аЯрЁБс>ўџ 02ўџџџ/џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС јПnbjbjрр .‚j‚jnџџџџџџlfffffffzииии фzщЖhjjjjjj$Ÿ П вŽfŽЄffЃЄЄЄ^ffhЄhЄАЄTffTј `˜Фђ:ыШz^иxTTЙ0щT‘ Ž‘ TЄzzffffйOPPORTUNITIES TO CUT FEED AND FERTILISER COSTS Reseeded leys with the optimum ryegrass content provide feed at two-thirds the cost of older depleted leys, whilst the addition of white clover has the added benefit of cutting fertiliser costs by over Ѓ180/ha. So said Richard Wilkie of British Seed Houses, speaking at an EBLEX Better Returns Programme grazing management event at Sacombe Hill Farm, Watton-at-Stone, Herts, where the Borlase family is focusing on improving permanent pastures to increase productivity from their Simmental and Belted Galloway suckler beef herds. In addition to improving grass and clover leys, the farm is introducing forage herbs such as perennial chicory to boost grazing output and exploring other forage options such as red clover for silage and out-wintering on brassica fodder crops. “With bought-in feed costs rising and largely out of farmers’ control it is vital that livestock producers maximise their home-grown resources,” said Mr Wilkie. “On a beef-producing unit like Sacombe Hill, it is possible for around 80% of the total energy requirement to come from grassland, but there is enormous variance between farms with the difference being the quality of fodder available and its utilisation.” Mr Wilkie illustrated the point firstly by comparing the cost of dry matter production from a recently reseeded ryegrass sward with an older ley that has a lower ryegrass content and poorer soil status, both receiving 250kgN/ha of fertiliser. “Production from a ley with a high percentage of ryegrass, adequate soil nutrient levels and good soil structure should reach around 10tDM/ha/year, compared with about 7tDM/ha/year from an older ley with reduced ryegrass content,” he explained. “This means the cost of dry matter production is reduced from 8p/kg to 5.6p/kg, or around a one-third reduction. “Including optimum levels of white clover means that the same 10tDM/ha production level can be achieved with around 25% of the bagged nitrogen inputs, thereby bringing the cost of production down to just 4.2p/kg. “Further improvements to overall farm productivity can be made with the introduction of other forage crops, either as companion species in swards or as stand-alone crops.” At Sacombe Hill, alternative forage crops include Puna II perennial chicory and the fast-growing rape/kale hybrid brassica Swift, each playing a different role in boosting production from forage. “Puna II is grown with grass and white clover as part of the grazing mixture and increases the overall production, particularly during drier spells when the plant’s deep tap root brings a degree of drought tolerance,” adds Mr Wilkie. “Swift is grown as a stand-alone crop and is either used as a summer catch crop to supplement grazing, or is equally effective as a crop for out-wintering. “Overall, the aim must be to make maximum use of the forage acres on the farm, and this is best achieved by maintaining the quality of leys and introducing alternative species where appropriate into the forage production system.” - Ends - Picture caption (image ref. Sacombe Hill speakers1) Host farmer Bridget Borlase highlights the value of including clover in grazing leys at Sacombe Hill Farm, Watton-at-Stone, where EBLEX eastern counties regional manager Michael Richardson (right) and Richard Wilkie of British Seed Houses (left) also spoke at a recent grazing management event run as part of the Better Returns Programme. July 21, 2008 Further information: Richard Wilkie British Seed Houses Mob: 07713 878069 Issued by Matt Mellor, Agribusiness Communications Ltd Tel: 01694 731777 E-mail:  HYPERLINK "mailto:matt@abccomms.co.uk" matt@abccomms.co.uk /9кі*л,-UVWjklnћћїєэтэдтЫтэЦmHsH0JaJmHsHjUaJmHsHjUaJmHsH aJmHsHaJ5\mH sH /0CD89клЮ Я 5 6 И Й } ~ ыьѕі§ћііээээыээээээээээээээћцћ$a$$„T`„Ta$$a$n§і*}~ŒБШклlmn§§§§§§§ѓ§§§§§ „ „а^„ `„а ,1hАа/ Ар=!А"А#ƒ$ %ААФАФ ФыDаЩъyљКЮŒ‚ЊKЉ matt@abccomms.co.ukрЩъyљКЮŒ‚ЊKЉ Nmailto:matt@abccomms.co.ukyXє;HЏ,‚]Ф…'cЅЋ i@@ёџ@ Normal CJOJQJ_HaJmH sH tH :@: Heading 1$@&5\mH sH <A@ђџЁ< Default Paragraph Font.U@Ђё. 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