Industry concerns grow over increase in 'ageing grassland'

Published on Monday 23 November 2009 21:20

SCOTTISH livestock producers are losing out by not paying more attention to the grass they grow. This week the Scottish Seed Trade Association, which represents the grass seed trade, expressed its concern over the increasing acreage of "ageing grassland".

This was an issue according to Andrew Best, of Watson Seeds, who stated that older grass swards had bigger percentages of non-productive and often unpalatable weeds in their mix.

The SSTA's concern was triggered by figures from the Scottish Government June census which showed the acreage of grass under five years old had decreased by 18 per cent in the past decade and they wanted to see that trend reversed. Best pointed out that trial work had shown that sown grass over eight years old had a larger percentage of weeds than productive grass.

Following the massive rise in the cost of nitrogenous fertilisers last year, there has been far more emphasis on including clover in grass mixtures. A clover rich sward can add between 150 to 200kgs of natural nitrogen to simultaneously boost yield and reduce expenditure.

Best said he was also concerned with a trend where he is now seeing more and more grass swards suffering from low lime levels. Again this increases the likelihood of poorer species coming into the mix.

Watsons have just completed their forage trials and through trialling differing percentages of kale and swedes they have come up with a mix that has produced an average of 10 tonnes of dry matter per hectare. Production costs worked out at around 35 per tonne, approximately half the cost of feed barley.

The crop is grazed off and there are savings through not having to provide winter housing with all the attendant costs.