Delaying harvest date for a bulkier crop may be a false economy as poorer quality silage will require more feed supplementation. Perennial ryegrass swards are key to productive silage ground and selecting the correct varieties and mixtures to sow will make producing top quality silage easier and more economical.

Here’s why;

• Yield & Spring Growth: Grass varieties with excellent spring growth and first-cut yield scores are essential in a silage mixture. These varieties will ensure sufficient yield and quality in your main silage crop.
• Heading Date: select a silage mixture with a range of Intermediate and Late heading dates. Intermediate varieties will help bulk up first cut but limit their inclusion as they can reduce quality in later cuts. Use majority Late varieties with strong spring growth for a balance of yield and quality through the season.
• Diploids & Tetraploids: Include at least 40% Diploid in the mixture to help with groundcover and persistence. In cutting systems grass utilisation is not as important as in grazing systems.
• Consider Hybrids: Hybrid ryegrass is often added to intensive cutting and zero graze mixtures to bring forward the date of first cut and makes it more likely to achieve 4 decent cuts.