‘Your Future Grass’ is how Barenbrug UK describes its participation at this year’s Sustainable Grass & Muck event, to be held at Aberystwyth University Farm, Trawsgoed on Thursday 30th May 2024.
The seed company, which draws on its global grass genetics to develop and breed ‘UK-first’ varieties – those possessing traits ideally suited to UK conditions and the requirements of its farmers – will be displaying its latest varieties and mixtures on stand, and in the field.
“Barenbrug has always been very clear about what’s needed for a grass variety to become a success in the UK,” says Roger Bacon, Regional Agriculture Manager for North England and Wales at Barenbrug UK.
“It needs to be UK-bred, trialled in the UK, and ultimately – the most important aspect – a variety that will meet the characteristics of UK farming and the needs and expectations of its farmers.”
Often even UK-specific isn’t enough, says Mr Bacon, with some of the company’s varieties tailored to perform even more favourably for specific regions. “What works for a dairy farmer in Cornwall isn’t always going to be the same for, say, a dairy herd in south-west Wales, let alone what growers in Scotland and Northern Ireland are looking for,” he points out.
Perennial ryegrass Galgorm, for example, is one of the latest varieties to emerge from the 30-year collaboration between Barenbrug and AFBI. An intermediate diploid, it was extensively trialled at more than 10 locations across the UK to understand its performance under different climates, and is noted as a robust choice for Wales.
“It’s become recognised as a terrific performer under both cutting and grazing management,” notes Roger, “as well as being the highest yielding intermediate on both the UK official recommended lists.
“Similarly, Seagoe and Fintona – both high-yielding tetraploids – also have a lot to offer. Seagoe copes remarkably well with the ‘crown-rust friendly’ warm wet summers often typical of south Wales, thanks to exemplary resistance scores. Fintona is one of the highest yielding perennial ryegrasses listed in the UK, offering outstanding quality and quantity in spring grazing.”
All three varieties will be within mixtures on display at Grass & Muck.
Demos will show the performance of varieties in mixtures. “Mixtures are key to delivering a good sward: winter tolerance, persistence, resilience in dry periods, speed of spring growth – those are just a few of the factors we consider when we develop a grass-seed mixture,” Roger notes.
“When properly constituted, a mixture should amplify the individual characteristics of each component, producing a sward that is more than just the sum of its parts,” he continues, “and we’ll have several examples of mixtures, such as BarForage Combi – one of our biggest sellers across Wales – to view during the tours at Grass & Muck.”
The Barenbrug team will be on hand to discuss current varieties, as well as new ones such as the intermediate tetraploid Tollymore. A recent addition to the English & Welsh, and Scottish, Recommended Lists, Tollymore’s been described by early trial growers as ‘exceptional’. Other BarForage mixtures in the field include Prota Sile, Winter Cover and High D Italian. The team will also be handing out copies of its new Grassland Management Guide and offering advice on grazing and first-cut silage queries following the wet winter.
“Feel free to take some pictures of any fields that are giving you a ‘grass headache’, for whatever reason, and share them with the team on the day,” invites Roger. “We’ll be happy to provide some insight and suggest some possible remedies to get them back on track and ease those headaches.”
The 2024 Sustainable Grass & Muck Event is held in the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s ‘Feature County’ of 2024, Ceredigion, at Aberystwyth University Farm, Trawsgoed, on Thursday 30th May 2024.
Of which Barenbrug UK along with our long-term collaborators CCF Farm & Country - Gwlad a Fferm will be attending as Gold sponsors!
For more information: https://rwas.wales/grasslandevent/
