IN BRIEF
IN BRIEF
A GRASS/CLOVER mix sown on fourteen commercial farms, across 290ha (717 acres) gave average N savings of £830 a year on each farm, including spreading costs. For lambs, daily weight gain was 20% higher compared with lambs on conventional swards receiving 60kg N/ha (48 units/acre) in spring, said SAC sheep specialist John Vipond.
ITALIAN ryegrass, hybrid ryegrass and timothy respond better to slurry than perennial ryegrass, according to research from SAC Aberdeen. Differences were also seen between varieties of the same species, with tetraploid varieties generally performing better than diploids after slurry application.
SELECTING white clover for natural genetic resistance against stem nematode and sclerotinia may help reduce concerns about crop persistence and predictability, said IGERs Roger Cook. The development of resistant varieties should help quantify the effect of the pest and disease, and the value of resistance. *