No more expensive than other reseeds in terms of the work done to establish. The seed cost for the same seeding rate came in at roughly €10 per acre more expensive compared with a general grass mixture. The seed cost €97 per acre at 15kg.Ms awards are expensive to establish and have poor persistence
My biggest cost was I corrected my soil just using the Ph as a sole measurement by applying calcium lime. When in fact I should have been using dolomitic lime, but the Morgans test reads Magnesium incorrectly, so even though I was Index 4 for Mg on standard soil test, my Mg was on the floor. Corrected my problem buying a much more expensive Magnesium that probably cost me 25k extra over the last decade.Can you expand on the soil sampling bit, or point me in the right direction for books or papers ect?
Tennant.entered into a long term lease myself recently for approx 70% of my farm , tenant will collect all of the subs , been hearing a bit of speculation regarding how leasing out entitlements will work and how in order to collect , environmental measures will need to be taken . anyone know if this will fall to the tenant farming the ground or the landlord who owns it ?
perhaps not decided upon yet ?
I don't have any MSS in longer than 5 yrs, and put in a field each year up to this point. Yes it *may* grow better, but if you cant get on a graze it, its of little benefit. Huge bare patches not intercepting light for photosynthesis is a serious concern of mine.The action is soil sampling and liming - so the financial benefit for most will be in spreading lime.
Can you expand on the multi-species sward lack of reward? We are lead to believe that it's going to be the future of grazing in this country?
No , The tenant is retaining 100% of the payments but I am receiving a large flat rate rentTennant.
I assume the tennant will pay out whatever % you agreed on the basic payment part (whatever that's called in the new system), and retain the Greening part (whatever that is called now) like before. Is leasing of entitlement not finished under the next system?
Oh yes, you were leasing that out earlier in the year. My online offer would be putting alot of extra cash in your pocket now!!!No , The tenant is retaining 100% of the payments but I am receiving a large flat rate rent
obviously its not within my control what the new programme dictates but as long as the tenant pays me 270 per annum for ten years , I honestly dont care if the entitlements are taken off me and given to himOh yes, you were leasing that out earlier in the year. My online offer would be putting alot of extra cash in your pocket now!!!
Sure you will have no worries with your agreement. Will you have to "sell" your entitlements to the tennant? Will these cause a big tax issue for you?
I don't have any MSS in longer than 5 yrs, and put in a field each year up to this point. Yes it *may* grow better, but if you cant get on a graze it, its of little benefit. Huge bare patches not intercepting light for photosynthesis is a serious concern of mine.
On *my ground and in my system* a diverse grass sward with clovers using low or no Synthetic N, will kick the bejasus out of MSS.
MSS has worked well in Ireland with the last few years.Thanks for that. I'm working towards a diverse sward with clover too but I had intended that MSS would be a big part of it. It's good to have all perspectives.
From what I have read, one of the key things to MSS is a 30 day rotation. That won't suit the more intensive farmers in this country.MSS has worked well in Ireland with the last few years.
The test of MSS here will be the persistency and sward recovery after a wet year where cattle still have to get out in less than ideal conditions to graze.
I'll be avoiding it until I see it on heavy ground in a normal year or normal ground in a wet year. I have doubts that the chicory and plantain will survive those conditions and, so far anyway, over seeding has proved marginally beneficial wherever I've come across it.
You'll still have a grass/clover sward at the end of it but 3-4 years benefits under good soil conditions seems a good bit too low to be pinning our whole grassland future on, in my view?
one of the head researchers in teagasc called clover a mediterranean weed that has no place in grassland less than 10 yrs ago, as you say if its that good why has it taken them so long to cop on to it
Maybe because it suits the narrative teagasc I wouldn't doubt would of been "sponsored" by big business to a degree and it would help that their findings would help make their products look good. I'm trying mss and for me it might work it might not but worth a shot. Mss might be the electric car of the grazing world, grass the diesel car it's what we know tried and tested but given the cost fertiliser could be people are going to have to look to see what suits there system. There's no one option to fix all but hopefully we'll have more informed options soonone of the head researchers in teagasc called clover a mediterranean weed that has no place in grassland less than 10 yrs ago, as you say if its that good why has it taken them so long to cop on to it
You trying the mss at home or on your other farm mucky.Thanks for that. I'm working towards a diverse sward with clover too but I had intended that MSS would be a big part of it. It's good to have all perspectives.
We have sown a lot of aberace white clover at home over the last 2 years by feeding it mixed with meal in the calf creep feeder. I was planning to strip graze pasture fairly tight on the first round of grazing and spread in a mix of white and red clover, chicory and plantain on some pasture that hasn't got a lot of clover. I have toyed with growing red clover for silage for a while now in galway. This year might be the year I start but I'll definitely stitch in some mass to pasture over there.You trying the mss at home or on your other farm mucky.
Man in fenagh sowed red clover for the milkers this year.not sure if they have started feeding the bales yet
When you see who sits on their Board it becomes pretty obvious why. For what Its worth we have been grazing MSS type swards via sheep/beef for the past few years and seem to have less issues with worms, scour etc. and generally better thrive in young stock compared to neighbours who follow the Teagasc Bible.one of the head researchers in teagasc called clover a mediterranean weed that has no place in grassland less than 10 yrs ago, as you say if its that good why has it taken them so long to cop on to it
What varieties have u sown and how long?the key messages I have been hearing are better animal performance,as u say less worm problems and lack of persistency.in production terms,where is the comparison?When you see who sits on their Board it becomes pretty obvious why. For what Its worth we have been grazing MSS type swards via sheep/beef for the past few years and seem to have less issues with worms, scour etc. and generally better thrive in young stock compared to neighbours who follow the Teagasc Bible.
There's a few different online discussion groups where people have claimed that stitching in clover, plantain and chicory to existing swards has worked well. I have spoken to one person who has done it on heavy land and they are pretty happy with it.Will stitching in mss work??
Maybe in an open sward,which older swards rarely are open