GrassWatch Case study: 2
His 150 Limousin-cross suckler cows and 50 registered Lleyn sheep graze leys that are regularly reseeded 500-700ft above sea level on very light sand to gravelly soils. He is half-way through a two-year project with the Grassright Group aimed at investigating a number of re-establishment techniques. “What interests me is the comparison – we want to see how reseeded leys fare against those that are oversown and those that haven’t been touched. “You need to have a level of monitoring in place to know if you’re doing any good.” He is planning to use the GrassWatch initiative to compare his results with those from nearby University of Cumbria, Newton Rigg campus, although he expects growth to lag by around a fortnight as it lies higher in the Cumbrian hills. “I know it will be a fair amount of work, but I like to take a scientific approach to things. You need to treat grass as a crop, like barley or wheat, and maximise what you can make from it.” He is half-way through a two-year project with the Grassright Group aimed at investigating a number of re-establishment techniques. “What interests me is the comparison – we want to see how reseeded leys fare against those that are oversown and those that haven’t been touched. “You need to have a level of monitoring in place to know if you’re doing any good.” He is planning to use the GrassWatch initiative to compare his results with those from nearby University of Cumbria, Newton Rigg campus, although he expects growth to lag by around a fortnight as it lies higher in the Cumbrian hills. “I know it will be a fair amount of work, but I like to take a scientific approach to things. You need to treat grass as a crop, like barley or wheat, and maximise what you can make from it.” • For more on grass growth monitoring and how swards are faring in your area, click on to GrassWatch.Edward Dean at Kirkhouse Farm near Brampton, Cumbria, takes a keen interest in how various reseeding systems fare.
