Description
- Increasing legume content of swards
- Excellent grass output
- Higher legume content on the farm
- Requires measurement and routine farm walks to establish that the innovation is working
- Research topic
- More seasonal growth across the farm
- Spring rotation planner/ Pasturebase Ireland
Reason for the innovation
Produce more milk from grass:
- Increasing legume content of swards
- Excellent grass output
- Higher legume content on the farm
Farm description
Environment
- Soil type: Heavy-Peat (mixture)
- Climate type: Maritim climate
- Agricultural area (ha UAA): 39.7
- Average stocking rate (agriculture area) (LU/ha UAA): 2.5
- Altitude: Variation across the farm (600m)
- Slope: Variation across farm (50%)
Grassland management
- Grazing: Yes
- Grazing management type: Rotational grazing
Structure
- Annual work units (AWU): 2.25
- Total Livestock unit (LU): 100
- Breed type 1: Fr*Je
Animal performance
- Milk production per head (l/year/dairy animal): 4000
- Grassland management type: Rotational
- Length of grazing period (month/year): 10.5 months
- Fertilization rate (kg N/ha): 200
Why it is working
- Oversowing clover into existing pastures
- Increasing legume content of swards and moving to once a day milking
- Resonable clover establishment across the farm
- Excellent grass output
- Higher legume content on the farm
- Requires measurement and routine farm walks to establish that the innovation is working
- Spring rotation planner/ Pasturebase Ireland
- Low production costs
