Grass Growth Rates

Max rate is not the right term. High input was what I should have said, but still under the nitrate regulations. Just farm plots. Most of the farm is now on a medium to low chemical N, some high N, and some zero chemical N. trying to get max efficiency from it. All would still receive a portion of organic fertiliser

When you consider that if you apply 30 units of nitrogen per acre to grass and only 20% of this is actually used by the grass(6units), it's time to start wondering.
In times of poor growth, do you notice a deterioration in quality in the low N areas? i.e. does the grass get stressed more in the low N areas and start to head out faster? I have always questioned how much extra grass is grown for the extra N that is applied. I had a discussion with a prominent dairy farmer once who tried to convince me that by halving how much chemical N he was applying, he would halve the amount of grass he was growing. Needless to say, he was wrong and I don't think any study ever will prove him right.
 
In times of poor growth, do you notice a deterioration in quality in the low N areas? i.e. does the grass get stressed more in the low N areas and start to head out faster? I have always questioned how much extra grass is grown for the extra N that is applied. I had a discussion with a prominent dairy farmer once who tried to convince me that by halving how much chemical N he was applying, he would halve the amount of grass he was growing. Needless to say, he was wrong and I don't think any study ever will prove him right.

Low N/0 N plots will grow much better than high N plots on the shoulders of the year, but will never be able to compete when high N swards when they are growing up to 150. Then you change the plants around, deepen your roots, play with micronutrients, change management and hopefully you get back to close on the yeild of high N grass. Usually you just confuse yourself even more
 
What does that mean to the uneducated do you mind me asking? Are you saying you are doing a trial where you are spreading exactly the max amount of chemical N allowed without derogation on one spot and spreading no N at all (even slurry) on the zero N plot?

Grass bouncing out of the ground with us since the rain Monday morning and again last night but to be fair, we have had some rain each weekend except one for the last 6 weeks whereas other areas locally missed a lot of it.

It means he has too much time on his hands
 
When you consider that if you apply 30 units of nitrogen per acre to grass and only 20% of this is actually used by the grass(6units), it's time to start wondering.

When I see these statistics rolled out I always like to point out that just because only 20% of the N is used by the crop, doesn’t mean the balance is lost to the environment in the form of various pollutants.

Much of the 80% is actually immobilised by soil microbes and stored in the soil in the form of highly stable organic N where it can be mineralised for plant uptake in months or years to come.

Unfortunately, These sort of statistics are usually pedalled by anti-farming groups who would like the public to believe modern agriculture is the route of environmental destruction, but like bikinis, what these statistics reveal is suggestive but what they conceal is vital.
 
When I see these statistics rolled out I always like to point out that just because only 20% of the N is used by the crop, doesn’t mean the balance is lost to the environment in the form of various pollutants.

Much of the 80% is actually immobilised by soil microbes and stored in the soil in the form of highly stable organic N where it can be mineralised for plant uptake in months or years to come.

Unfortunately, These sort of statistics are usually pedalled by anti-farming groups who would like the public to believe modern agriculture is the route of environmental destruction, but like bikinis, what these statistics reveal is suggestive but what they conceal is vital.

why are teagasc using the figure of 21% efficiency on grassland so? are you not in any way concerned with the carbon burned to process this nitrogen or the N2O emmisions that have us in a quagmire, especially given Wednesdays mish mash of a document
 
why are teagasc using the figure of 21% efficiency on grassland so? are you not in any way concerned with the carbon burned to process this nitrogen or the N2O emmisions that have us in a quagmire, especially given Wednesdays mish mash of a document

Teagasc use this figure as they can't account for its subsequent uptake through remineralisation in future years or decades. And rightly so. But it's not lost out of the N system.

Concerned, although probably not as much as yourself. The fact remains that without artificial N fertiliser we would have mass starvation in the world today. What is the lesser of 2 evils?
At a more local level there are plenty of very good farmers, some of them on this forum, using higher rates of N to grow big crops by accurately matching N supply and demand both in timing and quantity. They should be commended for their work, not criticised by yourself or anyone else for that matter.
 
Had ye plenty rain? Growth rates will definitely jump after it. A very noticeable difference in grass around here over the last 24 hours if that bloody wind would Feic off we would be flying again
Got about 20mm Thursday night but by Friday morning there was hardly any trace of it,we could do with some softness.
 
Teagasc use this figure as they can't account for its subsequent uptake through remineralisation in future years or decades. And rightly so. But it's not lost out of the N system.

Concerned, although probably not as much as yourself. The fact remains that without artificial N fertiliser we would have mass starvation in the world today. What is the lesser of 2 evils?
At a more local level there are plenty of very good farmers, some of them on this forum, using higher rates of N to grow big crops by accurately matching N supply and demand both in timing and quantity. They should be commended for their work, not criticised by yourself or anyone else for that matter.

Steady on, I didnt criticise anyone method. All im actively doing is to try and reduce my chemical N usage. I pay around a little on farm to seek ways in doing this, nearly ever acre still receives Nitrogen in some form or another. Surely knowing what your farm will grow with max level of chemical N and zero chemical N is a good starting point. Im actively trying to see what works for me as I get the feeling it will be like the initial year of the nitrates regulations and we were dumped in the **** by the EU due to our own government and teagasc's inaction. We had limits imposed on P that are way too low all because teagasc were in such a fluster and hadnt the data they just gave fag pack data. I would prefer if things werent like this again.
 
When I see these statistics rolled out I always like to point out that just because only 20% of the N is used by the crop, doesn’t mean the balance is lost to the environment in the form of various pollutants.

Much of the 80% is actually immobilised by soil microbes and stored in the soil in the form of highly stable organic N where it can be mineralised for plant uptake in months or years to come.

Unfortunately, These sort of statistics are usually pedalled by anti-farming groups who would like the public to believe modern agriculture is the route of environmental destruction, but like bikinis, what these statistics reveal is suggestive but what they conceal is vital.



Ive been meaning to post this. Not anti-farmers. Teagasc and the Dept.
The Dept are saying an NUE of 25% which is optimistic.
‘3 out of every 4 bags of CAN are lost to the environment’...
 
still up, 2 weeks of mid 70s here a lot of rain in the last 24 hrs, exp to be up in the 90s nxt week ,farm here needs rain most weeks never got above 60 last yr and still hit 14 t.
 
Starting to give them a few bales just to stop all the lush grass from scouring them:undecided::sweat::scared:
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Growth rate of 38. 4mms of rain last night, ain’t worth a shit, the cold north/east wind is cruel all day, same again last weekend, it must be one of the windiest years ever.
Guess we are at 25, north/east wind is the main issue, as we are still fairly green. Has been another disastrous grass growing year so far.
 
Growth rate of 38. 4mms of rain last night, ain’t worth a shit, the cold north/east wind is cruel all day, same again last weekend, it must be one of the windiest years ever.
Three weeks ago tonight since we got the last decent sup about 20mm,a few mm last night but there was hardly a trace of it this morning.
Grass is hardly going to burst out of the ground in June anyway and a big flood of rain could create more problems with so little cover out there.
 
Farm at home is heavy but I'd yearlings that were meant to go to a rented farm a mile away that's very dry and rocky. The plan was when the older cattle went to the factory the yearlings would go up there leaving all the home place for cows butTheres nothing on it for them so there still at home ,this is adding to pressure on grass
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Not much point taking them up here for a while. :sweat:
 
Three weeks ago tonight since we got the last decent sup about 20mm,a few mm last night but there was hardly a trace of it this morning.
Grass is hardly going to burst out of the ground in June anyway and a big flood of rain could create more problems with so little cover out there.
A few days of continuous light rain is whats needed, a downpour and most of it will end up in the rivers, we are a long way from second cuts of silage by the time grass covers build to exceed demand.
 
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