Grassland Management for Stud
Farms – A Practical Approach
Fiona Mc Kenna
B.Agr.Sc., M.Sc.
What is Quality Pasture?
•
•
•
•
•
Good grass cover
Thick sod and deep root system
Optimum soil fertility and pH
Free from weed infestations
Free draining
What will Soil Analysis show?
•
•
•
•
•
Type of soil
Fertility of the soil
Soil pH
Nutrient deficiencies
Fertiliser and liming recommendations
What are the Soil Nutrients?
• Macronutrients – Nitrogen, Phosphorus,
Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur
• Micronutrients – Boron, Chlorine, Copper,
Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Zinc, Nickel,
Cobalt, Iodine and Selenium
What is Soil pH?
•
•
•
•
•
Soil pH can range between 3 – 8
Optimum pH between 6.0 and 7.0
Effects the nutrient availability to plants
Effects the microbial activity in the soil
Acid pH requires liming
Why Fertilise?
•
•
•
•
Replace nutrients removed
Improve soils that are naturally infertile
Fertilisation of soils is recycling
Types: Organic and Inorganic
Types of Fertiliser
• Organic – animal waste and manure
- Slow releasing and longer lasting
- Improves the soil texture
• Inorganic – artificial N, P and K
- Quick reaction and fast growth
Benefits of Forage Analysis
•
•
•
•
Profile of the nutrients
Highlights nutritional deficiencies
Balance feeding as required
Manage and reduce cost of feed budget
Grassland Management
•
•
•
•
Grass is the most economic feed available
Efficient use can reduce the feed bill
Take a long term approach
Yearly grassland management plan
Grassland Management
• Topping – essential during the growing
season, start mid May to maintain quality
• Harrowing – spreads manure, levels
ground, lifts dead grass
• Rolling – effective for poached ground,
use only when required
Grassland Management
•
•
•
•
Mixed grazing – cattle and sheep
Spiking – useful for shallow compaction
Direct drilling or broadcasting of new seed
Ploughing – last resort for plough pan,
horse sick pasture, excessive ragwort
Weed Management
•
•
•
•
•
Docks – soil with a high N content
Buttercup – soil with poor drainage
Ragwort – the ever lasting problem
Top weeds before seed establishment
Good grass cover suppresses weed
growth
Which Grass Species?
• Grasses – Red fescue, cocksfoot,
meadow grasses, crested dogs tail,
timothy, ryegrass, white clover
• Herbs – Dandelion, yarrow, ribwort
plantain, chicory, burnet
Nutritional Value of Grass?
•
•
•
•
Grasses have different nutrient values
Dependant on soil nutrients
Maturity of the grass
Time of year
Grass Cover
• Close paddocks in October/ November for
spring grazing
• Poor grass cover will lead to poaching and
a slower recovery period
• Open cover is an opportunity for weeds
Rotation, Rotation, Rotation
• Identify winter/summer paddocks
• 3 to 5 weeks recovery period after tight
grazing during growing season
• Winter rotations can be less frequent increase area size, good grass cover
Key Points For Quality Pasture
•
•
•
•
•
•
Maintain good grass cover
Regular topping of paddocks
Mixed grazing with cattle and sheep
Rotation of paddocks
Maintain soil fertility and pH
All weather paddock or feeding area