Grassland Blog May 2024

As the wet weather finally gives way to some much-needed sunshine and warmer temperatures, grass growth is pushing ahead, and first cut will either have been taken or due in the next couple of weeks.

Ensuring yields are met will be a primary objective for many farmers this spring to replenish silage levels from the long winter, but quality of the forage shouldn’t be an afterthought in the quest for bigger yields.

The wet winter will have taken its toll on nutrient reserves in the soil, especially those that are unable to bind with clay particles. Selenium and cobalt are essential nutrients that fall into that category and help to maintain and improve livestock health. Cobalt is a cation (Co2+) and can bind to clay particles. The wet weather will still have leached out cations though, just not as much as anions. Sodium (Na2+) is a good example of a weak cation that will have been washed/leached out of soils.

90% of UK soils are deficient in selenium and, following the winter, these levels will be at an all-time low. Selenium is important for livestock immunity, fertility and increasing growth rates, and neglecting to address the deficiencies will reduce the quality of forage produced.

Cobalt is a micronutrient that is often forgotten but its role is a significant one. Some 75% of soils require increased levels of cobalt, and deficiency can show in reduced growth rates and amplified possibility of infection. Young stock will be most affected so addressing the deficiencies now will help improve growth rates later this season.

We recommend undertaking a detailed soil analysis, which will highlight any areas that require specific nutritional inputs. A prescription fertiliser can then be tailored to your farm’s requirements through conversations with a FACTS qualified advisor. Don’t leave forage quality to chance, feed the grass that feeds the animal.

Find your regional nutrition agronomist: Meet the Team – Origin Fertilisers