4 Steps to Success - Step 3: Plan
Step 3 of our 4-step guide covers planning your grassland management.
Planning
RESEED 15% OF YOUR GRASSLAND EVERY YEAR
Planning to reseed 15% of your grassland every year will ensure complete platform renovation every 6 years.
Grass genetics have changed a lot in the last 20 years - with grasses showing an average year-on-year improvement in yield of 0.5%. The same as livestock genetics - don’t use what’s 30 years old when better is available.
When choosing a grass seed mixture/product, think about what you want the crop to achieve:
- How long will it last? (See the table below for a rough guide)
Spring or autumn sowing?
Will it be cut or grazed? Or both?
How will your field be grazed or cut, including what class of livestock will be using the grass?
Do you need strong ryegrass growth rates early in spring or is late spring feed quality more important? Is autumn growth important?
Do frost/drought/waterlogging/extreme soil conditions etc, need to be taken into account?
How much feed is required in total for the year, to achieve all animal production goals?
What time of year is the feed required?
Will there be periods when fodder flow is interrupted, and how can these gaps be covered?
| Grass mixture types | Typical duration |
| Annual | Less than 1 year |
| Italian Ryegrass | 1 - 2 years |
| Short Rotation | 2-4 years |
| Long Rotation | 5+ years |
| Perennial | 8+ years |
WHAT TO SOW
DIPLOID V TETRAPLOID - Think, D for diploid and density, T for tetraploid and tasty!
Deciding between a diploid and tetraploid can be difficult/confusing.
Below we’ve detailed some differences between a diploid and a tetraploid to help you decide which one (or both) is the right fit for your production goals.
Diploid plants have higher tiller density, making them more resilient; tetraploids are larger and more palatable plants.
These little powerhouses have their own unique benefits and that's why we use diploids and tetraploids in combination to create the perfect balance for grass farmers.
Diploids have 2 sets of chromosomes and tetraploids have 4 sets of chromosomes forms. In general, tetraploid varieties are larger plants with wider leaves and higher water-soluble carbohydrate content, meaning improved digestibility, intake, utilisation and animal performance.
A lower tiller density makes tetraploids more clover friendly in a mixture. As diploids have a higher tiller density it makes them more robust to hoof traffic and weather conditions, as well as more competitive with weeds. Used together in a mixture, diploids and tetraploids provide the best of both worlds.
DIPLOIDS:
- More dense pasture
- More forgiving under grazing in stress environments
- More competitive with weeds
Improved persistence
TETRAPLOIDS:
- More palatable (higher soluble carbohydrate)
- Improved & faster digestibility (higher cell content ratio)
- Improved utilisation & intake
- Improved animal production
- More clover friendly (10% more clover)
- Visually more impressive.
If you are still undecided, you could go for a mixture - giving you the best of both worlds. Whatever route you choose, make sure the seed you pick is able to meet your needs. There can be a big difference in the quality of mixture ranges available. Try to choose products or mixtures that contain grasses which feature on national recommended lists. This will make sure you get the latest varieties, that will be high performing.
Once you’ve picked your grass seed mixture, the next step is to create a grassland management plan and decide when would be the best time to take a field out of rotation to sow. Grass seed can be sown at anytime from April to September - ideally when the soil is moist or when rain is forecast and the weather is frost free. If possible keep animals off as long as possible to enable establishment and manage the swards effectively - see Step 4 for other top tips.
Sown Species Guide
There are over 10,000 species of grass in the world. Ryegrass is the best option for high quantity and quality production of forage in the UK, and some other useful species are listed here as well.
If you need more grass advice specific to your needs and situation, get in touch.
Perennial ryegrass remains the most popular grass for pastoral agriculture in the UK. But there are many other species that the farming sector relies on including clover, herbs, brassicas, and other grasses. Other species can be used to fill gaps in the farm fodder flow, reduce fertiliser inputs, improve soil structure, provide biodiversity, and thrive in conditions where ryegrasses struggle.
All ryegrasses are capable of producing high yields of high quality grass for cattle grazing. They can be used for both cutting and grazing. Ryegrass varieties are either diploid or tetraploid forms.
Perennial Ryegrass - Lolium perenne
Annual Meadow-grass is a low-growing grass which is a light green colour. The most commonly sown type of ryegrass. For use in pastures that will be in for 5+ years.
Dark green and glossy, tufted growth habit. Folded shoot and leaves.
Flowering Head: Flattened spike with the spikelets arranged alternately on opposite sides of the stem. The spikelets are stalk-less with the narrow, rounded face fitting against the stem.
Leaf Blade: Ribbed on upper surface, smooth and shiny underside. Red at base of stem.
Auricles & Ligule: Auricles are usually well developed, up to 1/12 of an inch (2mm) long, or are sometimes lacking.
Italian Ryegrass - Lolium multiflorum
Italian ryegrasses are generally used for 2 years, making them very useful in shorter rotations.
Italians produce more dry matter than perennials, but have lower tiller density, so are well suited to cutting or intensive grazing situations.
A brighter green than perennials, densely or loosely tufted. Similar to perennials but leaves are rolled and not folded. Tends to be larger and more densely tufted than ryegrass.
Leaf Blade: Ribbed on upper surface, smooth below. Red at base.
Auricles & Ligule: Narrow, spreading, prominent when old. Small, 2mm. Blunt.
Hybrid Ryegrass - Lolium x boucheanum
A cross of perennial and Italian ryegrasses, hybrid ryegrass generally persists for 3-5 years, depending on parentage.
Hybrids can extend the grazing season with increased production in the spring and autumn shoulders, and also generally produce more biomass than perennials.
Westerwold - Lolium mul. westerwoldicum
Westerwolds are an annual ryegrass that have a 12 month +/- lifespan, and produce lots of biomass within their time.
They have rapid germination and emergence, making them useful for sowing immediately after another crop, and rapid growth when biomass is required in short order.
An annual ryegrass. Recent breeding advances in the development of quality Westerwold varieties mean it is now a serious option for UK farmers.
Westerwold annual ryegrass is an ecotype of Italian ryegrass selected for earliness and is not botanically different from Italian ryegrass and its characteristics are also similar.
Timothy - Phleum pratense
Modern timothys are bred to have softer leaves and higher palatability than older varieties.
Generally light green or greyish-green. Flattened shoot.
Flowering Head: Dense cylindrical spike. Spikelets are small, single flowered and tightly packed; green, often tinted pink or white.
Leaf Blade: Flattened Broad leaves. Smooth, double rib down the centre. Boat shaped at tip.
Auricles & Ligule: Small and spreading, minutely hairy. Short, 2mm. Finely serrated.
Cocksfoot - Dactylis glomerata
Modern cocksfoot varieties are finer leaved and have a more spreading growth habit that older varieties.
Often bluish-green in colour, leaves emerge from the basal growing point folded flat.
One-sided, distinctive flower/feather-like seed head. Spikelets are small flattened and condensed into oval shaped clusters.
Auricles & Ligule: Dull leaf, flattened, wide and flat.
Tall Fescue - Festuca arundinacea
Tall, tufted perennial. Short bristles along edge of collar.
Leaf Blade: Broad green leaves, fringed auricle and strongly ribbed leaves, glossy lower surface.
Auricles & Ligule: Small and spreading, minutely hairy. Short, 2mm. Finely serrated.
Chicory - Chicorium intybus
A herb with salad-like leaves, and blue flowers.
Has very good nutritional quality, and can be used to finish fattening animals.
Often used in a mix with grass to augment pasture quality and provide biodiversity.
Has a very deep taproot which can help to improve soil structure and drainage, and access water and nutrients below the grass root zone. Has anthelmintic properties.
Plantain - Plantago lanceolata
A perennial herb with a deep tap root, making it tolerant to dry conditions.
The taproot can improve soil structure and drainage, and brings up minerals from below the root zone that augment a ruminant diet.
Plantain has high digestibility and palatability. Also known as ribwort plantain.
White & Red Clover
Clovers fix nitrogen in the soil and are a valuable contributor to high quality pastures. The amount of N fixed depends on several factors including clover species, soil temperature, amount of artificial nitrogen present, and rainfall. Adding clover to grassland can increase sward digestibility and protein levels.
White Clover - Trifolium repens
A perennial legume with round trifoliate leaves. Spreads vegetatively using stolons - above-ground branches that provide sites for new leaves, roots, and flowers. White clovers have a low growing point making them very well suited to grazing.
Red Clover - Trifolium pratense
A perennial legume that typically lasts for 2 - 4 years. Oval leaves, an upright growth habit, and a strong deep tap root. Red clovers are larger and taller than white clover, and are excellent at attracting pollinators. Their growing point is higher up the plant and they are less tolerant of close or constant grazing, making red clovers more suited to cutting systems. With proper management, red clover can persist for 5+ years. In older varieties, high levels of phytoestrogens should be avoided in pregnant animals.
