Earlier this summer we introduced some forage ideas that could help farmers maintain production during a growth pinch during the summer - Forage Options For Dry Summers. In many parts of the country, and especially in the South East, what was a pinch is now an all out drought with grass growth at a standstill since early July. With soil moisture deficits of up to 90mm and no sign of any significant rain forecast farmers are weighing up their options on how to salvage some homegrown forage this backend and maybe start to restock winter feed stocks.

Silage Ground Rotation: Forage Rye > Grass/Arabale Silage

Forage rye is essentially a winter cereal bred to favour leaf production over stem and grain. As a short term option on livestock farms it offers flexibility and can fill a big hole in your fodder budget. When sown in August or September forage rye will produce a leafy crop for grazing or zero-grazing over winter before being left grow on for a bumper crop of silage late the following April. A more long term grass mixture can then be sown. If you really want to make the most of your land you could undersow the grass mixture with an arable silage mixture to produce three crops in 12 months off the same parcel of ground.

Grazing Ground Rotation: Forage Rape > Grass

From now until the end of the growing season forage rape varieties like Mainstar and Interval will produce significantly more tons of high quality forage for grazing than grass. Sowing forage rape now will boost forage supply in October and help to extend your grazing season, save on silage and keep costs down. Rape is an excellent break crop between grass reseeds and should be more widely used in our reseeding programs. Give your grass reseed the best start by sowing next spring into a clean, fertile seedbed after rape.