{"id":509739,"date":"2020-07-16T06:00:27","date_gmt":"2020-07-16T05:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.agriland.ie\/?p=509739"},"modified":"2020-07-15T18:33:11","modified_gmt":"2020-07-15T17:33:11","slug":"growthwatch-grass-growth-exceeding-demand-scenario-welcomed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lightsail.agriland.ie\/farming-news\/growthwatch-grass-growth-exceeding-demand-scenario-welcomed\/","title":{"rendered":"GrowthWatch: Grass growth exceeding demand scenario welcomed"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Teagasc\u2019s Se\u00e1n Cummins and James Fitzgerald<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Across the Teagasc Green Acres Calf to Beef Programme farms the rate at which grass is growing is 53kg DM\/ha\/day.<\/p>\n

The demand that the cattle have for grass is 42kg DM\/ha\/day, so growth is exceeding demand by 11kg DM\/ha\/day.<\/p>\n

This is a welcome scenario relative to the drought conditions and reduced grass growth rates that parts of the country experienced in weeks gone by.<\/p>\n

Grass growth exceeding demand gives us the opportunity to think in terms of maximising the quality of the grass we offer our stock through skipping and baling heavy covers, without being fearful of running out of grass.<\/p>\n

Aim to be consistently letting stock into covers of 1,400kg DM\/ha (9-10cm) and moving them on again after two-to-three days when they have grazed the grass down to 4cm in height.<\/p>\n

To do this, you will need a minimum of eight different grazing divisions per group of livestock on your farm. The easiest way to achieve this is to first ensure that you have a low number of different grazing groups on your farm before deciding to subdivide fields.<\/p>\n

[grass_growth_map from=”2020\/07\/09″ to=”2020\/07\/14″]<\/p>\n

Over the dry spell gone by, many farms held off on their plans to reseed as they felt that the weather and soil conditions were too dry. The return of more favourable reseeding conditions should now be capitalised on.<\/p>\n

Aim to complete your reseeding plans within the next three weeks as the longer day length and higher soil temperatures of late July \/ early August are favourable over the colder and darker conditions we will have later in the autumn.<\/p>\n

Martin Connolly, Castleplunket, Co. Roscommon:<\/strong><\/p>\n