Grass Quality

The quality of grass is a valuable attribute financially. Higher digestibility grasses drive dry matter intakes optimising animal performance through increased milk production and protein concentration.

Grass quality is defined by DMD or digestibility value. According to Teagasc, each unit DMD results in an extra 0.24 kg milk/cow/day. In financial value, this represents an additional 10c/cow/day. For a 100-cow herd grazing a high digestibility grass for 300 days, this is worth €3,000 in extra milk production compared to a herd grazing conventional grass varieties.

Germinal varieties are highest across all four categories for quality and economic value in Teagasc’s Pasture Profit Index delivering increased farm profitability.