Reseeds: A lot of farmers are concerned about reseeds. Some earlier sown jobs that didn’t get much rain are still looking very bare in large patches, while some jobs that were looking very poor two weeks ago are looking a lot better now. In the latter case, the seeds were probably dormant and then emerged after the rain came.
In the case where fields are still bare, it is more likely that the seeds struck but then died due to lack of moisture, frost, etc. Remember nights were still very cold in early May with grass frosts in the mornings. At this stage, seeds that were dormant should have emerged, so as time goes on it’ll be easier to identify the areas where the seeds failed.
The problem now is that weeds are starting to take off in these bare patches, so if sections of fields are going to be re-sown, better to do it quickly. In terms of methods, I would probably use something like a wagtail fertiliser spreader or grass seed box without the trailing harrow and then roll after sowing. The rolling shouldn’t damage the established grass plants and will ensure good soil to seed contact, which is essential.
Meal: The impact of high-meal feeding rates over the course of 2025 is really beginning to show up now. Grass quality is always hard to manage at this time of year, but quality is far worse than normal this year. Feeding 4kg or 5kg of meal when grass is plentiful means that cows eat less grass, leading to higher residuals.
These higher residuals have accumulated at each grazing, and now we are seeing huge patches of stem, eight inches tall on many fields that haven’t been cut or topped so far this year.
Whatever milk yield was gained for the last few months by feeding heavily will be lost over the coming months as grass quality, which represents 80% to 90% of the overall diet, is very poor. It’s an important lesson that needs to be remembered. Correcting these paddocks is going to have a big negative impact on subsequent grass growth, so be aware of doing too much topping, pre-mowing or cutting for bales over the next few weeks. The best time to top is in May, it’s nearly too late now.
Fertiliser: Believe it or not there are probably only three and a bit rounds of fertiliser left to be spread this year. I’m a big fan of blanket spreading in the second half of the season, as it means farmers can be a bit more strategic with applications. Tot up how much nitrogen and phosphorus was spread so far this year and work out how much is left based on allowances. The total allowance will be outlined on the nutrient management plan, completed by the adviser.
Most farmers should be maximising their N allowance, unless they are lowly stocked and have a greater allowance than they need. Ideally, around 25 units/acre should be spread per month on grass-only paddocks. Where there is good clover, the rate of nitrogen can be reduced by half over the coming months. Clover content has been disappointing in recent weeks, but it is still relatively early in the season. With moisture in the ground and heat coming, there should be good growth over the coming weeks.
Reseeds: A lot of farmers are concerned about reseeds. Some earlier sown jobs that didn’t get much rain are still looking very bare in large patches, while some jobs that were looking very poor two weeks ago are looking a lot better now. In the latter case, the seeds were probably dormant and then emerged after the rain came.
In the case where fields are still bare, it is more likely that the seeds struck but then died due to lack of moisture, frost, etc. Remember nights were still very cold in early May with grass frosts in the mornings. At this stage, seeds that were dormant should have emerged, so as time goes on it’ll be easier to identify the areas where the seeds failed.
The problem now is that weeds are starting to take off in these bare patches, so if sections of fields are going to be re-sown, better to do it quickly. In terms of methods, I would probably use something like a wagtail fertiliser spreader or grass seed box without the trailing harrow and then roll after sowing. The rolling shouldn’t damage the established grass plants and will ensure good soil to seed contact, which is essential.
Meal: The impact of high-meal feeding rates over the course of 2025 is really beginning to show up now. Grass quality is always hard to manage at this time of year, but quality is far worse than normal this year. Feeding 4kg or 5kg of meal when grass is plentiful means that cows eat less grass, leading to higher residuals.
These higher residuals have accumulated at each grazing, and now we are seeing huge patches of stem, eight inches tall on many fields that haven’t been cut or topped so far this year.
Whatever milk yield was gained for the last few months by feeding heavily will be lost over the coming months as grass quality, which represents 80% to 90% of the overall diet, is very poor. It’s an important lesson that needs to be remembered. Correcting these paddocks is going to have a big negative impact on subsequent grass growth, so be aware of doing too much topping, pre-mowing or cutting for bales over the next few weeks. The best time to top is in May, it’s nearly too late now.
Fertiliser: Believe it or not there are probably only three and a bit rounds of fertiliser left to be spread this year. I’m a big fan of blanket spreading in the second half of the season, as it means farmers can be a bit more strategic with applications. Tot up how much nitrogen and phosphorus was spread so far this year and work out how much is left based on allowances. The total allowance will be outlined on the nutrient management plan, completed by the adviser.
Most farmers should be maximising their N allowance, unless they are lowly stocked and have a greater allowance than they need. Ideally, around 25 units/acre should be spread per month on grass-only paddocks. Where there is good clover, the rate of nitrogen can be reduced by half over the coming months. Clover content has been disappointing in recent weeks, but it is still relatively early in the season. With moisture in the ground and heat coming, there should be good growth over the coming weeks.
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