Forage crops are being hailed as the great white hope across the country. The much talked about crops will hopefully fill some sort of a gap in the forage deficit this winter.
Tillage farmers are being called on to fill winter stubble with these alternative feeds. It makes sense to utilise the land and work with livestock farmers. But it’s not as simple as it may seem and farmers should thread with caution; do the sums first.
Vigorously growing grass crops are among those being suggested to fill fodder shortages.
Cost
Work out the cost of growing the crop – cultivation, seed, sowing, fertiliser, consolidation, baling and wrapping should all be added together.
At a break-even cost of €35/bale, farmers need to be sure of reaching that figure of eight bales per acre. If the second cut isn’t achieved then the farmer may be at a loss.
Weed seeds
These crops cannot be allowed to go to seed or you will be looking at grass in your tillage crops for a number of years to come. Harvesting two weeks before going to seed will combat this problem; but be sure that this will be done.
Next crop
Consider the next crop that you are putting in. If it’s spring barley and you’re waiting to get a second cut from ryegrass, this may delay ploughing. Choosing a field where maize or beet will be sown might solve this problem.
Poaching
Grazing cover crops can me messy when it’s not managed properly. If the field is not fenced adequately, or weather conditions are bad during grazing, poaching may be a concern. Picking a crop that can be baled or zero-grazed may reduce damage to the soil.
Also Read: Do I have to graze catch and forage crops or can I bale them?Payment
It costs money to put in a cover crop and you need to be sure that you will be paid. A deposit system might be advisable.
On Friday, the department announced an incentive of €155/ha for tillage growers who grow a temporary crop of short-rotation grasses for fodder production over the winter months and €100/ha for those growing catch crops – such as fodder rape, turnips, etc.