Incorporating red clover into fields predominantly used for silage was the focus of a farm walk on Trevor Atkinson’s farm in Leighlinbridge, Co. Carlow, on Wednesday March 27.
The event was held by Teagasc in conjunction with Jordan Agri with speakers from DLF Seeds in attendance also.
The red clover sward in focus at the farm walk was a mixture of both red clover and perennial ryegrass and was used for both silage cutting and zero grazing last year.
Farmers were reminded at the event that there is a €300/ha payment to a maximum area of 20ha for the establishment of Red Clover Silage mix sown between July 16, 2023 and July 15, 2024.
This funding is available under the 2024 Red Clover Silage Measure.
As well as this, it was outlined that farmers can save up to €5/bale on fertiliser costs through incorporating red clover in their silage swards.
Speaking to Agriland after the event, Teagasc’s Eoin Woulfe explained how this €5/bale saving can be achieved.
He said: “The figure is based around protected urea priced at €500/tonne which equates to €25/50kg bag.
“Normal first-cut silage will need around 90 units of Nitrogen (N) which is approximately two bags of protected urea at a cost of €50/bag.
“If, in the first year, you harvest two cuts of the red-clover silage which yields 10 bales/ac in total, that is a saving of €5/bale in terms of N fertiliser. In the following four years, you will hope to get three cuts.”
Farmers in attendance at the event also heard that red clover silage as a feed has the potential to deliver a higher protein percentage with potential for higher animal intakes and also has the potential to reduce on-farm emissions through less chemical N being used.
The two tests below show there variation in red clover silage quality from Teagasc’s research farm in Solohead:
The Teagasc advisor added: “What we were doing today was based on Teagasc’s James Humphries’ work in Solohead.”
It was also outlined that when cut wet, red clover silage can face difficulties preserving and that four dry days are ideally needed to secure a good quality cut, two dry days before cutting, a dry day to cut and wilt it and a dry day to bale it.
Compaction when taking bales off the field should also be avoided if possible.
Red clover
Also speaking to Agriland at the event, Thomas Moloney from DLF Seeds explained that if farmers are considering sowing a red clover mix, it is important there is a soil Ph of 6.3-6.5 and a phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) index of at least 3.
He added that the ideal time to sow a red clover mix is “towards the end of April or throughout May. May is an ideal time, we’re looking for consistent 8-10 degrees soil temperature.
“In May we have the temperatures and still a bit of moisture so it should get a good start. Clover is a very small seed so you want it on the top centimeter or even broadcast and then you’re rolling it in to get the seed-soil contact.”
Commenting on the recommended mix, he said: “There is no recommended red clover list but in terms of a red clover silage crop that you’re going to get four cuts out of over the year of good-quality, high protein stuff, you’re looking at sowing about 4kg/ac.
“So 4kg of red clover in a 12kg bag. We also like to put in about 1kg of white clover, just to help balance it out and then, with the balance, we fill it in with predominantly tetraploids.
“The job of the grass in the red clover silage sward is to help boost the first cut so we want to get variety’s with strong spring growth to help top-up the first cut and then let the red clover take over for the remaining cuts.”
DLF’s Edward Kehoe reminded farmers that “consistency is key with cutting height” and if farmers cut higher initially, they should consistently cut it at this height.
He also reminded farmers to add small amounts of seed to the sower when sowing a mix as the seed can separate.
“If you’re doing a big acreage and you have a mix of seed in the hopper it’s going to sort itself so you mightn’t get the even distribution so if you take four to five acres at a time and top it up,” he said.
Teagasc will be hosting a similar event on a the farm of Frank Morris outside Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford on Thursday, April 11, at 11:00a.m. The host farm has both multi-species swards and clover swards, both of which will be on display on the day.