Making the most of grass growth

As we move into peak grass growth, the chance to make the most of home-grown forage is at its highest. Whether you’re planning grazing rotations or preparing for silage, it helps to know exactly what’s growing in your fields. Measuring forage yield and quality becomes a practical tool, helping turn good growth into better decisions.

It’s easy at this time of year to rely on assumptions or typical yields when making decisions. However, grass growth can vary significantly between fields, seasons and management approaches.

Measuring both yield and quality gives a much clearer picture of what’s available on farm.

This is critical for:

• Feed planning by matching supply to demand
• Cost control by making best use of home-grown forage
• Nutrient management by aligning fertiliser and slurry inputs with actual crop performance

While nutrient recommendations for grazing and silage are often based on target yields, these don’t always reflect what’s happening in your fields.

Measuring provides real data to base decisions on.

There are a range of methods available. The right approach often depends on how quickly and accurately you need the information.

• Quick visual assessments give a rough guide and help identify variation
• Plate meters or sward sticks offer a balance of speed and consistency
• Cut-and-weigh methods provide more accurate measurements, especially for silage planning

Some methods estimate fresh weight, while others calculate dry matter (DM) yield. DM is often more useful when comparing crops or planning rations.

The key is consistency. Using the same method regularly helps you track performance and builds confidence in your data.

Yield is only part of the story. The nutritional quality of forage has a direct impact on animal performance and how diets need to be balanced.

Forage analysis typically looks at:

• DM – how much actual feed is available
• Metabolisable energy (ME) – the energy value for livestock
• Crude protein (CP) – important for growth and production
• Additional metrics such as fibre, sugars and minerals

Once you receive an analysis report, take time to understand what the figures mean in practice. This can influence:

• Ration formulation
• Dry matter intakes
• Animal performance and output

Linking yield measurements with forage quality data gives a much stronger foundation for decision making.

Now is a key time to gather valuable information. Measuring both quantity and quality of your forage can help you:

• Make more informed grazing and cutting decisions
• Improve silage efficiency and feed value
• Better match inputs to outputs across the system

• Measuring forage yield and quality – Why it matters and how it supports planning
• Methods for measuring yield – From simple checks to more detailed techniques
• Understanding forage analysis – Making sense of results and applying them on farm