Grazing Season 2023 – Have you got the right tools for the job?

With the 2023 grazing season now underway, this is an ideal time to review last year’s grazing and nutrient performance on the farm. If you have not already done so, take the time to identify where things could be improved and what changes could be adopted this year. These changes could prove to be the vital link between grass growth, utilisation, and profitability on the farm.

AHDB have a broad range of tools available to help you with decision-making and support you throughout the season. Alongside Forage for Knowledge, here are a few that might help you during the grazing season.

AHDB Grazing & Forage Year Planner

If you are introducing changes to grazing management or silage-making this season, this planner is a helpful tool to ensure you are doing the right jobs at the right time. It also helps with the foresight of the season and what decisions will need to be made in the coming weeks.

WeatherHub

For anyone involved in agriculture, adapting to unexpected changes in the weather is a constant challenge. Use the AHDB WeatherHub to stay up to date with the latest advice on planning for and coping with weather events of all kinds. The AHDB WeatherHub includes information on air temperatures, rainfall, relative humidity, sunshine duration, wind speed, soil moisture, soil temperature and solar radiation.

WeatherHub tools can also be used to assist with pest, disease, and soil management decisions.

GrassCheckGB

The GrassCheckGB project is run by CIEL (Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Livestock), AFBI (Agri-Food and Bioscience Institute) and Rothamsted Research, with support from AHDB, HCC (Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales) and QMS (Quality Meat Scotland), and further sponsorship from industry partners. As part of the project, they have developed a grass growth model, with regional 7–14-day grass growth forecasts published within the weekly bulletin updates. This enables farmers to plan and make informed decisions on grassland management for the next grazing week. The project involves data collection covering grass growth, quality, and utilisation, as well as the performance of grazing livestock from a network of 50 collaborative farms, including beef, sheep, and dairy producers around GB.

Recommended Grass and Clover Lists

The RGCL (Recommended Grass and Clover Lists) tool is useful when reseeding, allowing growers to check which varieties best meet the requirements of your specific system for yield, feed quality and timeliness of production. Knowing the performance characteristics of grass and clover is immensely useful for grassland producers.

Nutrient Management Guide (RB209)

The Nutrient Management Guide (RB209) provides you with information on how to determine the nutrient requirements of grass and forage crops. It also helps you make the most of organic materials and balance the benefits of fertiliser use against the costs – both economic and environmental. The guide explains the value of nutrients and soil and why good nutrient management is about more than just the fertilisers you buy; it can save you money and help protect the environment.

Sward Stick

Use the Sward Stick to measure the height of grass within a field, which will help you to gauge when to graze your grass. By grazing and resting pasture at the right time, you can improve grass utilisation and sustain a quality sward.

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