The weather is starting to improve and so are ground conditions, so it may be time to start reseeding paddocks on farms.
Grass has a vital role to play on the majority of Irish livestock farms and to maintain its quality, regular reseeding is required.
The reseeding of paddocks also offers an opportunity to improve soil fertility.
As swards get older they become less productive, and there is also a likelihood of a higher weed content.
Older swards with high levels of weeds or little to no ryegrass should be targeted for reseeding.
Older swards generally also have poor-quality grass, which can make it challenging to get cows to achieve the clean out in paddocks that would be desired.
Reseeding
There are a number of different methods for reseeding and when done in the correct way, they can all be successful.
The important thing to remember is to ensure that as much of the old swards has been removed as possible – spraying off the paddock generally achieves the best results.
You also need to watch the weather forecast and ensure that conditions are correct and that the right nutrients are in place for the plants.
Clover
For many, in April and into early May, there might be a focus on getting clover into swards.
For this you have two options: Oversowing or a complete reseed.
For anyone completing a reseed in the coming weeks, ensure that the mix contains clover and then ensure that the clover is managed correctly.
For anyone oversowing clover, it is more challenging and clover seed may not be freely available this year due to global shortages.
However, if seed is available, then oversowing in clean paddocks is an option that can be very successful if the swards are once again, managed correctly.