Your Weekly Grass10 Update

Why It Matters

Effective grass and nutrient management directly impacts dairy herd performance and farm profitability, especially as spring surplus and stem‑rich swards threaten clean‑out and milk solids production.

Key Takeaways

• Grass growth averaged 54 kg/ha/day across regions, with variation
• Southern farms now have surplus grass, risking poor clean‑outs
• Aim for pre‑grazing yields of 1,300‑1,400 kg DM/ha in May
• Reseeding offers rapid returns and improves drought resilience
• Apply ~80 N units/ha by May 1, include sulfur, adjust for slurry

Summary

John Maher’s weekly Grass10 briefing highlighted that national grass growth is holding at roughly 54 kg per hectare per day, but performance diverges sharply by region. Southern pastures are already delivering above‑target yields—around 750 kg/ha or 220 kg DM per livestock unit—while cooler, heavier farms lag behind. The current diet averages 14‑15 kg grass and 2.5 kg meal per cow, with pre‑grazing yields ranging from 1,300 kg on low‑cover farms to nearly 1,900 kg on high‑cover operations, prompting concerns over clean‑out quality as stems emerge.

Maher urged producers to target pre‑grazing yields of 1,300‑1,400 kg DM/ha through May and June to ensure optimal animal performance and regrowth. He cited Jenny Birmingham’s experience managing surplus bales and Danny Birmingham’s case in County Clare, where strategic baling, nitrogen‑plus‑sulfur applications, and staggered rotations helped a heavy farm reduce cover from 1,200 kg to 537 kg per hectare. The update also stressed the importance of reseeding, noting that new swards deliver faster shoulder growth, better drought recovery, and a two‑year payback despite upfront costs.

The briefing concluded with practical fertilizer guidance: apply roughly 80 N units per hectare by 1 May on dry farms (60 units on heavier soils), incorporate sulfur, and adjust phosphorus and potassium based on slurry applications. Producers were reminded to monitor clover‑rich paddocks for nitrogen reductions and to reassess silage inventories ahead of the winter feeding season. Maher highlighted upcoming podcasts featuring Tom O’Connell’s reseeding success, reinforcing the message that proactive grass management remains essential for dairy profitability.

Overall, the update underscores that balancing grass supply, quality, and fertiliser use is critical as farms transition into the surplus phase of spring, with reseeding and precise nutrient management emerging as key levers to sustain milk yields and control costs.

Original Description

For this week’s Grass10 grazing management update, John Maher says that we're now entering into higher growth rates and reproductive stage of the perennial ryegrass plant:

·      Pre grazing yield must target 1300 - 1400 kg DM/ha on all farms

·      This will enable the animals to graze and clean out the sward to 4 cm

·      Grass should be green leaf from top to bottom

For fertiliser, when spreading on dry stock farms it is important to include P (if allowance available), K and S, especially on paddocks that may have been damaged on the first rotation.

Meanwhile, the featured farmer is Danny Bermingham, from Doonbeg, Co. Clare.

Read more from this week’s Grass10 newsletter and subscribe for weekly updates at:

https://bit.ly/Grass10-28thApril

For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at:

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/

The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com (https://www.lastcastmedia.com/)