5 early spring tips to boost grass production

A leading grassland adviser has revealed five tips to assess and manage early spring swards ahead of the growing season.

Charlie Morgan of GrassMaster says March is a good time to start thinking about the upcoming season.

1. Physical assessment

Start by walking fields, says Mr Morgan. Randomly check several 1sq m plots, to get an accurate picture of the species present.

“Note the sward density and ryegrass tillering, and look for more diploids than tetraploids for added yield and robustness.”

See also: Grass Watch: Warm winter leads to good grass growth across UK

Charlie Morgan, grassland consultant at GrassMaster, will be speaking at this year’s Grassland & Muck Event.

Adas will be running a Soil and Nutrient Management Clinic at the event, covering a range of issues including structure and drainage. Visitors can even bring a soil sample to discuss with the expert team.

2. Evaluate plant species

For optimum performance, swards should be at least 50% ryegrass, with the remainder comprising less-competitive grasses. “Any swards with less than 50% ryegrass should be reseeded,” says Mr Morgan.

As an alternative, farmers could stitch in appropriate varieties, providing the sward is open enough. “Where a sward is dense, stitching in becomes more difficult, because of increased competition.”

Swards should have no more than 5% weeds, 10% bare ground and, during early spring, about 5-10% clover, although this should reach 40% by the autumn.

To choose which new varieties and mixes to sow, visitors to the event will be able to see more than 100 growing plots and obtain advice from a host of plant breeders.

3. Assess nutrient status

Effective nitrogen use is an “important but overlooked area” and one of the biggest contributors to grass yield and quality. Using nitrogen should be based on soil temperature, explains Mr Morgan.

He recommends farmers look at previous cropping, winter rainfall, slurry and manure analyses to estimate soil nitrogen levels. As a guide, he aims for 30kg N/ha at turnout.

“Depending on the slurry nutrient levels, the first dressing could be done in February using an umbilical system – avoiding the need for artificial nitrogen and increasing early growth.”

When measuring other nutrient levels and pH, Mr Morgan recommends soil testing every three years.

4. Examine soil structure

Poor soil condition is a major contributor to reduced pasture performance, so farmers should dig a hole and physically examine their soil, says Mr Morgan. “Soil structure can give a lot of clues about the health and nutrient status of the soil. Farmers should look at evidence of compaction, worm activity and the smell and colour of the soil. They can then deal with any areas of weakness.”

5. Improve grazing methods

Rotational grazing increases grass yield and quality while minimising waste, says Mr Morgan.

“Start rotational grazing as soon as possible, using tracks to access fields with short, sharp grazing periods to avoid compaction and quality loss,” he explains. “Build up a wedge in the autumn and graze it down to about 1,500kg DM/ha at first turnout to remove any winter residue.”