outlines the key traits that he looks out for in a grass seed mixture and why selecting the most suitable one for his farm has given him the best return on investment:
Selecting the right grass seed mixture
Melissa Kelly, Enda’s local Agritech sales representative, said:
Farmers are increasingly recognising the benefits of reseeding with good-quality grass seed. However, in order to get the biggest return on investment, it’s critical that you choose the most suitable grass seed mixture for your own individual system.
“At Agritech, our Tipperary Grass Seed Range has a mixture to suit every requirement, whether that is intensive grazing, cutting, zero-grazing or overseeding.
“For Enda, Tipperary Grass 4A was chosen as the most suitable mixture as it successfully encompasses all of the key traits that he looks for in a grass seed mixture: high digestibility; palatability; longevity; and a good inclusion of clover.”
GroQuik® Seed Stimulant Benefits
What makes the Tipperary Grass Seed range unique is that every mixture is treated with a biological seed stimulant called GroQuik®, which accelerates germination and especially root growth in both grasses and clover.
The application of GroQuik® is especially beneficial to clover establishment as it has a more extensive and complicated root structure.
Melissa concluded:
Going forward, seed stimulants such as GroQuik® will play a vital role in improving herbage output. Seedling establishment has improved significantly for Enda with results seen as early as one week after sowing. The benefits of GroQuik® continue for years post sowing, with older sown paddocks still producing high yields for Enda.
Top tips for reseeding this autumn
Listen to Agritech sales representative Melissa Kelly below as she outlines what she attributes as top tips when reseeding this autumn:
More information
For any further advice on autumn reseeding or to choose a suitable grass mixture from the Tipperary Grass Seed Range, contact your local Agritech distributor or click here.
