25 minute read
FODDER CROPS
With feed prices on the rise, farmers could well be looking at expanding their home-grown protein sources by looking at alternative forage and fodder crops over the coming years.
58 TRIAL RESULTS
Compostable plastic and undersowing maize 60 GROWING PROTEIN
Lucerne and red clover favoured at Harper 64 LIGHT LEVELS
A look at how maize has fared this year
Dry cows out-wintered on fodder beet.
Adry autumn and limited grass growth, coupled with high bought-in feed prices, are making dairy producers consider how they can best increase output from their forage-growing area.
Limagrain’s John Spence suggests throwing the net a bit wider and looking at some high feed value spring-sown crops.
“ ese include kale rape hybrids, new bounce-back brassicas and fodder beet,” he says, adding they can all provide a high feed value crop and give the grass rotation a valuable break.
“ e starting point when it comes to crop planning in spring is deciding which grass swards need a ention, as on most dairy farms this is the staple crop.”
A good rst cut of grass silage, taken in the rst two weeks of May from a high yielding conservation ley, should yield six tonnes of dry ma er per hectare.
Limagrain published data from grass seed mixture trials across four consecutive years, from 2017 to 2020, which showed at least this level of yield in commercially available conservation mixtures. But, regardless of mixture, yield and quality declined year-on-year.
Mr Spence says: “Overall we recorded a reduction in yield of 5t/ha of DM from the peak in year one to year four, representing a 40% drop; 5t of DM would provide the energy to produce £3,280 worth of milk based on a milk price of 30ppl.
“Estimated reseeding costs are £430-£700/ha, so it o ers a clear return on investment. So pu ing up with poor grass is a false economy.”
A spring- or summer-sown forage crop can be a useful circuit breaker between grass crops for grassland pests, particularly in the light of the pesticide ban on grassland. ese fast-growing, high-yielding forages, such as a forage brassica crop, for grazing in mid to late summer when grass gets short,
Spring-sown crops, which provide a high feed value forage, could present an attractive option when planning next year’s forage. Dairy Farmer reports.
Spring-sown fodder crops meet the challenges
are appealing on many farms, says Mr Spence.
Hybrid brassicas and forage rape are sown from May until July. ey grow fast and are typically ready to graze in 12-14 weeks.
Mr Spence says: “ ese crops have deep roots, so they are ideal if it is dry – the sort of conditions we are seeing more o en. ey are typically grazed in situ, so nutrients and organic ma er are returned to the land which boosts soil fertility.”
Feed value is good too, particularly if high value varieties are used. In Limagrain eld trials, where a wide range of commercially available, rape/kale hybrids were compared, the highest relative DM crops yielded 11% and 17% above the control, and o ered top scores for mildew resistance too.
Mr Spence says kale crops can also be sown across a few months too, and they provide an additional forage crop into autumn and winter. Like all brassicas, it has a high protein content, but it will outyield the hybrids. Kale is relatively economical to grow.
Another good spring-sown crop which can withstand drought and provide a summer forage supplement for dairy ca le is the unique bounce-back brassica Skyfall.
Mr Spence says: “Already very successful in sheep systems, it is gaining momentum for dairy and beef systems.”
Like rape kale hybrids, it has a wide sowing window from May to July and is ready to graze within 12 weeks.
Regrowth
Mr Spence says: “It has large strap leaves, which look like stubble turnip leaves, and roots which are deep and elongated – more like a forage rape root – which promotes the crop’s regrowth and drought tolerance.
“A er grazing, the crop is then closed up for four weeks to enable the regrowth before grazing again.
“We have seen three grazing rounds from each crop, with earlier sown crops showing the most bounce-back potential.”
At the end of summer, once these crops are grazed o , the land can be ploughed, and a grass or winter cereal crop sown. Or the land can be le for reseeding until the following spring to ensure a break in the pest cycle.
Fodder beet is another springsown crop with very high feed value. Alongside maize, it is energy rich and provides a palatable ‘powerhouse’ in dairy rations.
While Mr Spence suggests light to medium free-draining soils are most suited to growing fodder beet, it will also thrive on a wide range of soil types.
He says: “It is a crop which is well suited to the UK climate. It will produce consistent yields in wet or dry conditions, so our drier summers are not too much of a threat to this crop.”
For the past ve years, Limagrain has been exporting fodder beet seed to New Zealand for grazing dairy ca le – both milkers and youngstock.
Mr Spence says: “It has taken o among milk producers who
Dairy cows in a field of kale.
Yields and feed value based on Limagrain field trials
Crop Feed value Feed value Feed value Merits ME (MJ/kg (DM tonnes (CP %) dry matter) per hectare)
Fodder beet 12.5-13.5 15-18 12-13 rHigh energy rConsistent yields rVersatile use through autumn and winter rHighly palatable
Bounce-back 10 9.55* 17-18 rRegrowth potential brassica Summer catch crop (Skyfall) rHigh protein
Kale 10-11 8-10 16-17 rFlexible utilisation – summer and winter rHigh yielding and high protein content
Kale rape 10 4-5 19-20 rFast growing, fresh leafy crop mid hybrid to late summer rHigh protein content
Fodder beet is a spring-sown crop with very high feed value.
JOHN SPENCE
graze the crop in situ. ey use the same varieties as we grow here and, as in the UK, the maritime climate suits the crop.
“But consider the land type rst for out-wintering grazing systems. Heavy, wet land can make moving fences daily, or every few days, hard work. But where it will work, producers can place fresh silage bales at the end of rows and create a sort of ‘in situ’ total mixed ration [TMR] and we see ca le thrive on this diet.”
Areas where beet li ing equipment is available lend themselves to using the crop in TMR systems. It can be li ed and clamped and used through winter.
Varieties with medium DMs, with 60% of the root out of the ground, are best suited to dairy systems, either for using in the TMR or for grazing. Popular varieties in dairy systems are Robbos or Blaze.
Mr Spence says: “ ere are some very good options for spring-sown forages. I would encourage some research and looking at the suitability of each crop for the farm and system, and also to be discerning in the choice of variety for each crop.
Progress
“ ere has been signi cant progress in feed value between varieties and some modern choices boast much be er feed values, which will be welcome news for many producers looking to maintain or improve cost of milk production.”
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Preliminary results from one of the first trials to focus on undersowing grass with maize under biodegradable film were relayed to growers at a recent Hutchinsons open day in Cumbria. Wendy Short reports.
Undersowing maize trial work
The drive to minimise plastic use in agriculture prompted a trial which compared a 0.5-metre single-row lm system with the standard 1.4m double-row arrangement and which used a new, compostable lm.
Covering a 12-hectare (30-acre) area at the trials site near Carlisle, the narrow rows were found to reduce lm usage from 68% to just 43%. e plot was undersown with grass using a Zocon drill and received a pre-emergence herbicide, said Hutchinsons agronomist Jim Clark. e lm was the Samco product, Mater-Bi, which is a fully biodegradeable and compostable bioplastic.
Mr Clark said: “A herbicide was applied six weeks post-maizedrilling and the grass was sown a er it had taken action. It was easier to sow the grass between the narrow lm strips and access would also have been improved if subsequent weed control had been necessary.
“ e grass chi ed successfully, although there was a slight growth check due to the residual herbicide action. A variety of di erent grass species was used for the undersowing, with the Westerwolds ryegrass and mixes containing a high percentage of fescues appearing to be the least a ected by scorching.
“We can be certain that herbicide was responsible for the damage, as untreated plots were unharmed.
“ e nal results will not be available until a er harvest and next year these plots will be expanded.
“As undersowing increases in popularity, it is important we improve our understanding of weed control, because maize plants do not respond well to early competition.
“It could be argued that a post-emergence herbicide treatment should be omi ed, but it is usually necessary in elds which have followed grass or cereals; the trial plots had previously been in grass.”
No discernible di erences had been noted between the bioplastic and the standard lm product, he added.
“One of the issues was whether the bioplastic would last for the required six weeks and it ful lled expectations this year. e maize has responded well to the system, but the new product is admi edly more expensive compared with standard lm.”
JIM CLARK
Starter fertiliser trial results
JMr Clark gave an overview of the 2020 maize trials results on starter fertilisers. A variety of options had been used on the site, which has a medium loam soil at an altitude close to sea level.
The products were applied using a drill which had been fitted with a micro-granular applicator. They included the di-ammonium phosphate product, Primary-P, as well as Biolite, a granular incineration by-product with high levels of phosphate and which also contains citrate, sulphur, potash and a range of trace elements.
Mr Clark said: “The aim was to determine whether phosphatebased starter fertilisers can help to offset the potential limitations associated with marginal areas where maize is grown under film.
Establishment
“A starter fertiliser is not routinely applied when establishing maize on this system, because it is assumed that the microclimate will lift temperatures and make soil nutrients more readily available to the emerging seedlings.
“All of the plots which received a starter fertiliser showed greater early vigour compared with the untreated maize and test digs highlighted significant benefits to early root development.
“This could be particularly relevant in crops grown in marginal regions or where sowing is late. There is a finite amount of phosphate in the immediate seed environment and it is needed for root development in particular. Research has shown starter fertilisers in general can bring harvest dates forward by about a week.”
The freshweight yield was highest in the control plot, which received no starter fertiliser. However, the Primary-P produced one of the highest starch figures of 35%, with starch in the Biolitetreated crops at 26%. The Biolite and Primary-P lifted the yield dry matter percentages by 3.2% and 3.1%, respectively, and by up to 16.9 tonnes DM/ hectare DM (6.8t DM/acre).
Yield increase
In financial terms, the Biolite application yield increase of 0.54t/ha (0.21t/ acre) improved profitability by £70.20/ha (£28.40/ acre), based on a maize price of £130/t DM. Meanwhile, the yield increase for the Primary-P was 0.52t/ha (0.21t/ acre), producing a £33.60/ha (£13.60/acre) margin.
The plot was undersown with grass using a Zocon drill.
Jim Clark
Environmental concerns over the growing of maize in relation to soil erosion and general soil health have led to criticism over the practice of leaving land bare over winter a er harvest, said Mr Clark.
“Undersowing is one solution, but we need to know more about best management practices. at would include advice for growers in marginal areas who grow maize under lm to secure their harvests, although the system will not suit every farm.
“Undersowing also has the advantage that the grass which
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remains a er the maize has been harvested can be used for sheep grazing over winter.”
Seed rates for the undersown grass seed varied from 7.4kg/ha (3kg/acre) to 14.8kg/ha (6kg/ acre), 21kg/ha (8.5kg/acre) and 35kg/ha (14kg/acre), he said.
“As expected, the highest seed rate produced the best results in terms of grass cover.
“Nevertheless, economics also have to be considered and it was concluded that the 8.5kg/ acre rate o ered the most suitable compromise.”
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As a sustainable source of home-grown protein, lucerne and red clover tick a lot of boxes at Harper Adams University’s dairy farm. Katie Jones reports. Sustainable homegrown protein key at Harper Adams
Rising input costs are well-documented at the moment and, at Harper Adams University’s dairy farm, the focus now is very much on home-grown protein with a close eye on cost and carbon e ciency implications.
Chris Ru ey, assistant farm manager at Harper Adams, says that 12 months ago concentrate protein prices were about £230/tonne, but for the next six months the farm will be paying at least £280/t. is, he says works out at an extra £3,000 per month on the feed bill just from price increases of a single ingredient: “We need to mitigate this price rise as much as we can. For us home-grown protein is important not only because of rising costs, but also from a carbon perspective.
“It ticks a lot of boxes for us when you start to look at the environmental bene ts from a carbon sequestration point of view.”
Protein
At Harper Adams, much of this home-grown protein for the dairy herd will come from crops of lucerne and red clover.
Mr Ru ey says he is aiming to put between eight and 10 hectares (20-25 acres) of lucerne in each year, with crops being cut up to four times a year.
Key to success, says Mr Ru ey is establishment.
He says: “You get one chance to get it right, so establishment is key. We drill lucerne a er a winter forage crop.
“We will burn the stubble o , at li it, disc it and follow on with the power harrow to level it. We then leave it for a few weeks, then spray any weeds o . It is important to get a stale seedbed before drilling.”
Ben Wixey, national agricultural sales manager at Germinal, says that as the seed is relatively small it only needs to be drilled to a depth of 1cm.
He says: “It needs good seed to soil contact, so we advise it needs to be well rolled.”
Weed control options are limited,
If any bare patches appear Mr Ruffley sometimes overseeds these with red clover.
Chris Ruffley
RESOLUTE
STANDING TA
but Mr Wixey says that once the legume crop is established there should be limited problems with weeds anyway.
However, he adds it is not a suitable crop for all farms. “It is not right for every soil, and while it can be grown on heavier soils, it is important they are free-draining. It will not stand its feet being wet.
“It needs a pH of 6.2 or above, and P and K levels need to be good. However, once it is established it just grows and grows.”
It can be cut every four to six weeks during the peak growing season, but it does have a big potash requirement to keep it going.
Potash
Mr Wixey says: “It needs 30kg potash for every tonne of dry ma er [DM] which is taken o . It will yield about 10-12t DM/ha/year, so it does require large amounts of potash. But most farms where it is grown, like here at Harper, will have muck.”
One of the bene ts of lucerne is its ability to nd moisture due to its deep tap root, which Mr Wixey says means it will keep on growing even when grass slows up.
He says it is a phenomenal source of protein, coming in at about 19-21% protein of the total DM, and also has the ‘scratch factor’ from the bre in the stem, which helps keep the rumen healthy. is, he adds, really di erentiates lucerne from high quality grass silage.
He adds: “It is a good alternative to perennial ryegrass, but it should be noted that it is not as versatile as a ryegrass. You do have to mow it, and while it can be grazed, if doing so it is important not to take it down to the crown, which will cause lasting damage.”
Mr Ru ey says he aims to mow it down to about 7-10cm, and he uses a mower with rubber rollers, rather than a metal conditioner which would damage the lucerne leaf.
He says: “We mow it into swaths, and then on the following day we will leave it alone and avoid tedding it as this can lead to leaf sha er.
“On day three we like to row it up very early in the morning when there is still a dew on it to keep the crop together before harvesting it that same day.”
Chop length should be about 20mm, and the use of a good additive is advised to help bring the pH
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down quickly. Clamping is done the same as it would be for grass silage.
Mr Wixey says it can be baled but he would advise using more layers of wrap as it can be spikey.
He adds that it is not a crop that likes to be driven over in wet conditions, which can result in problems with compaction.
Mr Ru ey says he is feeding 10kg freshweight of lucerne silage in the dairy cow diet, along with 10kg of grass silage and 28kg of maize.
Some of the elds of lucerne at Harper have been in for up to ve years, and Mr Ru ey says the crop persists well.
However, if any bare patches do appear he will sometimes overseed these with red clover.
He says: “We would use red clover in these situations as you can not drill lucerne into lucerne. e red clover has a good ability to ll in any gaps, and will also yield well.”
High sugar
Elsewhere on-farm, Mr Ru ey is growing red clover on its own. Mr Wixey explains it is more usual to grow red clover within a high sugar grass ley.
He says: “ is is purely red clover and, while it is more di cult to manage growing it this way, the feed it provides is like rocket fuel.”
e variety grown at Harper is AberClaret, which Mr Wixey says has been bred to have a slightly lowered crown, which means it can last for about four or ve years.
Mr Ru ey says establishment is similar to that of lucerne, with a stale seedbed key. He aims to cut and clamp it at a similar time to the lucerne and will take three or four cuts a year from it. e main di erence is the ability to put some stock on it in autumn for grazing.
He says: “ ere probably will not be enough on this crop for a fourth cut, so we will end up grazing this with some sheep, using lambs rather than ewes.
“We will aim to get them on and o relatively quickly, but the lambs will do well on it.”
As well as being a good source of protein, typically yielding 15-20% crude protein, Mr Ru ey says it is a good crop to help the university farm integrate the sheep ock into some of the land which was traditionally just used as silage ground for the ca le.
He says: “We do not want to have to use big areas of land solely for sheep grazing, so this is a good way of integrating arable/silage areas with grazing and making the ground work harder for us.”
The farm has an aim of putting between eight and 10 hectares (20-25 acres) of lucerne in each year.
Ben Wixey Harper Adams University vision for net zero
JProf Michael Lee, deputy vice-chancellor at Harper Adams University, explains the university has pledged to become the first net zero mixed crop-livestock farm to support the delivery of the sustainability aims set out in the university’s strategic plan and in its agreed environmental strategy.
Initiative
He says this includes the development of the new ‘school of sustainable food and farming’, supported by Morrisons and the NFU.
He says: “Farming which will deliver highly nutritious food while capturing carbon from the atmosphere through soil management and plant growth define net zero farming.
“One example being assessed at Harper Adams University Farm, supported by Germinal, and will be showcased at COP26 as part of the ‘image of climate innovation’, is the intercropping of maize and lucerne.
“Intercropping will reduce input costs and emissions through protecting soil, reducing tractor fuel use and provide two crops from where one previously grew.”
This summer’s lower than average light levels have affected forages considerably but maize crops in most parts of the country have harvested well and could play a vital role in boosting energy levels in rations this year. Dairy Farmer finds out more.
Low light levels bring unique ration challenges
Dairy and livestock producers could nd themselves leaning heavily on maize this year to boost vital energy in rations following lower than average light levels throughout the summer, says Wilson
Hendry of forage specialist
Grainseed.
He adds that most maize crops looked promising but grass quality has been hit hard by the relatively poor conditions.
“Last year’s maize harvest started early due to lack of rain in the late summer, but this year’s harvesting started at the more traditional time of mid-September and most plants reached maturity and the desired dry ma er (DM) naturally,” says Mr Hendry.
“Summer 2021 has been characterised by signi cantly lower than average sunlight with areas in central and eastern England receiving only 75 – 80% of the 30-year average sunshine dur-
ation recorded by the Met o ce.
“Many people in these areas
Early maturing varieties performed well
JWhere early and ultra early maize, varieties such as ES Tommen, ES Lovely and Bonnie have been grown, yields and quality are generally good, says Mr Hendry.
“Starch contents of up to 35% and freshweight yields in excess of 17 tonnes per acre have been recorded, so this will typically be material with a metabolisable energy of about 11.5 mj/kgDM which is ideal for high output dairy and beef production.
“It is not the same situation for grassland with the low light levels this summer really taking their toll.
“Mid-September figures from AHDB’s ‘Forage for Knowledge’ resource, for example, suggested average daily grass growth rates fell by 7.5kg DM/ hectare to 36.1kg DM/ha in comparison to the five-year average for the time of year of 43.4kg/ha.
“More worryingly, the daily growth rate on September 11 was significantly lower than last year’s 62.2kg DM/ha per day and this trend continued to the end of the month. That said, many producers did manage to take high volume cuts earlier in the season but quality is variable.
Balance
“The challenge now is to balance up all these forages to make sure as much use of home-grown resources is made as possible.”
For maize growers with high yields of maize it could be a good idea to up its proportion from 50% of total forage fed so grass silage stocks are extended and overall forage quality fed, particularly energy, are increased, Mr Hendry says.
“In most circumstances this will not be a problem, but if you have got higher dry matter material you need to make sure the average ration dry matter stays around 50%.
“It is also a good idea to carry out regular feed analysis of both maize and grass forages so rations can be fine-tuned to deliver high energy without any potential metabolic issues.”
Wilson Hendry of forage specialist Grainseed says most maize crops looked promising.
have moved towards ‘bred for Britain’ earlier maize varieties in recent years and these require fewer heat units than traditional high yielders to mature and nish properly, so the impact of the recent challenging conditions will be limited for them.
“But producers relying on silage and grazing land that has not been reseeded recently could nd the photosynthetic e ciency of their leys to have been fairly low and this will be a ecting sugar production and energy yields considerably.
“Equally, growers sticking with later maize varieties in the hope of higher overall yields, could nd themselves waiting for their crops to catch up and ultimately nding these have not produced as much energy and starch as they would have hoped.”
Get ready for 2022
JAs well as focusing how best to feed this year’s maize crops to best advantage, producers should be thinking forward to next season and considering cover crops where winter cereal crops are not being drilled, says Grainseed technical director Neil Groom.
He adds: “Whatever you do, it is generally now considered bad practice to leave any bare stubbles over the winter where soil is left
Grainseed technical director Neil Groom. exposed to the elements.
“Many mixed farms will drill winter wheat straight into the maize stubble and the resulting wheat crops are usually good.
“Drilling conditions have been generally good during the early autumn, but if conditions get wetter, then a deep tine cultivator can be used to rectify any soil damage from trailers on headlands and gateways.
“Where winter cereals are not being grown, then drilling Westerwolds, Italian ryegrass or grazing rye are good options for giving an early bite to stock next spring.
Germinate
“Growing a winter cover crop also keeps soils biologically active and seeds will germinate and grow quickly in the warm soil.
“Grazing rye will be the fastest to establish since it has a larger seed and will form a good robust plant over winter.”
If returning the field back to maize, then grazing the field in the spring rather than trying to take a cut of silage is best, he advises.
“Grass can easily take all the winter rainfall that the maize needs to establish and therefore the risk of uneven and poor establishment of the subsequent maize crop can be the result.”
Are new ‘low light’ maize varieties a realistic proposition?
JTrials with maize varieties of strikingly different plant architecture to those UK producers are used to could point the way to improving light capture in the crop, says Mr Groom.
“2021’s lower than average summer light levels have again brought the relationship between light radiation and heat units and its role in delivering full maize maturity to the fore.
“Ironically, the parts of the UK which have the lowest levels of heat units also have some longest day lengths in the country.
“So, if we could improve light capture and increase the rate of photosynthesis, the greater the opportunities for high quality forage production in areas which are currently outside the main maize production regions.”
He says five high light utilisation efficiency varieties have been under analysis by Grainseed, with varying amounts of promise shown.
“Some have less leaf above the cob and others carry the cobs slightly higher so more light can get to them,” adds Mr Groom.
“There is a lot of work to do, but indications are that the plants are less bulky than we are used to, allowing higher plant densities to be used before overall light capture and energy/ha is compromised.”
