Description
Description of the innovation
Autumn 60:40 Rotation Planner
The most important task any farmer will undertake on the autumn is to ensure that the farm is closed off properly to have an adequate supply of grass early next spring. The Autumn Rotation Planner is a tool:
- to help keep grass in the diet of grazing animals for as long as possible
- to set up paddocks for grazing the following spring
The 60:40 plan is based on having proportions of the farm closed by certain dates. The target is to have 60% of the farm closed early.
Advantages
- Incrase grass supply for the spring
- Increase grass growth over the winter period
Disadvantages
- Farmers need to plan to maintain a high average farm cover in the autumn
Heavy Farms: Start Closing by 25th September with 60% (or more) of the farm grazed off by October 31st.
Dry Farms: Start Closing by 9th October with 60% of the farm grazed off by November 7th.
The target closing average farm cover is 550-600kgDM/ha (2.5 LU/ ha). Farms with a higher stocking rate should close with a higher average farm cover.
Guidelines
- All paddocks should be grazed tight, to a height of 3.5 – 4cm
- Use wet weather grazing techniques if ground conditions deteriorate (on-off gra-zing, strip wires)
- Do not regraze closed paddocks
