Sowing grass immediately after maize has helped one West Sussex-based producer to increase overall forage output, as well as make significant strides in improving soil health and reducing erosion risk.
Weather challenges and poor grass growth for four consecutive summers prompted one producer to reassess and change forage production on his West Sussex-based dairy unit.
“We’ve always had an emphasis on producing milk from forage and want to minimise our expenditure on purchased feeds,” says Charlie Hughes, who runs a 118-cow herd, plus 60 followers, at Southview Farm in Bury.
The herd is currently averaging 3,500 litres from forage, from a total average yield of 11,500 litres, at 4.5% butterfat and 3.4% protein. “We want to produce 5,000 litres from forage, but due to unpredictable weather conditions it’s been hard growing the grass we need to realise this goal,” says Charlie. “The summer weather has been either too cold and wet or too hot and dry, so we’ve had to buy in extra forage more frequently.”
“We knew we needed to increase our unit’s overall level of forage production, and that we had to grow this grass at the right time of year, when it stood the best chance of flourishing. So, two years ago, I made the decision to utilise my existing maize-growing land to grow short-term grass leys in-between maize crops to produce extra, early-season grass and help buffer potential shortfalls in grass production later in the season,” he explains.
The unit comprises 100 hectares, and 25 hectares is used to grow maize with the remainder put down to grass. The herd is milked and managed through a Lely robotic system, with the cows averaging three visits to the robots each day. During the spring and summer cows go out to graze for five hours each day, if conditions allow.
The herd is fed a partial mixed ration (PMR) comprising maize and grass silage, straw and haylage, plus NS Pellemix 30 pellets, Lintec and Minerals. ForFarmers Optima Footprint NS 18 cake is fed to yield through the robots, up to a maximum of 11kg per cow per day. The diet is non-soya based, which is preferred by the business’ milk buyer Arla.
As well as the dairy herd, Charlie also owns Charlie’s Farm Shop, which sells a range of local produce, and is located next to the farm, just outside Bury. “For the past 20 years my family has always processed and bottled our herd’s milk, but we made the decision to stop doing this in 2023,” says Charlie.
“It was a big decision to make, and it was this change that really got me thinking about how I was going to run the dairy herd and business in the future.
“Producing more home-grown feed for cows, as efficiently and sustainably as possible, will help secure the long-term success of our dairy business,” he adds.
Taking a fresh approach and establishing grass after maize ticked all the boxes in terms of improving soil health, reducing soil erosion risk, and increasing the unit’s forage production capacity efficiently.
Charlie considered undersowing maize with grass, but had some reservations about potential yield losses and the practicalities of establishing the grass crop.
“In a good year, I feed the cows a 60:40 maize:grass balance in the PMR,” says Charlie. “So maize is a significant component of the diet and I wanted to avoid the risk of reduction in harvested yields.”
The absence of a local contractor with the right precision farming equipment needed to do the job well was also a factor. “So instead, in 2022, we went ahead and trialled growing short-term grass leys directly after our maize was harvested.”
Once contractors had harvested the maize in October, all the maize ground was then cultivated and sown with Westerwold ryegrasses, applied via a slug pellet spinner in mid-November.
“When the time came to cut this grass in April, it yielded 7.5 tonnes per hectare. This was a useful, extra insurance crop to have in the clamp,” says Charlie. “But I felt that we could do better. So we took advice from the ForFarmers’ forage team, who suggested we use higher-performing Italian ryegrasses and change our establishment timings and techniques. The team has supported us throughout this whole process.”
In 2023, maize was harvested in late September, with the ground then cultivated and drilled immediately with a ForFarmers Italian catch crop mix, which comprises 50% diploid and 50% tetraploid grasses, at a rate of 32kg/ha using a Väderstad drill. “As well as liquid slurry applied using the unit’s new dribble bar, an early application of nitrogen and sulphur was made to the crop to help boost grass protein content and yields,” says Charlie.
“Getting the grass in the ground earlier and making the other changes saw yield per hectare increase to 15 tonnes,” he adds.
“The increase in overall grass yields on our unit is significant, and we have the reassurance of this extra, early season grass in the clamp. This year, the grass has been clamped and looks like it will be fed out during the winter. But, because we treat with a Pioneer silage inoculant, if we’re short on forage we have the option to utilise the grass sooner – just six weeks after harvest.”
Charlie has also been impressed with the soil health benefits resulting from this new approach, with clear signs that his maize-growing land is starting to regenerate and seeing less soil erosion.
“The whole approach has worked well on many levels,” concludes Charlie. “There’s clearly soil health advantages to having maize ground covered during the winter, with roots in the soil for a larger part of the year.
“As well as the reduced soil erosion risk, I’ve noticed that the maize ground ‘works down’ well in the spring and is less compacted. Prior to making the changes to our forage-growing system, maize ground may have required two or three passes with a power harrow but now needs just one.
“The soil also looks a deeper colour, smells good and is less stale, and that’s a positive sign that it’s functioning more aerobically and supporting all the positive bacteria and microbial life that we want to see.”
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