FORAGE 2019 R - Forager Magazine · different leys thanks to the fact all animals are performance recorded. Plantain, sainfoin, Aber High Sugar Grasses and white clover leys have

ISSUE 20: Summer 2019

Reseeding offers big ROI | 6Grass driven marketing | 24, 30

CASHING IN ON FORAGE

FORAGERHOMEGROWN FEED FOR SUSTAINABLE FARMING

Forager • Summer 2019 • www.foragermagazine.co.uk 3

We welcome feedback, suggestions for articles and contributions. Editor: Aly Balsom T: 07912 344 219 E: [email protected] Advertising: Sarah Allin T: 01694 731777 E: [email protected] FORAGER is available free of charge to farmers and industry specialists. To be added or removed from the magazine mailing list please contact: [email protected] T: 01694 731777. FORAGER is published periodically. FORAGER Magazine is registered with the British Library ISSN: 2052-0816 (print) ISSN: 2052-0824 (online) FORAGER is a Registered Trademark of Germinal Holdings Limited

Page 4: Editor’s Note

Page 5: Next Generation: A love of data and trying new things has benefitedJames Drummond’s familysheep farm.

Page 6: Forage Business: Improved forage quality, yieldand livestock performance arejust a few of the ROI figuresfrom a reseed.

Page 8: Reseeding withPurpose: Specialist leys fuel aNorthern Ireland farmer'sgrass-based dairy.

Page 10: Brassica Utilisation:Brassicas offer multi-grazingoption, but think about stemquality to maximise utilisation.

Page 12: BoostingProductivity: Homegrownfeed has boosted farmproduction and rationtraceability on one Yorkshirebeef unit.

Page 14: Covering YourAssets: Protecting soil withcover crops following harvestis helping to make maizemore sustainable.

Page 16:Making Her Pay:Matching a suckler unit’sgenetic programme withhomegrown forage productionyields economic returns.

Page 18: Looking atLucerne: One Shropshire farmis experimenting with lucerneto bring equal benefits to cowdiets, feed costs and soil health.

Page 20: Prioritising SoilpH: Getting soil pH right willreward you with better yieldsand improved nutrientutilisation.

Page 22:Milk from Maize:Plan for maize harvest now tomaximise milk productionfrom maize.

Page 26: Avoiding ForageImpurities: Grasslandmachinery considerations toprevent soil contamination.

Page 28: Focus on Quality:Maximising ME/ha fromgrassland to boost beef, dairyand sheep output.

Page 30: Chewing the Cud:How Lye Cross Farm’sbusiness model has resultedin the first 100% grass-fed,certified USDA Organic cheesein the United States.

FORAGERHOMEGROWN FEED FOR SUSTAINABLE FARMING

From the cover

Page 24: Nunton Farm Dairy has used the forage message to marketmilk direct to consumers. They now have two free-range milk vendingmachines, which bring customers flocking for a pint of the cold, hard,white stuff.

VENDING MACHINEOUTLET FOR FREERANGE MILK

It frustrates me whenever I go into asupermarket and see the dedicated fridge withmilk alternatives covered in fancy branding, next to the caged milk bottles in unattractiveplastic packaging.

I know I’m not the only one. It’s a hot topicat the moment. The question is – how do weget better at marketing and compete againsttrendy milk alternatives? We need to make milkexciting again – do that, and consumers may bewilling to pay more, which (hopefully) will feedback to farmers.

A 2016YouGov surveyundertaken withAHDB ConsumerInsights foundthat 80% of shoppers would be willing to spendmore to provide producers with fairer returns.19% indicated they would happily pay morethan 20p extra for four pints of milk.

There’s also strong evidence that people arewilling to pay more for branded, innovative milkproducts. For example, kefir – a fermented dairyproduct, half way between yoghurt and milkhas increased in popularity. A 250ml bottle ofkefir retails at a minimum of £1.

A growing number of individual farmers arealso recognising the value of branding in sellingtheir own milk, direct to customers. Milk

vending machines are popping up atthe end of farm drives across the UK,with shoppers keen to ‘buy local’.The grass-fed, forage messageis also proving a popular one.

For example, the Wiltshire-based Martin family are sellingmilk under the ‘Free RangeDairy - Pasture Promise’ brandfrom two vending machines;one in a pub car park andone at a nearby farm shop.One litre sells for £1.10,with customers also

paying a £2

deposit for a branded glass bottle (see page 24).It’s proved so popular that they’re looking for athird location.

As the Martins say - this is not aboutpolarising the industry between grazed andhoused herds, it’s about finding a way to marketmilk better. Simon Martin puts it well: “Half theproblem is milk is not branded. That’s why weend up with a commodity price. Free-range isalmost making it a premium, luxury product.”

It’s a message that is being embraced bysome processors too.Somerset-basedprocessor, Lye CrossFarm recentlyannounced theproduction of the first

100% grass-fed, certified USDA Organic cheesefor export to the USA (see page 30). It highlightsone of the ways the UK dairy industry canmarket itself to make the most of exportmarkets – an outlet that will becomeincreasingly important post-Brexit. Our highwelfare standards – regardless of system – willalso be another strong marketing message.

As well as marketing, in this issue of Forager,there’s also an emphasis on the financialbenefits of investing in forage. Our ForageBusiness section (page 6) highlights thesignificant return on investment from reseedingpasture. On a dairy system, this equates to a netprofit per acre in year one of £120/ha, thanks toimproved grass yield and quality, leading tomore milk – a figure not be sniffed at.

Young farmer, James Drummond, has alsoturned his family business around by addressingsoils, ewe breeding and forage production. Thishas taken the business from loss to a profit of£53/ewe, before subsidies.

Ultimately, creating a positive future for theindustry comes down to making sound businessdecisions that will build resilience at farm leveland backing this up with a strong marketingmessage surrounding the end product – do that,and we’ll be on to a winner.

Editor’sBritish farmers have a lot to shout about, but creating a strongmarketing message to promote ourselves is essential in order tomaximise returns, writes Aly Balsom.

CONTACT MET 07912 344 219

E [email protected]

@AlyBalsom

NOTEAs part of the Next Generation series, Aly Balsommeets James Drummond, whose love of data andenthusiasm for trying new things is benefiting hisforage focused business.

When James Drummond looked at the business’ accountsand saw that the farm was never making a profit higherthan Basic Payment and subsidies, he knew somethinghad to change.

“We were doing a lot of work for no reason. Weneeded to focus on being profitable and that comes downto forage,” he says.

That was six years ago, after James had returned tothe family business two years prior. Since then he hasadopted a three-pronged approach to improving businessperformance at Lemmington Hill Head, tackling ewebreeding, forage production and soils.

James believes the three go hand-in-hand, with goodewe genetics needed to ensure optimum utilisation of cost-effective forage. This became clear after he crossed some ofthe farm’s Cheviot ewes with an Aberfield and comparedperformance to the system’s existing Suffolk crosses. TheAberfield cross lambs grew 70g/day more, whilst the eweswere 30kg lighter, meaning stocking rate was 35-40%higher, resulting in improved profit per hectare.

“That was the first thing that convinced me of thevalue of genetics on a forage system,” says James, whowas a 2015 NSA Next Generation Ambassador and aNuffield Scholar.

Since 2012, James, and father Tony, have been phasingout the commercial ewes and replacing them withAberfield and Aber genetics (see box). There has also beensubstantial investment in infrastructure, with 10km offencing put in last year alone. The aim is to reducepaddock size to help reduce labour associated withrotational cell grazing. “The cheapest way to improveprofit is to utilise your grass better,” explains James.

James is particularly keen to experiment with differentforage mixes and is able to closely track performance offdifferent leys thanks to the fact all animals are performance recorded.

Plantain, sainfoin, Aber High Sugar Grasses and whiteclover leys have proved particularly valuable. Havingoriginally been used to finish lambs, most viable land isnow going into these mixes.

James has also found that mating and out-winteringewe lambs on a kale and swede mix of Triumph and MarisKestrel, and then moving them on to the plantain mixes,is the best way to maximise long-term performance -something he’s looking at as part of the AHDB ChallengeSheep Project.

“This year the hogs on plantain reared as well as ewes ongrass,” he says. “These ewe lambs reached 95% of matureweight at mating as shearlings, versus a target of 80%.”

The changes have paid off, with the 2017 accountsshowing a £53/ewe profit, before subsidies.

System: 850 Aberfield ewes, 420 Aberfield and Abertex ewelambs, 200 commercial Cheviot, Scotch Halfbred and Suffolkcrosses. Primary aim is to produce about 250-280 Aberfield,Aberdale and Abertex breeding rams a year for Innovis. Bestewes mated one cycle with the top 50% lambs kept forreplacements and potential rams. B-flock crossed to sell breedingfemales. Rest finished live or deadweight on a forage system.

What's the biggest challenge you've faced to date?

Last year’s drought was a challenge on a forage based system.Having met with the Progressive Sheep Group in May, we pre-empted a drop off in forage so we weaned earlier at 8-11weeks and sold 250 cull ewes.

What do you think your biggest challenge will be inthe future?

A block of gorse hill land - It’s 85% gorse and the rest weeds. Iwant to improve it from something that’s producing an averageannual yield of 200kgDM/ha to something that can be used forcell grazing ewes pre-lambing next year. I’ll probably use forage rye.

What's been your greatest success?

Moving and becoming part of the business. I’m pleased so farwith how the business is going.

Where do you see yourself in 10 year's time?

It would be nice to shift from a tenant to owning more land andimproving our asset base. And hopefully go on a nice holiday inthe Caribbean for eight months of the year!

Name three things in your life which are key to your success?

Doing a Nuffield Scholarship, data recording and alternativeforages.

What's the best bit of advice you've ever received?

There’s a lot of farmers running businesses but not a lot ofbusinessmen running farms. That makes you think.

How do we get better at marketing andcompete against trendy milk alternatives? We

need to make milk exciting again.“

“

4 Forager • Summer 2019 • www.foragermagazine.co.uk

Name: James Drummond Age: 35Farm: Lemmington Hill Head, Alnwick, Northumberland(Tenanted). 222ha (545 acres) of SDA, LFA and improved upland

Next generation

IN THE HOT SEAT



Reseeding offers big ROIThe higher grass yields and quality resulting from regular reseeding translates into more meat or milk, whichmakes reseeding a no-brainer for any forward thinking business, Aly Balsom reports.

Extra expense and time out ofproduction can be some of thereasons farmers give for notembracing a grass reseeding policy,but such an attitude could beholding back businessperformance.

Closer inspection of the numbersclearly highlight the huge potentialreturn on investment from reseeding(see graphic). This is due to moremeat and milk production, as aresult of improved grass yield andquality as poorer performing weedgrasses are replaced by modernperennial ryegrasses.

Dr Liz Genever, IndependentBeef and Sheep Consultant,believes a regular reseeding policyshould be part of any progressivefarmer’s strategy.

“They’re not just doing itbecause they want to reseed, butbecause they want to drive theirbusinesses forward,” says Liz.“Inherently it’s an indicator they’re aprogressive business and thinkingabout more than just turning up.Silage quality is better andperformance off grass is better.”

National Agricultural SalesManager of Germinal GB Ben Wixeyis in agreement. He says reseedinghas the potential to doubleproduction per hectare on farm,

when everything else is right, such asgrazing management and nutrientregimes (see box). This has thepotential to allow stocking rates tobe increased or more silage to be cutand sold. The grass quality increasealso makes reseeding a “no-brainer.”

“By reseeding, you’re increasingthe digestibility of the grass and thatdigestibility is linked to increasedmetabolisable energy (ME),” explainsBen. “Even with a 0.5MJ/kgDMincrease, a reseed will pay for itself inthe first year, but it’s likely you’ll get a1MJ/kgDM increase.”

To get the best possible results,choosing mixes that include grassesoff the Recommended Grass andClover Lists (RGCL) is a must. Thesevarieties will have undergoneextensive testing and are proven toperform in England and Wales.

This is something to consider evenmore closely this year due to EUshortages of grass seed following lastyear’s drought. This could mean thatsome merchants choose to includevarieties from other countries in theirmixes to bridge the gap. These willnot have been tested under UKconditions and subsequently may notperform as well. Ben urges farmers todouble check with their merchant andcheck varieties are from the RGCLs.

He says the difference in cost

between the best mixes and cheapermixes that include unproven varietiesis only about £10/acre. “If that leylasts 10 years, that’s just £1 per acreper year,” he explains.

With seed costs also only makingup about 33% of the total cost of areseed (see table), spending on thebest mixes makes sense.

Time out of production also neednot put farmers off reseeding.According to Ben, the key is to startby reseeding a smaller proportion ofthe farm; say 5%, and build to 10-15% from there.

“You’ll get more production offthat area, which will enable you todo 8% the following year andgradually increase the amountreseeded,” he explains. “If you’relower stocked, you may be able toreseed more.”

Ultimately a reseeding policy ispart of a wider farm strategy to helpmaximise performance off forageand lower costs.

“All this is about is gettinglivestock to go into a field andharvest the grass itself and reduceyour unit costs. Who knows withBrexit how important that will be,especially if we get tariffs on lamb.Getting your unit costs down willbe increasingly important,”concludes Ben.

FORAGE BUSINESS


How to get the best from a reseed

• Test and address soil indices at least six months beforereseeding - it can take six months for liming toaddress soil pH, so it’s vital to do this in advance.

• Address any soil compaction before reseeding.

• Consider pests - if you have historic issues withleatherjackets, consider using a break crop like abrassica or wholecrop to help reduce larvae issues inlight of reduced pesticide availability on new leys.

• Have a fluffy seed bed and roll - you need a fine seedbed and good seed to soil contact for goodestablishment.

• Graze a reseed rather than silage it - grazing tighterwill help grass to tiller.

• Ensure new reseeds get appropriate nutrients - referto the Nutrient Management Guide (RB209): Section3: Grass and forage crops.

• Control sward height - rotational paddock grazingwill help grass rest and recover.

Estimated netprofit per acrein year one

from reseedingon a dairy farm- thanks to

improved grassyield and

quality, leadingto more milk(see Table 1below).

Estimated netprofit per acrein year one

from reseedingon a beef farm- thanks to

improved liveweight gainson betterquality and

higher yieldinggrass leys.

Typical grassyield increaseseen in yearone followinga reseed.

Better responseto fertiliser -Rough stalkmeadow grasswas found tohave a yieldresponse tofertiliser thatwas 17% lessthan perennialryegrass PRG.

The likelyenergy increaseseen as a resultof reseeding.

The typicalnumber of

extra grazingdays realisedon reseededleys - due tothe fact PRGgrow earlierand later.

The reductionin silage

making costsseen as a resultof reseeding -thanks to oneless silage cutbeing taken ina year due toincreased

individual cutyields.

Why reseed?

Table 1: Effect of decline in perennial ryegrass content on meat and milk production.

PRG content % Production(t DM/ha)

HerbageME (MJ/kg DM)

Lost ME grown(MJ/ha)

Milk equivalentof lost ME(lires/ha)

Meat equivalent oflost ME*(kg LW/ha)

Concentrate costto replace lostME^ (£/ha)

95 13.5 12.0

90 12.6 11.8 13,320 1,885 133 197

80 11.2 11.5 33,200 4,698 332 491

70 9.8 11.3 51,260 7,254 513 759

60 8.4 11.0 69,600 9,849 696 1,030

50 7.0 10.8 86,400 12,226 864 1,279

Source: AHDB Reseeding GuideME = Metabolisable energy *assuming 100MJ per 1kg of gain for 350kg growing cattle ^ based upon 1.4p per MJ of MEPRG = Perennial ryegrass DM = Dry matter

£120/ha £89/ha 25-30% +1MJ/kgDM +70 days -£22/tonne

Benefits v Costs of reseedingReseeding costs £/ha

Sprays £37

Spraying £15

Ploughing £62

Rolling etc. £40

Sowing £62

Fertiliser £111

Seed £160

Total £487

Av kgs DM Yield MJ ME/ac

Field Old 7,410 10.0 74,100

Field New 8,151 10.5 85,585

Extra MJ ME 11,485

1 litre milk requires 5.3 MJ ME @ 0.28 £per litre

Benefits

Extra litres/ha 2,167 Litres £607 Extra income in milk

Net profit/ha £120 (Extra milk - reseeding cost)

Source: Germinal GB

Source: Germinal GB, Practice into Profit - G Mosely, Practice into Profit Project 1998 - 2003

Heavy land and high rainfall may bea good combination for growinggrass, but - as dairy farmer KevinMcGrade is aware - they are factorsthat inevitably bring challengeswhen it comes to management,monitoring, and analysing the results.

Farming at Dromore, Co Tyrone -where recent land acquisitions andherd expansion have lifted milkingcow numbers to 180 autumncalving Holstein Friesians - he hasdeveloped approaches to bothgrazing and silage making thatenable him to make the very best ofhis circumstances. His benchmark isto maximise milk from forage, andwith this currently at around 3,000litres from a herd average just under7,000 litres, he is well placed,though always striving for better.

Kevin’s attention to detailaround grazing management and

silage making is exemplary, but heknows that without the right rawmaterial at the outset, no level ofmanagement expertise will allowthe farm to reach its full potential.

“We’ve been taking on newground recently, where the firstpriority is usually to reseed, and weare then routinely reseeding on thebasis of field performance,” saysKevin. “We use the AgriNet grazingmanagement programme, so wehave figures from this on which tobase our decision-making. Butwe’re also mindful of the fact fieldsvary in their potential, so its moreoften than not a judgement callbased on what we expect. And wethink about other factors, such asthe percentage of perennialryegrass in the sward and thedegree of poaching. Overall we arecurrently reseeding about 15% of

the farm each year.”This discipline of renewing leys

in good time is ensuring high levelsof grass dry matter production,which reached an enviable 12.46tonnes DM/ha in 2018. It is alsoallowing Kevin to continuallyincorporate the best grass geneticsinto his system.

“We’re selecting grass varietieson the basis of their performanceon the Irish Pasture Profit Index,” hesays. “We are also moving towardshaving specialist leys for eithercutting or grazing, so we have fieldsthat are fit for purpose.”

Currently, silage leys are basedon the late heading perennialsAberGain, a tetraploid, and thediploid AberChoice, both Aber HighSugar Grasses that are highlyranked on both the Irish PPI and theRecommended Grass and Clover

Lists. The proportion for these silageleys is typically 70% tetraploid and30% diploid.

Grazing leys are also dominatedby Aber High Sugar Grass varieties,with intermediate diploids includingAberGreen and AberWolf typicallyincluded. Kevin finds these diploidsprovide the higher sward densitythat is required in a grazing situation,particularly on his heavy ground.

None of the leys include clover, asKevin’s priority is to maintain cleanswards, and he believes dock controlin particular would be compromisedif he was including clover.

Flexible grazing management

Given his circumstances on a heavyland site in Northern Ireland, Kevin’sapproach to grazing management ispragmatic. He’s installed cow tracksto improve access to fields andtakes every opportunity to turn outearly in the spring, but he acceptsthat they may have to come back inif conditions turn against him – as hasbeen the case in 2019. Over the pastthree seasons, available grazing dayshas varied by as much as 30 days overa season, so flexibility is paramount.

Cows are strip grazed behind asingle wire, this being preferable topaddocks, which Kevin finds toorigid for his situation.

Grass measurement is the key tothe ongoing management, withKevin cutting and weighingrepresentative samples within aquadrant and calculatingproduction based on a judgementof dry matter content. He’ll takemeasurements as frequently asevery five days during peak growthperiods, with figures being enteredinto his AgriNet programme toprovide a farm-scale overview of

grass production. During the heaviest periods of

growth, surplus grass is cut andround-baled for silage, ideallybefore it loses quality. Where fieldsdo go beyond the optimum, balesare allocated for dry cows.

Ensuring quality silage

For a period, Kevin opted exclusivelyfor baled silage, primarily forconsistency of quality, but with thefarm expanding and labour being ata premium he is now making acombination of pit and baled silage.

“We’re now aiming to make thefirst two cuts for the pit and will putthird and fourth cuts into bales,” heexplains. “We’re confident of thequality of the grass that we’restarting with, due to regularreseeding and good weed control,so we’re aiming to cut grass beforeit goes to head – to ensure we aremaintaining that quality.

“We’re using a local contractorfor most of the work, though wedo some of the mowing and thetedding ourselves as required. It’simportant to have a goodrelationship with your contractor, sothat you can rely on them to workwith you when needed.”


Specialist leys fuelgrass-based system

Reseeding to a clear plan to ensure fields are fit for purpose is a key factor in the success of grass-based milkproduction on a challenging farm in Northern Ireland. Luke James reports.

FORAGE BUSINESS


Forage performance

Grass production increases

Year Average production (t DM/ha)

2016 10.58

2017 11.45

2018 12.46

First cut silage (2018)

Dry matter (%) 28.1

Protein (% DM) 11.5

ME (MJ/kg DM) 11.4

D-value (% DM) 71.3

Maximising milk from forage• Regular reseeding.

• Selection of top performing varieties.

• Dedicated leys with good weedcontrol.

• Grass growth measurement.

• Flexible grazing and quality silage.

Kevin McGrade uses traditionalmethods to measure grass growth andinputs data into his AgriNet computerprogramme to monitor farm output.

Hybrid brassicas have the potential to regenerate aftergrazing, with aftermaths offering additional dry matterproduction from second or even third grazings.

Germinal GB included multi-grazing in its 2018/19farm trials programme, to investigate the value of thispractice and establish some key management principles.

Whilst many aspects of the management areconsistent with those that apply with single grazedcrops, several points specific to multi-grazing emerged.

Ben Wixey explains: “To have the potential formultiple grazing, crops ideally need to be drilled no laterthan early June. It’s then important to manage the firstgrazing in blocks, as opposed to strip grazing, as this will

minimise the amount of damage done to the crop.”Unlike with a single graze crop - where you are

looking to maximise the utilisation - when seeking tomulti-graze it’s better to move stock on when stems stillremain. This will accelerate the rate of regeneration andmean regrowth is available for grazing within six to eight weeks.

Ben adds: “If the second grazing is the final grazing,then manage for maximum utilisation, but if a thirdgrazing is the target then aim to minimise damage andleave the stems to accelerate regrowth. Avoid grazingany later than March as crops can then flower andpresent a higher risk of toxicity.”

Kale, hybrid brassicas, forage rape,leafy grazing turnips, stubble turnipsand swedes: A wide array of cropsuseful for all classes of ruminantlivestock that can provide everythingfrom summer grazing to the basis ofan out-wintering system.

Once considered outdated,brassica fodder crops are nowincreasing in popularity, partly dueto new varieties and alternativeapproaches to management, butprimarily as a result of thewidespread drive to increaseproduction from forage.

According to Germinal GB, therecent growth in brassica use is setto continue. As a result there will bea greater need for knowledge and ademand for more precision in theway crops are managed.

Germinal GB NationalAgricultural Sales Manager BenWixey says: “Factors such asnutritional quality, palatability andcrop utilisation are becoming more

important as brassicas form a biggerpart of farm businesses’ forageoutput. Just as with any other partof the ration, we believe the attitudeshould be to know what you arefeeding and to maximise intakes.

“Utilisation is an essential part ofthe picture, because crop left on thefield after the stock has gone is alost opportunity and wastage thatbusinesses should seek to avoid.”

Recognising the need for greater knowledge, Germinal GBhas carried out field trials on farmsacross the country over the past 12months, including significant workon hybrid brassicas to gatherinformation on dry matter yields,crop quality and utilisation.

Leaf versus stem

In crops such as kale and hybridbrassicas, the leaf to stem ratio is akey factor in crop quality andsubsequent livestock performance.The long-established kale variety

Maris Kestrel remains the marketleader for its superior leaf to stemratio when compared with otherkales, because it results in the 80-90% crop utilisation that should bethe target.

Newer hybrid brassicas, whichhave been developed by crossingkale with rape, also vary in their leafto stem ratio, but there has beenlittle research to date to establishindividual variety characteristics.

Germinal GB has carried outfield trails on some of the mainhybrid brassicas currently grown,measuring the relative dry matter of leaf and stem at different stagesof the season and also recordingthe nutritional quality in thedifferent components.

“Total production potential isimportant, but the relative value ofleaf and stem is arguably a moreimportant level of detail, as is anassessment of what stock willactually eat,” explains Ben.

“Unsurprisingly, the stem is of lowerfeed value than the leaf in all cases,but that does not mean the stemshould be considered a wasteproduct. We’ve found markedvariation in stem quality betweenvarieties and – in the case of Redstartin particular – the higher stem qualitycan be directly correlated with the

extent of crop utilisation.”Overall qualitative results from

the field trials show what a goodnutritional balance is provided by thehybrid brassicas, underlining theirreal value and again emphasising theimportance of utilisation.

“Grown to its full potential, acrop of Redstart can deliver up to

10 tonnes of dry matter perhectare,” adds Ben. “Feed qualitycan be as high as 30% protein and13MJ/kg ME, so a really valuablesource of nutrition. That’s why weare seeing crops being used tofinish lambs or deliver significantliveweight gain in growing cattle onout-wintering systems.”

10 Forager • Summer 2019 • www.foragermagazine.co.uk Forager • Summer 2019 • www.foragermagazine.co.uk 11

Utilisation drives performance

Multiple grazing

With many brassica fodder crops, true value is determined not by how much forage is grown, but by how wellthe crop is utilised by grazing livestock. Luke James reports.

DM (t/ha) ** DM content (%) ME (MJ/kg) Protein

First grazing (leaf) 4.0 - 6.0 12-14 12-13 20-24

Second grazing

Leaf

4.0

12.0 12.2 24.4

Stem* 15.9 11.7 11.6

*Nutritional value of stems sampled in late February was 11.6MJ/kg ME and 17% crude protein, showing a higher than expected quality.**Overall cost of production at multi-graze location was calculated at 3p/kg of dry matter.

Table: Yield and quality of hybrid brassicas - Redstart, multiple grazing, November 2018

Energy and protein yield in hybrid brassicas

ME MJ/HA

GORILLA HOBSON INTERVAL RAMPART REDSTART SWIFT

TOTAL ENERGY YIELD (MJ/HA)

PROTEIN KG/HA

GORILLA HOBSON INTERVAL RAMPART REDSTART SWIFT

TOTAL PROTEIN YIELD (KG/HA)

47,244

44,296 51,552

42,570

57,547

41,538 548 612 659

600

779

547

Utilisation can vary dramatically between brassicavarieties. Rejection of the crop on the rightamounted to 2.8tDM/ha, whilst utilisation ofRedstart (left) was better.

VARIETY VARIETY

with more regular reseeding. “It’s agut feeling. We’re carrying morestock,” he explains. “Cow numbershave increased from 175, whilstorganic, to 210 currently, with furtherscope to increase in the future.”

Forage mixes

Reseeding has largely been focusedon silage ground, with more of thegrazing area following.

A mix of late perennialryegrasses with Timothy have beenused on the silage area for thecows. Whilst a red clover ley isgrown to produce silage for thestore and finishing cattle.

Guy says: “The red clover ley is ahigh protein silage for cattle. Forthe soils it’s trying to get some lifeback into it. The clover has a bigroot so it goes down forever andacts like a subsoiler if establishedcorrectly. Plus it fixes nitrogen.We’re seeing some savings in theamount of nitrogen we’re applyingto the following crops - about50kg/acre of product or 30 units ofnitrogen/acre.”

Guy’s also been experimentingwith chicory mixed with either laterperennial ryegrasses or festuloliums.

The importance of a good seedbed when establishing chicory washighlighted on 3ha (8 acres) drilledwith a strip-till drill at Northfields.The wet autumn of 2017 and poorseed bed meant this grew quitepatchy, although the heifersgrazed on it did well.Another 12ha (30 acres)

of light land at Davidsons, whichwas spring drilled with acombination drill, has establishedmuch better. The hope is that thechicory’s long tap root will helpmaintain production when landdries out. This has been used torotationally graze suckler cows.

Wholecrop beans have remainedan important part of the system since2009. They not only produce a 16-17% protein crop for finishers, butalso help fix nitrogen, which has savedGuy about 20-30 units of N a year.

Rotational paddock grazing

Stock are rotationally grazed on theperennial ryegrass and chicory leys.Having moved cattle every 2-4 weeks,cattle are now moved every week.

Guy says: “As part of the AHDBscheme I was interested in setting upa paddock grazing system for thesuckler cows, so a block of 60 or soacres was divided up into 11paddocks with 50 or so cow-calfpairs grazing it. Cow numbers arelimited to how many a bull can serve.

“It has workedremarkably well,allowing us toensile 15 acres(6ha) and afurther 15 acreswas big baled,

which utilised the extra grassproduced in the paddocks.Admittedly this land received acovering of digestate the previousautumn so it was in good heart.”

Guy has a gut feel that cattlegrowth rates have improved on thissystem as a result of improved grassgrowth, but it won’t be until the endof this season that he’ll be able tocompare weight data to last year.

Benchmarking

Moving forward, the aim is to get abetter handle on costs andbenchmark data as part of thefarm’s involvement in the AHDBStrategic Farm initiative. One of theareas Guy hopes to get better at isunderstanding margin per hectare.

“If we have a figure for marginper hectare as the year progresses,and we see the figure improving, Iknow I’m becoming more effectivein using my forage,” he says.

Guy says margin/ha will beimproved by improving forageproduction, which will enable cattlenumbers to be increased and fixedcosts reduced. Running more cattleon the same area will also reduceoverall forage costs.

“The focus on forage is aboutkeeping costs down. Improvingbenchmarking will help highlightwhich areas we need to focus on toreduce costs or optimise whatwe’ve got. We need to understandour costs so we’re more sustainablemoving forward,” explains Guy.

Going organic in 2007 was the“Eureka” moment for Yorkshirefarmer, Guy Prudom, who realisedthat the expense of bought-in feedmeant he had to get better atproducing more on farm.

He started from the ground up -soil testing a third of the farm everyyear and raising pH using targetedlime application. Wholecrop springbeans were also planted as aprotein source for beef finishingdiets. Since then, and despitecoming out of organic in 2015, hehas remained committed togrowing the whole diet on farm.This has involved embracingdifferent forages like red clover,chicory and festuloliums, along withreseeding with perennial ryegrasses.

This means that all cattleproduced from the 210 cow sucklerherd are finished on a completelyhomegrown diet, which ispredominately forage based. Thisincludes red clover silage, whole-crop beans and crimped barley.

Guy (right) says the homegrownroute makes sense both in terms ofcost and consumer perception.

“We’ve got full traceability,” heexplains. “That seems to be thebuzz word at the moment. It’s whatour end customer is demanding.And where we farm, it’s veryexpensive to buy-in by-products soit makes economic sense to produceyour own.”

Guy farms with his parents Peteand Christine on three tenantedunits near Whitby, Yorkshire,totalling 405ha (1,000 acres). Thebusiness is one of AHDB Beef &Lamb’s Strategic Farms.

Breeding strategy is currently inthe midsts of an overhaul, with thetraditional Simmental, AberdeenAngus and Shorthorn herd beingreplaced by Stabilisers. About halfthe cows are now Stabiliser. Thissmaller cow suits the farm’s groundon the edge of the North YorkshireMoors, which means extendedgrazing at the shoulders of the yearshould be possible. Their lowermaintenance requirements alsomake them ideally suited to aforage ration, with cows just fedsilage, chopped straw and minerals.A little soya is now included in the

ration at calving to improve cowcolostrum quality and quantity.

Soils

Ensuring soils are performing attheir optimum is an ongoingstrategy, with lime applied asnecessary from May onwards. Thetwo upland units; High Burrows andDavidsons have seen the biggestimprovements in pH, with mostland now above 6.3-6.4pH, versus astarting point of <6pH.

FYM is targeted towards fieldslow in phosphate (P) and potassium(K), with Fibrophos - a recycledproduct from chicken manure usedin energy production - then appliedwhere needed. Nitrogen is onlyused where essential, mostly onsilage ground.

Guy says: “We’ve learnt to growgrass without nitrogen. What youneed to grow grass is pH at theright level and P and K. Withoutgetting that right, it’s a waste oftime throwing nitrogen at grass.”

He believes it’s this soil strategythat has boosted grasslandproduction considerably, together

Tackling forage boostsfarm productivity Full ration traceability, lower feed costs and improved overall farm production are just some of the reasons beeffarmer Guy Prudom has adopted a forage focused system, as Aly Balsom reports.


Performance in numbersAverage daily liveweight gains achieved byheifers on chicory and perennial ryegrass leys.

Average weight gains of heifers whenhoused on a finisher ration.

Post weaning daily liveweight gains, heifersand steers.

Steers - finished at 17-18 months old at640kg on forage-based ration.

Heifers - out to grass for second summer.When >480kg, housed and put on finisherration to finish at 20 months average.

900g/day

1.2-1.3kg/day

600g-1.5kg/day


Image courtesy of AHDB

Forager • Summer 2019 • www.foragermagazine.co.uk 1514 Forager • Summer 2019 • www.foragermagazine.co.uk

Covering your assetsProtecting soil with cover crops following harvest is helping to make crops such as maize moresustainable as Laura Mushrush reports.

“Soil health is in,” says Dr JoannaMatthews, Technical Trials Managerfor Germinal GB’s research station.

As the biology of soil and itsimportance to the long-termsuccess of a farming enterprisebecomes better understood, moreagricultural producers are lookingfor management opportunities tosafeguard their most valuable asset– soil. For maize growers, soilprotection is best achieved byestablishing winter cover crops intomaize stubbles following harvest.

Jo explains: “When fieldconditions aren’t right, harvestingmaize can cause soil structure anderosion issues from the damagecaused by rutted fields. Fields thatare then left bare over winterincreases the rate of erosion evenmore. It also makes leftover nitratesmore easily leached intowatercourses. Not only is thisdetrimental to the surroundingenvironment, but it strips awaycostly nutrient inputs. However,cover crops act as a short-termstorage unit for soil nutrients, while

root structures lock soil into place.”

Locking in the benefits of covercrops

Soil biology, fertility and structure,have a direct impact on the successof current and future crops. Aplant’s physiological effect on thesoil and its properties can keepnutrient balances in-sync andcycling. Nutrient cycling functionsbetter when a crop is present toloosen soil and transport nutrientsand air through root structures.

Because the window for covercrop establishment after maizeharvest is limited, producers shouldconsider earlier maturing maizevarieties that won’t compromise

yield, explains Jo. This also carriesenvironmental benefits, potentiallyreducing damage caused byharvesting in poor conditions inlate autumn.

According to Jo, cover cropspecies should be selected based onrapid early growth traits andcharacteristics that best suit the farm’send use. Recently, Germinal GB’sforage research station trialled fivedifferent varieties of grass and cerealsspecies. An Accord tine drill was usedto drill straight into maize stubbles onNovember 6, 2018 with no seed bedpreparation. By November 18, all fiveplots had emerged.

“The leading variety of triticale

provided almost 4tDM/ha of added biomass while theItalian ryegrass yielded more than 3tDM/ha,” says Jo.“This could be ensiled as bonus livestock feed orincorporated into the soil as added organic matter.”New, more winter active, triticale varieties will betrialled this year which may improve this further.

Cover crop destruction

Crop destruction and mechanisms of incorporation dependon the quality of the seed bed required for thefollowing crop. Jo recommends spaying off cover cropswith a herbicide in the spring, and then incorporatingit into the soil. Not only will this ensure the cover cropwon’t become a nuisance, but it accelerates the ratenutrients are broken down in the soil.

“The more a cover crop is destroyed and mixesinto the soil profile, the faster it will break downwithin the soil, and nitrogen will be released to thefollowing crop,” concludes Jo. “This is a particularlyimportant point to consider when you’re using specieslike clovers, and lush grasses, that have a low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio.”

Species Type VarietySeed ratekg/ha

tDMha-1harvestedApril 12, 2019

Grass Westerwold Libonus 35 2.8

Grass Italian ryegrass Gorbi 35 3.12

Cereal Hybrid rye 200 2.79

Cereal Triticale Logo 200 3.98

Selecting for disease resistanceWhen ryegrass is being grown as a winter cover cropor established for longer term as a break crop, diseaseresistance needs to be part of the selection process.

“Disease incidences in ryegrass have beenincreasing across the industry, which can be mitigatedby selecting a variety that has been bred for diseaseresistance,” explains Jo. “Disease pressure can restricta sward’s ability to grow, as well as affecting itsdigestibility and palatability.”

Ranked 1-9 (1=poor, 9=good) disease resistancefor crown rust and drechslera can be found in theRecommended Grass and Clover Lists.

A bare slope can erode 100 to 1,000times faster than a vegetated one.

One third of UK soils are thought to bedegraded, with 1 million hectares – 36%of all arable land – at risk of erosion.

Up to 2.9 million tonnes of top soil areestimated to be lost to wind and watererosion annually in the UK.

In England and Wales, the total estimatedorganic carbon loss from the soil eachyear is 5.3 million tonnes, or on average0.6% of the existing soil carbon content.

Source: Sustainable Soil Alliance: Campaignto Protect Rural England, “Back to the land:rethinking our approach to soil”

Long-term vision is needed toincrease profitability in a sucklerunit by matching the geneticprogramme with forage production.

So says European VeterinarySpecialist in Bovine HealthManagement and RCVS Specialist inCattle Health and Production,Martin Tomlinson of theUniversity of Glasgow.

“Feed is the most expensiveinput for any suckler system.However, homegrown forage isthe cheapest form of feedavailable,” explains Martin.“While it may require a changein genetic strategy and howthe herd is managed, redesigningthe production unit to best utilisehomegrown forage output is goingto yield a long-term financial gain.”

1. Audit the forage system

The first step to matching the twosystems is to audit homegrownforage production. Along withanalysing the average amount ofhomegrown feedstuffs beingproduced for each type of system ayear, regular data recording needsto be in place to capture seasonalgrowth and quality.

“This data will establish theproduction level for different forage

systems throughout the year to geta better understanding of when youhave high quantities of qualityforage and when additionalsupplementation may be needed,”says Martin.

Data should be collated to assessmanagement practices of the entire

forage system to determine wherethere are opportunities to maximiseproduction.

“In a rotational grazing system,for example, dry matter can becompared across the entire unit.This data allows you to track howan individual ley is performing year-after-year, indicating when a reseedis going to give you a return oninvestment,” adds Martin. “Forageanalysis is also vital, especially whendealing with conserved forages. Ifyou don’t know the quality of thefeed, you cannot make accurate

decisions to help improveproduction.”

2. Taking a look at the geneticprogramme

Redesigning the suckler unit requiresa disciplined breeding strategy forreplacements, with genetic selection

practices balancing maternaland terminal traits.

“Ultimately, we want ourreplacements to have strongmaternal traits like longevity,ease of calving, fertility, highmilk yields, good feedconversion and lower maturebody weight,” says Martin.While lower mature body weight

in females has been a source ofdebate in the suckler industry,Martin says it is essential tomaximising outputs on a foragesystem. Feed input requirements ofan 800kg mature weight cow aregoing to be significantly more thanone with a mature weight of650kg.

“A lighter cow will reduce feedinputs and increase stockingdensities, giving producers a better

return,” he says. “It’s also important to understand your calfmarket to produce more kilos ofsaleable beef compared to adultmature weight. In time, this willhelp drive profitability.”

3. Record and analyse data

Because output pays, attention stillneeds to be paid to good terminalindices, like carcase traits andgrowth rates, when making geneticdecisions to produce calves for sale.

To ensure output levels aremaximised while maternal traits aremaintained, genetic selection toolslike EBVs and Indexes should beused in conjunction with farmrecorded data.

“The aim of the game in sucklerproduction is to ensure we have anadequate flow of highly fertilereplacements that are producingcalves capable of filling marketneeds. EBVs and Indexes are greatat helping to predict the futureperformance potential of offspring,however accuracy is an importantfigure to assess. Good pedigree orgenomically enhanced EBVsproduce an accuracy of 60% at

birth, with proven sires achieving80% or more,” he says. “Byrecording more data on farm,system specific phenotype can beadded alongside EBVs to analyseindividual offspring performanceand create feed conversion rates.”

At the bare minimum, datacollection should include birthweight, weaning weight and sale

weight of calves. Weights shouldalso be taken any time an animal isput through a handling system.

“There is a huge need for thebeef industry to step up in theamount of data it is recording, andhow it assesses that data. It can bedone and adds a lot of value to thebusiness. For example, feedconversion rate is something sucklerproducers must be looking atimproving for the future of the beefindustry, but it is quite difficultbecause a lot of people don’t havethe required input data,” explainsMartin. “The minimum standardthat all beef farms should have isadequate handling facilities andweighing facilities. The long-termprofit from using data to makegenetic decisions makes this quite asmall home investment.”

While there are multiple softwareprogrammes available for farm data,a simple Excel spreadsheet or ‘littleblack book’ are adequate. The mostimportant thing is that data isanalysed to make replacementselection decisions.

“This doesn’t have to becomplicated,” stresses Martin.

Suckler Series: Making her payPart three: Redesigning the production unitIn parts one and two of this three-part series, we looked at increasing output efficiency and refining inputs byimproving fertility and forage utilisation. In part three, we look at how to combine the two for long-termefficiency. Laura Mushrush reports.


Matching a suckler unit’s geneticprogramme with its homegrown forageproduction has to have long-term vision to

increase economic returns.

““ Reducing mature cow weight is

essential to maximising outputs ona forage system says MartinTomlinson, University of Glasgow.

For dairy farmer David Hares,planting lucerne as a third foragecrop has the potential to build inprotection against drought, givesoils a boost and provide a highprotein, high fibre feed for cows.

It’s this that spurred him on toplant 10ha (25 acres) of the legumecrop as an experiment last year.With his light, sandy soils prone toburning up in late summer,lucerne’s long root and droughtresistance proved attractive insafeguarding forage productionthrough the year.

“I see lucerne as a droughttolerant crop, which proved itselflast year (during the summer heat-wave) when it kept growing whengrass didn’t,” he says. “Most of ourgrass was yellow and it was at least green.”

David sees lucerne as helping toprotect the business during suchchallenging dry weather spells. Itsnitrogen fixing properties also meanit has the scope to give soils a muchneeded health boost after being

down to maize or barley for severalyears, prior to going into grass.

The potential benefits ofincluding lucerne silage in the rationare also marked. David believes thehigh fibre silage with good scratchfactor will aid rumen health andthus cow performance. At the sametime, the high protein content couldhelp lower ration costs in the long-term, if acreage is increased.

“I see it as a protein crop.”explains David. “We’ve put it inwith the aim of growing 15-16t anacre a year, over four cuts, which iscomparable to maize. But we’regetting a forage that’s hopefully20% protein, which will save onbuying in blend.”

With their Tesco milk contractintroducing carbon footprinting,producing homegrown protein,rather than buying in protein, willonly benefit their environmentalfootprint. Lucerne should alsoreduce the need for straw, which iscurrently being fed to slow passagethrough the rumen and get better

ration utilisation. Lucerne should dothe same, with the additionalbenefit of the higher protein.

David also likes the idea offeeding three forages in the ration;grass silage, maize silage andlucerne silage. The belief is this willhelp forage intakes and rumenhealth and drive milk from foragefrom the current 3,000 litres a cowa year, to around 3,500 litres.

David and parents Robert andJeanette run the 300 cow pedigreeMillenheath herd at 202ha (500acre) Millenheath Farm,Whitchurch. Cows yield 10,500litres a cow a year at 4% fat and3.4% protein. Cows are grazed inthe summer, but the system is fairlyintensive with cows buffer fed allyear round. The herd receives a fullTMR with the outside diet includingthe three forages, along withhomegrown and milled barley and aprotein blend. Cows are then fed toyield through the parlour.


Over the last three years, the Hares have been activelyworking to improve forage quality, with a particularfocus on cutting grass silage earlier and morefrequently. First cut is now taken about 2-3 weeksearlier than previously, around the start of May. Fourcuts are also taken every six weeks, versus three cutsbefore. This has lead to improved silage quality whichhas helped drive yields from 9,000 litres a cow a year.

“We’re trying to reduce purchased feed withoutcompromising yield,” adds David. At the same time,the farm has also moved to three times a day milkingand breeding for improved mammaries, legs, feet andhealth so cows last longer and produce more milk.

With just 10ha (25 acres) drilled so far, the effect oflucerne on the diet has not been marked so far. Thefact the crop only produced low yields last year alsomeant the layer included in the grass silage clamp hadlittle impact. The low performance was a combinationof the dry, hot conditions last year, together with thefact lucerne also takes a year to get going.

David says this is the “crunch year” for the crop,although the initial signs are good. “It’s got to grow thetonnage. If it can’t do that, I might as well growmaize,” he comments.

If it’s successful, the plan is to grow another 10ha in2020 to bring the total to 20ha (50 acres). Having twofields at different stages, will also reduce the impact ofboth crops being in their establishment year whenyields are less.

With no artificial fertiliser applied to the crop so farand its natural nitrogen fixing properties, David believesthe long-term potential is significant. “It’s growing acrop without fertiliser and getting that fibre and proteinfor the cows,” he says. “I think having a third forage inthere also helps intakes and milk from forage. We justneed the confidence to sow more of it.”

Lucerne offers multiplebenefits to feed and soils

LUCERNEGROWING AND HARVESTING

ESTABLISHMENT

• Maize field selected, with good phosphorus (P) andpotassium (K) and pH levels.

• Slurry applied at 4,000 gallons/acre one weekbefore ploughing.

• Field ploughed and rolled at start of May 2018 -very light ground so easy to work and produce afine seed bed.

• Timbale lucerne seed drilled at 8-10kg/acre usinga combi-drill.

• Rolled again.• Sprayed with herbicide early on in establishmentto take out chickweed and grasses.

HARVEST

• In its first year, the crop needs to be left to flowerbefore taking first cut, so in 2018 the crop was firstharvested in late July.

• A second cut was then taken after fourth cut grasssilage in September/October.

• Only slurry applied at 2,500 gallons/acre aftersilaging. No other fertiliser used.

• This season will be the first where the crop willhave to be closely assessed to gauge when to cut.Something David believes will take some practice.He will aim for a balance of quality and not lettingit get too stemmy.

Lucerne has a very small seed, which means drilling thecrop into a fine seed bed is essential.

David says the first few weeks of establishment arealso the most tricky when getting the crop going.

“It’s the first establishment and the first few weekswhen you have to pay attention to weeds,” he says. “It likes warmth. You wouldn’t want to drill before April.We treated it like a grass ley, with the same sort of seed bed.”


Lucerne's high fibre should aid rumen health, says David Hares.

One Shropshire farm is experimenting with lucerne in the hope it will bring equal benefits to cow diets, feedcosts and soil health, as Aly Balsom reports.

Knowing your farm’s soil pHs and targeting limeaccordingly is a business decision worth makingconsidering low pH could be holding back grasslandproductivity by 1-2 tonnes of DM/ha per year.

Data from 197 grazing fields analysed as part ofGrassCheck Northern Ireland found that 32% of fieldswere below pH 6 and recorded average yields 1.9tDMless than fields above pH 6.

Chris Duller, independent grassland consultant, hasseen similar patterns across the whole of the UK, with50-60% of the soil samples he’s taken this year fallingbelow the target for grassland of pH 6 to 6.5.

He recognises that it’s all too easy for liming regimes toslip. However, he says failure to keep on top of soil pH canlead to problems. “It’s like going to the dentist. If you leaveit a long time, it’s expensive and it hurts,” he explains.

pH will fall more quickly on fields where silage istaken more regularly, where high levels of nitrogen areapplied, on lighter soils and heavy rainfall areas.

Low soil pH will impact performance for several reasons:1 Phosphorus (P) availability Low pH will tie up phosphorus in the soil (binding toiron and aluminium) making it unavailable to theplant. This can particularly impact on spring grassyields as that’s when the plant needs morephosphorus to grow.

2 Organic matter cyclingLow pH will reduce worm and microbial activity inthe soil, which will reduce breakdown of organicmaterial. This can lead to a build-up of thatch whichcan affect grazing efficiencies.

3 N cyclingThe slower breakdown of organic material in the soilwill release less nitrogen to the crop and will alsolimit the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen by legumes.

4 Sward qualityMaintaining soil pH helps maintain the percentage ofryegrass in the sward and prevents weeds and nativespecies from ingressing.

With this in mind, Chris advises soil testing every fiveyears and liming “little and often” to ensure pHs arekept at the optimum pH 6.2. On fields where pH is closeto target, using a highly soluble, prilled lime at 50-100kg/acre can be an effective way of raising pH slightly.

Where pH needs to be raised more considerably - sayfrom pH 5.4 - a phased release, ground lime is moreappropriate. The key is to ensure lime products aredecent quality, with few, large particles. This willpromote good uptake into the soils. Ideally lime shouldhave 40% of its particles at <150 microns and aneutralising value of 50%.

Although many farmers will be tempted to apply limeto their worst fields, Chris urges them to target newerleys with higher levels of perennial ryegrass.

“Spending £160/ha on lime can easily see an increaseof 1.5tDM/ha/yr on low pH fields where ryegrass is stilldominant (50%+) – meaning recovery of investment inthe first year,” he says.

“It’s about prioritising when you go and recoveringyour return on investment. Your bad fields won’t getworse if you leave them, but your good fields will.”

Put soil pH at top ofbusiness priorities Getting soil pH right will reward you with better yields and improved nutrient utilisation, as Aly Balsom reports.


GrassCheckGB

Soil pH will be one of the areasmonitored by the 50 beef, sheepand dairy farms in England,Scotland and Wales that havesigned up to provide data for GrassCheckGB.The project will monitor the growth and quality ofpasture and make predictions of future growth.Findings will be published weekly, enabling farmersto plan and make informed decisions on grasslandmanagement.The initiative is a collaboration between the Centrefor Innovation in Livestock (CIEL), The Agri-Foodand Biosciences Institute (AFBI), RothamstedResearch, the three GB meat levy bodies, andindustry sponsors Germinal GB, Waitrose, CawoodScientific and Handley Enterprises.Picture: Targeting lime on newer leys with high levelsof perennial ryegrass will bring the best return oninvestment. Image used with kind permission ofGrange Quarry & Concrete Products.

Maize may have only just gone in the ground, but it’s worth considering how you plan to harvest and ensile it comethe autumn to ensure it feeds as well as possible, as Forager reports.

There’s enough energy in onehectare of fresh forage maize tosupport 30,000-40,000 litres of milkproduction, which means it’s wellworth taking every care to safeguardquality and prevent wastage.

That’s according to Volac silageexpert, Darran Ward, who calculatesthis huge production figure whilstassuming animal maintenance isalready being met.

He believes the significant value ofmaize is further underlined by the factthat one cut of maize silage yields asimilar amount as three cuts of grasssilage, and costs a similar amount toproduce. But for maize silage withonly one harvest per year, you onlyhave one chance to make it right.

“It’s important to appreciate thefull value of maize in terms of itsability to support milk productionand many farmers underestimatemaize silage losses,” says Mr Ward.“Typically, up to around a quarter ofthe tonnes of dry matter ensiled arelost during maize storage. Themajority is lost through aerobicspoilage from yeast and mouldgrowth in the presence of air, whichcauses heating. However, losses

from poor fermentation can alsoreach 8%.”

Harvest date has caught us out inrecent seasons with many reportingvery high dry matter maize silages,suggesting optimum date forchopping has been missed. Keepregular checks on plant maturity wellbefore the expected harvest date,suggests Mr Ward, and keep in closecommunication with your contractorso you can plan towards harvest date.

“You should cut when the wholeplant is at 30-33% dry matter,” headvises. “With modern ‘stay green’varieties, the cob may be matureeven though the rest of the plantdoesn’t look it. Also, don’t cut toolow: there are more mould spores inthe base of the crop. And aim for achop length of 1.5-2cm.”

Ultimately, by cutting at thecorrect timing and using the rightcutting height and chop length, itnot only optimises nutrient content,but also sets up the crop for a betterpreservation.

High dry matters and long choplengths make the crop more difficultto consolidate, trapping air in thesilage, which encourages the yeasts

and moulds that cause heating.Mr Ward adds: “Farmers often

take tight control of everything elsewith maize – such as ploughing,liming, having silage analysed andbalancing the ration – but don’t takefull control of the preservation.

“It’s the same with additives. It’seasy to omit one, but that meansyou leave the preservation muchmore open to chance. Ideally, lookfor a dual-purpose additive that notonly improves fermentation but alsocontrols heating.”

Ecocool for example containsLactobacillus plantarum MTD/1, thesame bacterium in Ecosyl, which is

proven to produce a rapid fermentation. But it alsocontains a second bacterium, Lactobacillus buchneri PJB/1,which inhibits yeasts and moulds. It has been found tokeep silage taken out of the clamp cool for more than 10 days.

Mr Ward explains: “Covering both issues like this givesflexibility if you can’t guarantee maize will be harvested onexactly the right day. There is an argument that greenmaize with a higher moisture content needs more help withfermentation. In more mature maize, yeast and mould levelstend to increase.”

Similarly, maize preservation can often go wrongduring clamping because there is pressure to completethe job quickly. Effective clamping is vital because correctfilling, thorough consolidation and proper sealing aid

fermentation and starve spoilage organisms of oxygen. Tosqueeze air out, you need to consolidate to 700kg offresh maize per cubic metre.

“Too many clamps are filled in a ramp. But this makesit difficult to fill in 15cm layers, which is the maximumthat can be consolidated effectively. Filling in horizontallayers makes that easier,” Mr Ward adds.

Sheeting should then create an airtight seal. At feedout, it’s important not to be tempted to pull the sheet overthe clamp face as this creates a warm microclimate,encouraging yeast and mould growth.

“Ultimately, there’s no single step to good maizepreservation,” says Mr Ward. “It needs a joined-upapproach. By improving understanding of what happensin maize clamps, it is easier to take the right steps.”


Ideally, look for a dual-purpose additivethat not only improves fermentationbut also controls heating of maizesilage, says Volac’s Darran Ward.

Decisions taken on the day ofmaize harvest can impact onhow well the resulting silagefeeds over 200 days of winter.

Stop milk from maize slippingthrough your fingers

Checklist for making better maize silage1. Planning

• Keep contractors informed of anticipated harvest date.• Clean the clamp and surrounding area to minimise

contamination from last year’s mouldy silage and soil.• Begin making the clamp airtight using polythene on walls.

2. Harvesting• Aim to harvest at 30-33% DM. Too dry is more difficult to

consolidate. Too early and starch in kernels is not fully formed.• Harvest ‘stay green’ varieties before they die back.• Don’t cut maize too low – it increases risks of soil

contamination and mycotoxins.• Consider a 1.5 to 2cm chop length for easier consolidation.

3. Treating• Minimise losses by choosing an additive for:

• Improving fermentation, and• Reducing heating (aerobic spoilage).

4. Clamping • Fill clamp in layers maximum 15cm deep.• Apply salt into top few inches – they are particularly vulnerable

to heating.• Consolidate to 750kg or more of fresh maize per cubic metre.• Use an oxygen barrier film with polythene sheeting on top

folded with side sheets to create a seal.• Protect with a woven top sheet, weigh down, use a net to stop

birds and bait against rodents.5. Feeding

• Minimise air ingress by using narrow clamps to allow rapidprogression across the face and keep the face tidy.

• Roll the top sheet back – don’t pull it back over the face.• Clean up old silage to minimise contamination from spores.

Source: Volac’s Cut to Clamp initiative for maize

Want more information on making maize silage?Visit: www.cuttoclamp.com/maize-step-1-planning

It’s common to see drinkers at theRadnor Arms in Nunton sitting atthe bar with a pint of beer and aNunton Farm Dairy Free Range Milk bottle.

After supping on an ale, theycan pop outside and top up theirbottle using the Nunton Farm Dairymilk vending machine in thecarpark. It’s proved to be a popularlocation, not only with pub-goersand locals, but also further afield,with 20% of milk buyers travellingup to 20 minutes to get there.

The vending machine is thebrainchild of Wiltshire farmer, JohnMartin, who farms with fatherSimon at Nunton Farm, located afew hundred metres from theRadnor Arms. The pair farm inpartnership with The LongfordEstate near Salisbury. The businessruns across 486ha (1,200 acres) andfarms 800 predominantly BritishFriesian cows. Cows calve in two

equal spring and autumn blocksand yield 6,000 litres a cow a yearat 4.7% fat and 3.6% protein.

Running a low cost, foragefocused system has always been apriority, with attention placed onmilk from forage - a figure that sitsat 45% of production. 31% of thatcoming from grazing.

With this in mind, in John’s finalyear studying Agriculture at ReadingUniversity, he decided to focus hisdissertation on how he might use theforage message to differentiate thefarm’s milk when he returned home.

He explains: “I wanted to lookinto it to see if we could get anyadded value and market our milk asgrazing based.”

Brand

A survey of about 500 shoppersfound that around 85% wouldchoose free-range

milk. However, after contactingseveral processors, it appeared theywere less keen to get involved. John’sconclusion was that selling milk ona small scale and promoting theirown brand was the way forward.

“It’s selling us as a brand andbranding ourselves as free-range.Everything else is sold under abrand, why not milk?” says John.Simon agrees: “Half the problem ismilk is not branded,” he says.“That’s why we end up with acommodity price. Free-range isalmost making it a premium, luxury product.”

The Free Range Dairy PasturePromise scheme stipulates thatcows must be out for 180 days ayear. Both John and Simon areadamant thisis not about

Branding their milk under the Free Range Dairy, Pasture Promise banner and selling milk through two milk vendingmachines, is helping one Wiltshire farm add value to their business, as Aly Balsom reports.

Vending machine outletfor free-range milk

creating a “them and us” culturebetween housed and grazingsystems, highlighting that there willnearly always be times when cowsneed to be housed, including ontheir own system.

Their autumn block are in theshed for about 3-4 months over thewinter, whilst the spring block isout-wintered on deferred grazing.Cows at the start of the spring blockwill be housed for a short time,before being rotationally paddockgrazed. The autumns receive a TMRof maize and grass silage andparlour cake over winter, withsprings getting the same at turnout.

Vending machine sales

The Martins decided to sellpasteurised milk via the machine toavoid the additional testing andpaperwork associated with raw milk.The old milk tank room at the dairywas converted into a pasteurisingroom with cold storage facility, withthe milk tank moved outside.

Milk is collected at morningmilking and pasteurised, beforebeing moved using a box trailer tothe vending machines. This means itcan be in the vending machinewithin two hours of milking,something John says is one of their“biggest selling points”.

The first vending machine wentin at the Radnor Arms in July 2017.

The location was ideal as it requiredno additional planning permission,was located near the farm, hadgood footfall and was in a middleclass, active village.

Sales grew rapidly from £1,500to £4,000-worth within twomonths, largely by word of mouth.The site was so successful that theMartins started to look for a secondlocation. A second machine wassubsequently installed seven milesaway at Bird & Carter Farm Shop.“As far as I’m aware, we’re the firstones to have multiple sites. Or atleast when we first did it,” says

John, who also sells milk to cafesand Hooves for Coffee, mobilecoffee bar.

At present, about 1.2% of thefarm’s total milk production goesthrough the vending machines, withthe rest sold to Wyke Farms.However, the plan isn’t to stopthere. John is currently looking for athird location, within 20 minutesdrive of the farm and 3-4 morewithin five years.

“I’d like every machine to beselling 1% of our total production.That’s about 800-900 litres a week,”he says.

The Radnor Arms pub has proved apopular location for one of John Martins'free-range milk vending machines.

£65,000

£17,000£3,500£5,000

Set up costs

Income

£1.10/ltr£2.001,200 ltr

7,000£5,000

initial investment for one vendingmachine, pasteuriser and set-up.Including incidentals like electrics,buying bottles, branding

cost of vending machine

cost of bottle dispenser

cost of modifying shed to housemilk pasteurising facility

for each reusable glass bottle

sold a week (through twovending machines) - approximate

bottles bought to date

average total sales a month


About 1,200 litres of Nunton Farm Dairy milk is sold every week via two milkvending machines.

Things to think about when installing amilk vending machine• Location is number one - you need passing traffic and the site tobe easily accessible.

• Buy with expansion in mind (pasteuriser and vending machine).

• Approach your Environmental Health Officer at your local councilin the first instance about selling milk via a vending machine.

• Facilities - a food grade room will be needed to handle milkhygienically along with appropriate training.

• A Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Plan (HACCP)document is required. This details the food safety risks on farmand what controls are in place to ensure milk is safe for theconsumer. This can cost about £200 if you employ someone elseto do it.

• Ongoing testing - you will need to pay for routine milk hygienetesting. For the Martins this cost £30/go for three tests. Checkwith your Environmental Health Officer.

• Testing and regulation will be more complex if you choose to sellraw, unpasteurised milk.

• Think about marketing - you will need branding. Social media isa useful tool, with Instagram and Facebook proving particularlyvaluable according to John.

Milk vending machine - the numbers



Soil contamination is often overlooked as a reason for poor forage quality. Luke James reports from a grasslandmachinery event where advice was on offer on how to avoid problems.

Avoiding forage impurities

Ash content may not be the firstcriteria to look at when the silageanalysis report arrives, but as anindicator of soil contamination itshould certainly not be ignored.

If the analysis shows a level inexcess of 10% of the dry matter,this may well point to there being asignificant amount of soil in theforage and a negative impact onfeed quality and even animal health.

Speaking at Kuhn’s GrassMastertraining day at Harper AdamsUniversity ahead of the 2019 forageseason, Southern Area Salesmanager Tim Holliday explained thesignificance of ash content.

“Not all of the ash content isbad, as we need to differentiatebetween internal and externalcomponents,” he said. “Internal ashaccounts for the naturally occurringminerals in the forage, such ascalcium, potassium andphosphorus. These are valuablenutrients, and - in a grass-basedforage - they can typically amountto around 6% of the total drymatter – or as much as 8% in alegume-based forage.

“External ash is the unwantedpart, as this is soil contamination.Apart from offering no nutritionalvalue, the soil may contain harmful

bacteria that can affectsilage quality or

even lead

directly to animal health issues.”For example, clostridia, which is

commonly found in soil, is typicallyassociated with creating a butyricfermentation, resulting in poorpalatability and lower feed value.Listeria is also a soil borne bacteriaand can cause listeriosis in livestock,which can be responsible forconditions such as abortion.

Whilst animal health issues areeasily identifiable, the impact of poorerforage quality may be harder to spot.Nevertheless, the effect on the bottomline is quantifiable, as Kuhn productmanager Joseph Tard explained.

“Research at LWK Weser-Ems inGermany has shown the effect thatsoil contamination has on theenergy content of grass silage andthe subsequent economic impact.The work compared silages with2% and 4% soil contaminationrespectively. The overall energy lossfrom the higher contaminationamounted to 2,000 MJ/ha of feedenergy available for production. Put

into a typical bought-in feed costcontext, this loss could be equated to€44/ha (£38/ha).”

Minimising soil contamination

There are steps that can be takenprior to and during grass harvestingto minimise soil contamination (seebox). Bear in mind that dust can beas big a contributor as clods of earth.

Moving grass into windrows forpick up by the forage harvester orbaler is undoubtedly one of thecommonest sources of soilcontamination, said Tim.

“Even in the flattest of fields andon the driest of days, it’s notuncommon to see a cloud of dustabove the twin or four rotor rake asit speeds around the field in itsquest to stay ahead of the forager.That dust cloud, or the larger lumpsthat are flicked into the swath, areinevitably going to increase the ashcontent of the silage,” he explained.

Belt mergers, exemplified byKuhn’s new Merge Maxx 950, nowoffer a viable alternative to larger

format rakes, and all the evidence is that this technologyoffers a solution to soil contamination and much more.

The Merge Maxx is designed to ensure a clean grasspick-up in order to produce a swathe which is free ofstones, soil or other impurities. It achieves this by followingthe ground contours accurately, despite collecting a 9.5metre expanse of grass in a single pass. This is a result ofthree key design elements: articulated pick-up skids,powerful lift-control springs, and pivot points which providevertical and angled ground clearance. As well as ensuringgood forage quality, less debris within the swathe alsotranslates to less time and money spent on replacing bladesand other working parts on the forage harvester or baler.

“Early adopters of this machine are reportingsignificantly reduced ash content and a reduction in thenumber of stones going through foraging equipment,”reports Tim, “and I’ve even heard stories of it leaving muckresidues on the field when a rake working alongside haspicked up everything off the field and put it into the silage.

“It’s also proving highly efficient in terms of work ratesin comparison with the biggest four rotor rakes. It’s veryadaptable, because of the bi-directional belts, and cancreate swathes to either side or centrally. In the case of lightcrops, such as we are seeing in multi-cut systems, threepasses of the Merge Maxx can collect 27 metres of grassinto a single swathe.”

Tips on avoiding silage soil contamination

In preparation:

• Maintain dense swards with minimal gaps.

• Roll and/or harrow fields to remove mole hills and ruts.

During harvest:

• Avoid harvesting in wet conditions.

• Set mowers to the correct cutting height, and adaptfor conditions.

• Ensure tedders and rakes are set to collect grass and notsoil.

• Adjust operating speeds to suit conditions.

• Avoid driving over mown grass.

• Keep all clamp machinery and clamp apron clean.


Soil contamination will have a significant impact on thefeed value of grass silage, says Joseph Tard of Kuhn.

Forage contamination / soil content2%. 4%

Energy content of silage (MJ NEL/kg DM 6.2 6.0

Energy content (MJ NEL/ha) [10tDM/ha yield] 62,000 60,000

Energy loss (MJ NEL/ha/year) 2,000

Cost of concentrates to replace energy loss €44/ha (£38/ha)

Source: LWK Weser-Ems. NEL = Net feed energy available for lactation

Table: Economic losses due to soil contamination in silage


Make quality your priorityGaining knowledge to help maximise metabolisable energy per hectare (ME/ha) from grassland is one objectiveat Field Options’ long-term mixture trials in Shropshire, as Luke James discovered.

It’s now over twelve years since FrancisDunne of Field Options first beganhis unique approach to grass mixturetesting at Harper Adams University.

Since 2006, the company hasmonitored the performance offorage mixtures to assess howdifferent combinations performunder conditions that are as close aspossible to commercial reality.

The programme, now based atthe Crop and Environment ResearchCentre, is into its third sequence oflong-term trials, with the lessonsfrom earlier research being used toshape the focus for the nexttranche of activity.

“Our overriding objective is tochallenge existing thinking andimprove the performance possiblefrom forage,” explains Francis. “UKfarmers tend to grow mixtures, notusually straight varieties, so ourfocus is on finding the bestcombinations of grasses, or grassesand legumes. And in the latest trialswe’re also including herbs such asplantain and perennial chicory.

“We’re looking at dry matteryield and quality throughout theseason, and we’re also able to makea good assessment of swardpersistency because our plots aremonitored for five years’ productionbeyond the establishment year.”

Francis calculates that at 80%utilisation and a milk price of 26ppl,increasing forage production by just0.5tDM/ha can boost dairy outputby around £250/ha. Improving theME of forage by 0.5MJ/kg wouldadd a further £200/ha. With similargains possible in beef and sheepscenarios, he’s quite clear thatgenerating sustained improvementsin yield and quality should be theprimary objective.

He highlights the following keylessons on maximising ME/ha fromthe 2013-2018 trials programme:

Italian ryegrass or hybridryegrass?

Traditionally a lot of silage leys havebeen designed to maximise the bulk

that can be achieved from a first cutand, with high yields and earlygrowth as the priority, Italianryegrasses have been widely used inthis context. However, whilst earlyseason quality may be acceptable inmost Italian ryegrasses, D-valuetends to fall away later in theseason, potentially undermining theearly season value.

“We found that the average MEof Italian ryegrass mixtures over thefirst two seasons of this trial periodwas 0.65MJ/kg lower than thehybrid ryegrass control,” saysFrancis. “That’s a significantshortfall in energy yield potentialand should be taken into accountwhen planning a quality focusedforage production system.”

Short or medium term leys?

The established knowledge is thatshort-term leys deliver dry matteryields in excess of that achievableby longer-term leys over their 2-3year life, but with modern ryegrass


breeding moving perennials forward does this stillapply? In fact, in the second year of Forage Options’2013-18 trials, the best performing long-term mixturesequalled – or in some cases out yielded – the mixturesformulated for 2-3 year duration.

“The only exception to this result was in mixturescontaining red clover,” adds Francis. “What we foundwas little, if any, yield advantage from shorter-termleys. In addition, the longer-term leys were on averagearound 0.8MJ/kg better in terms of their quality.”

Maintaining a cutting discipline

All the Field Options plots are cut on a 30 day rotation,reflecting the increasingly popular practice of multi-cutsilage making. Over the course of the 2013-18 trialsprogramme, the energy yield from all mixture plotsaveraged just under 12.9 MJ/kg ME.

“Samples are dried immediately after harvest,preserving the potential, so this figure is undoubtedlyhigher than what would be achieved through ensiling,”explains Francis, “but there is a strong message here inthe value of maintaining the discipline of cutting yourcrop at the optimum maturity.”

Ultimately, the most successful forage productionsystem will be a combination of selecting a mixture fitfor purpose and then managing the crop to maximiseits value, keeping quality as the main priority.

“We start by selecting varieties from all breeders,but only those performing in the top 20% on theRecommended Lists, and then try to ensure that theirpotential is fully realised,” concludes Francis. “Withdifferent grass species, legumes and herbs all playingtheir part, it is possible to have quantity and quality,and the gains that are possible from finding the rightcombination are very significant.”

Selecting the right grass type andmaintaining cutting discipline can helpmaximise metabolisable energy perhectare, says Francis Dunne.

LM: How did the Lye Cross Farmcheese brand get started?

NG: The business was founded in 1951 bytwo brothers, John and Sam Alvis. AfterSam returned from World War II, theydecided to pool their resources and form alimited company with a view of producingmilk to make into cheese. This was to addvalue to the milk they were producingfrom their initial 200-300 head of cows.

The business has since expanded so milkis produced by the Lye Cross Farm’s herdof 1,200 mainly Holstein-Friesian dairycows, along with 27 other farms on

contract. We now produce about 4,500tonnes of cheese a year.

LM: 4,500 tonnes is a lot of cheese.How is it sold?

NG: Our focus is on higher retail andselling direct to the consumer via retailers.Our cheese is going to the likes of Waitrose,Marks & Spencer, Aldi, Lidl and Asda. Wedo wholesale to Whole Foods chains, andexport to 40 different countries.

LM: Lye Cross Farm has been in thepress recently for the developmentof the first 100% grass-fed, USDA

Organic cheese sold in the UnitedStates. How did the business goabout identifying this uniquemarket?

NG:We had two suppliers producing milkfrom grass-fed only cows who recognisedthat we could be making better use oftheir milk because it is unique to the UK.We first spoke to the Pasture For LifeAssociation to see what they thought themarket might be for a grass-fed cheese.Whilst they gave us positive feedback, weweren't confident enough that the marketwould be good enough in this country.

We then asked organic customers comingover from America and received a verypositive response. After that initialconversation, those customers conductedsome market research to determine ifthere was a market, what type of productthe market wanted, and how big themarket was.

LM: What has made a British made,grass-fed cheese attractive to the USmarket?

NG: It appears there is a backlash in theUSA against elements of modernagriculture from certain sectors. There is

resistance against the use of glyphosate,genetic modification and growthhormones as examples. It ties in with thatsame sector wanting more natural foodssuch as organic, non-GM and pasture-fed.Cheese made from milk produced fromcows fed a 100% grass diet fits into thiscategory. It is very small in the overallscheme of things, but a niche we as abusiness can supply into and generate aprofit from.

LM: What criteria do your grass-fedcheese suppliers need to follow tomeet USDA Organic standards?

NG: To meet USDA Organic standards,cheese can’t be produced from cowstreated with antibiotics or givenhormones. Only one of our producersneeded to make a management changebecause he had a few cows that neededto be treated with antibiotics for mastitis.Since their milk was no longer allowed in the bulk tank, he now uses them tosuckle calves.

Our site, along with the two individualsupplier farms, had to go through anauditing process to ensure everything was

okay for the USDA Organic standards.Once this was approved, we were ready tostart making cheese.

LM: Do you think the UK dairyindustry and processors need to getbetter at marketing UK farmingpractices to make the most of post-Brexit export opportunities?

NG: I believe the UK consumer isbecoming increasingly aware of wheretheir food comes from. That said, one ofthe key elements in choosing what foodsto buy is cost and that dictates to manywhat gets put in their shopping basket.Provenance and production systemscertainly play a part in consumer decisionsand the more we can promote both to theconsumer the better. It will grow, but whatwe have to remember is the UK has someof the highest food standards in the worldso whatever prompts someone to buysomething different needs to be positivelypromoted. As a business we will continueto promote everything that is good aboutour provenance, our product, our brandand our business values. Hopefully, withall those elements combined we will be

able to take advantage of a morediscerning consumer and continue to buildour business.

LM: Do you think that there is anopportunity for UK farmers toimprove their bottom line bymarketing their own products?

NG: Indeed, but people shouldn't losesight of their core business. If you have250 cows and are doing a good job atthat, in my opinion, focus on farmingbetter to improve technical efficiency. Ifthere is opportunity to do something smallscale, like making ice cream or having amilk vending machine, don’t let it distractyou from your core activity because thesethings are going to take capital to set up.And until you actually go to market withyour product, you don’t increase profit –you increase costs.

It’s essential to get the business modelright before investing. Make sure you havea market, and that it is going to beeconomical and profitable. There's a lot ofpeople with burnt fingers from doingthings because they thought it was a goodidea and it hasn't worked out.


CHEWINGTHE CUDSomerset-based Lye Cross Farm has produced the first 100% grass-fed,certified USDA Organic cheese for the United States. Laura Mushrush speaks tofarm operations director, Nick Green to find out how the Lye Cross Farmbusiness has developed and the scope the grass-fed message has to promoteBritish farming.

Lye Cross Farm makes 4,500 tonnes of cheese a year from milk producedusing organic and conventional farming practices.

Documents

FORAGE 2019 R - Forager Magazine · different leys thanks to the fact all animals are performance recorded. Plantain, sainfoin, Aber High Sugar Grasses and white clover leys have