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Know How / Grassland management

In the current challenging climate, all livestock producers are under pressure to maximise the cheapest food source – forage. See the latest thinking on grazing methods, forage systems, reseeding and varieties as well as how others are making more from grass and maize.

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GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

How farm’s electronic weather station aids grazing decisions

Ditching multiple Met Office weather forecasts in favour of their own, precise, weather predictions has allowed Georgina and Adam Roberts to fine-tune grazing management – and reduce poaching at Trye…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

How one dairy grows top-quality grass for grazing and silage

Cheshire farmer James Witter mowed a fifth cut of grass silage on 28 December 2025, picking it up on New Year’s Eve, just before the weather turned cold. This additional…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Benefits of hay over silage for outwintered suckler cows

Conserving multispecies swards as hay instead of silage has cut losses from spoilage and saved wrapping and disposal costs for Sam Pearman’s outwintered suckler cows on a bale-grazing system. See…

SHEEP

How forage focus unlocked beef and sheep farm’s potential

A switch to rotational grazing has increased grass production by 45% on a north Devon beef and sheep farm. The change of system, which came as one generation handed over…

BEEF

How switch to organic has improved forage across two farms

For Liz and Rob Priest, switching to organic has sharpened their focus on forage – improving quality, productivity and utilisation. The result is lower costs, strengthened business resilience and peace…

BEEF

3 ways suckler beef producer sharpened business skills

Budgeting, stock valuations and targeting effort where the rewards are greatest have helped put a farming business in the Scottish Borders on a firmer footing. Robert Wilson, who runs Cowbog…

Practical advice

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GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Advice on cost-effectively overseeding a tired sward

Overseeding can be an easier, cheaper, quicker way to rejuvenate a tired sward, but it will only be cost-effective if it leads to successful establishment. This year’s waterlogged fields and…

DAIRY

3 ways for dairy units to make on/off grazing work

A combination of low (or no) silage stocks and a falling milk price means there are dairy farmers turning cows out, despite wet conditions. On/off grazing is the most effective…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

6 tips on producing grass silage at optimal dry matter

Good-quality grass silage is the foundation of the winter ration for livestock, and throughout the year for housed systems. A key metric for achieving the best intakes and performance from…

BEEF

How grass growth benefits from early beef cattle turnout

Beef farmers running low on silage or bedding straw can turn out a small group of yearlings, or other lightweight cattle, in February to graze overwintered grass. Not only will…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Advice on planning forage stocks for spring-calving herds

Turnout dates for spring-calving herds should not be dictated by a silage shortage. Businesses must plan to have enough forage of milking-cow quality on hand to supplement poor grazing conditions…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Advice on protecting grass reseeds with nurse crops

Episodes of extreme weather are adding new and recurring challenges to reseeding. In response, some farmers are opting to establish fast-growing temporary crops with grass to protect and support the…

Insights

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GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Herbal v ryegrass-clover leys: Cattle performance on test

Performance of cattle grazing herbal leys and finished on herbal ley silage is “just as good” as those on a comparable ryegrass-clover diet, a farm trial has shown. The results…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Why sward density is critical for overseeding success

Overseeding swards with a multispecies mix after grazing is significantly more effective than doing so on higher covers. This is according to a Welsh study that shows this method almost…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Biological stimulants: Are they good for grassland?

Trials in Wales comparing a range of biological stimulants applied to grassland have shown their potential to reduce inputs and improve grass quality. Results so far show an increase in…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Benefits of following maize with Westerwolds ryegrass

Including freshly cut Westerwolds ryegrass in the ration during housing is increasing daily milk yield by 2 litres a cow in a Ceredigion dairy herd and capturing significant cost savings…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

How camera tech is speeding up dung beetle ID on-farm

Artificial intelligence is being used on a Devon farm to help identify species of dung beetle and monitor their activity as part of a silvopasture trial. By training cameras to…

SLURRY AND MANURE MANAGEMENT

How a slurry inoculant helped increase grass yields by 20%

Use of a slurry inoculant on a Cornish farm resulted in fewer nutrient losses and a boost in grass yields by nearly 20%, a trial has shown. These resulted in…

Maize

FEED AND NUTRITION

How one farm is trialling a regen approach to forage maize

Faced with a reliance on maize but driven by a commitment to regenerative farming principles, Lucy and Rob Noad set out to prove that maize can be grown more sustainably.…

LIVESTOCK

Advice on growing successful maize crops after a wet winter

Challenging wet weather, waterlogged soils and flooded sites mean growers must be flexible and develop a farm-specific strategy to get maize seed in the ground this year. Conditions are not…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Forage maize yield more than double under film, trial shows

The impact on a farm’s cost of production from more than doubling forage maize yield, from 7t dry matter/ha to 18t, is significant. This yield benefit was seen when the…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Benefits of following maize with Westerwolds ryegrass

Including freshly cut Westerwolds ryegrass in the ration during housing is increasing daily milk yield by 2 litres a cow in a Ceredigion dairy herd and capturing significant cost savings…

FEED AND NUTRITION

12 new forage maize varieties make latest ranking

A dry matter yield of 19.6t/ha has put new forage maize variety KWS Zimo top of nine newcomers among the first-choice varieties in the 2026 Forage Maize Descriptive List for…

LIVESTOCK

Advice on early nutrition for forage maize crops

Top of the to-do list when planning this year’s forage maize crops should be to check soil pH and correct where necessary. Maize needs a pH of 5.8-7, and outside…

FEED AND NUTRITION

5 ways to be more efficient at maize production in 2025

The value of maize in feed rations is not in doubt but farmers are facing challenges in continuing to use it with confidence amid increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. They need…

MAIZE

Advice for creating temporary field clamps for maize

Clamping maize in a field could be an option for farmers to avoid overfilling permanent structures or making a mess on roadways – but it requires careful planning. Hefin Richards…

AHDB resources

See AHDB resources on rotational grazing

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FEED AND NUTRITION

How growing maize with beans can improve silage quality

Intercropping of maize and climbing beans is gaining ground among German farmers keen to improve the quality of their silage. Yields and protein content are particularly promising when the two…

DAIRY

Video: How a dairy farmer cut concentrate costs by £30,000

Close monitoring of daily production and producing more milk from forage have enabled a Suffolk farmer to reduce concentrate use by almost one-third. In 2019, Jonny Crickmore was comparing the…

BEEF

Video: Return of native beef breed benefits Welsh farm

Livestock farmer Richard Lewis swapped his Limousin cattle for native Welsh Blacks and has seen the farm flourish. He invested in 45 head of the cattle, which was quite an…

BEEF

New entrants harness hills with £106 a cow winter feed cost

A young family owes a debt of thanks to an open-minded landlord and a small and hardy cow type that thrives on rough Cairngorm hill country. Without the faith of…