Barenbrug is urging growers to ‘go softly’ with first grass cuts after the wettest 18 months ever recorded in England.
“Go softly and the grass will thank you,” said Janet Montgomery, Barenbrug’s agricultural product manager. “You don’t need me to tell you it’s been a wet winter. And while grass is amazingly resilient – certainly compared to winter crops that have suffered from waterlogging and flooding – it’s not invincible.”
More vulnerable than the grass itself, it’s the soil. Janet added: “With all that rainfall – 1,695.9mm, to be precise – soils have been thoroughly saturated again and again and again. They’re in a fragile state.”
In emerging or establishing crops, the top layer of soil will be exposed, leading to soil erosion and compaction.
“Established silage grounds will have a more mature, more robust root structure. That will have helped to maintain a more favourable soil structure, despite the saturation.
“However, with soils still so wet, it will be very easy to cause lasting damage even in those fields. And that will have a lot of knock-on effects down the line, especially with future silage yields,” she warned.
The situation has been complicated by the mild winter, which means that grass crops are at an advanced growth stage, putting growers under pressure to start silaging.
“However tempting it may seem, my advice would be to hold off until you’ve made a thorough assessment of the field and soil conditions,” Janet said. “All that heavy silage machinery will play havoc with soil structure if it’s too wet – visible surface damage to the crop, and the deeper, unseen but often more damaging effects brought about by compaction.”
Soil types will vary across the farm, especially if there is a mix of owned and rented ground, so Janet advised that growers focus on lighter soil types first, where there is less risk of damage. Thorough checks should be done before any operations as well.
“Look at the drains, see how wet the soil is, even dig a hole if necessary to see how saturated the soil might still be.”
It will also be vital to optimise silage equipment by paying close attention to power-to-weight ratios, tyre pressures, axle weights and trailer sizes.
Cut height should also be carefully considered.
“Having taken every precaution to protect the soil, the last thing you want to do is to damage the sward!
“That can often happen when a heavy crop is cut very short. Just avoid the temptation to go for a bumper first cut. That’s why we say go softly. If you’re easy on it now, it will reward you later in the season.”
By not cutting too close to the soil surface, growers will also minimise the risk of contamination.
“Set up the mower to be as flat as possible and again, don’t cut too short. Not only will regrowth be quicker and better from having left a decent residue, but it also reduces any chance of the rake catching the soil as well as providing better traction in the field for raking and carting.”
For more information go to www.barenbrug.co.uk