Forage for Knowledge

Make the most of your farm's potential with the latest regional grass growth and quality data and analysis, updates and resources.

Stay updated with the latest regional grass and quality data, including predictions from AFBI’s 7–10 day grass growth model.

Get expert recommendations to optimise pasture management and maximise productivity.

Make informed decisions—whether it’s adding an extra paddock for silage and assessing its impact on demand or ensuring that growth rates align with your needs.

Use the grass growth wedge to identify potential surpluses or deficits, adjusting your strategy accordingly.

Access the Forage For Knowledge database and resources to manage risks effectively and enhance your decision-making process.

Latest grass growth data

Use the interactive dashboard to view the latest regional grass growth and quality data.

Grass growth commentary and advice

Pasture to Profit consultant Piers Badnell will provide comments (usually, every two weeks) throughout the main grass growing season. Read the latest below.

9 July 2026

With hot and dry weather affecting most of the country, the focus returns to minimising heat stress.

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Make sure cows have access to shade, plenty of water and supplementary feed during the cooler parts of the day. Try to minimise the time cows spend in collecting yards.

Now is also a good time to assess your farm’s water supply.

Identify any areas where it’s struggling to cope with demand and make notes so you can plan improvements.

Grass growth outlook

This week’s results have just come in. Scotland, where rainfall and cooler temperatures have continued, is seeing growth rates in the 60 kg DM/ha/day range.

Further south, growth rates are ranging from 6 to 40 kg DM/ha/day and are dropping fast based on the current forecast.

Grass growth will be suffering where temperatures exceed 25°C and soil moisture is limited.

Lengthen the rotation to match lower growth rates. A rotation that’s too short will reduce average cover, damage the plant and slow regrowth when it does rain.

Reducing demand on the grazing platform

With lower grass growth, consider whether demand can be reduced. Could empty cows be sold earlier than planned? Is there an opportunity to graze silage ground?

Grazing silage fields can be tricky where covers are above 3,200 kg DM/ha, but pre mowing can be an effective option. If using this strategy:

Make sure cows have plenty of water
Mow directly in front of the cows so it doesn’t end up as hay
Consider feeding it after the afternoon milking when temperatures are lower
Avoid over-allocating grass, as poor utilisation is usually the result of offering too much rather than pre-mowing itself

Using a sacrifice paddock

If you’re very short of grass and mostly feeding silage, consider feeding in a set holding/sacrifice paddock.

A paddock with low indices is the best choice, as nutrients imported in silage and mixed with cows will improve indices.

Avoid using paddocks that already have high indices, as they will become extremely high.

Where rain has arrived

If you’ve had rain and soil moisture is good, with growth rates of 40–50 kg DM/ha/day, maintaining a grazing rotation of 25 days or more should leave you well positioned to profit from grass.

Disclaimer

This data set includes predictions from AFBI’s 7- and 14-day grass growth model.