grass

Bijeenkomst: EGF2015
Auteur: Hyrkäs M., Sairanen A., Kykkänen S., Virkajärvi P. and Isolahti M.
ISBN: 978-9090-289-61-8
Jaar van uitgifte: 2015
Producttype: Paper
Scandinavian milk and beef production is based on high-quality grass silage. Harvesting time of grass, especially in the first cut, is the major factor that determines the optimization of dry matter yield and forage digestibility, and the subsequent improved feeding efficiency and productivity of the animals. The aim of this study was to explore how the number of harvests, three different cultivar mixtures and timing of the last harvest affect the amount and nutritive value of total yield and overwintering of the sward. The experiment was conducted at Maaninka and Sotkamo, Finland, during the 2013-2014 growing seasons. Experimental design of the study was split-split-plot with four replicates. Plots were sown with a mixture of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) and meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.). Three different mixtures of varieties of these species were used. The three-cut harvesting strategy produced higher dry matter and energy yield and higher digestibility than the two-cut harvesting strategy. Delaying the second cut increased the total dry matter yield and decreased D-value more than delaying the third cut. Differences between cultivar mixtures were observed but the interaction with number of harvests was minor.

Bijeenkomst: EGF2015
Auteur: Kykkänen S., Virkajärvi P., Hyrkäs M., Järvenranta K., Kurki P. and Suomela R.
ISBN: 978-9090-289-61-8
Jaar van uitgifte: 2015
Producttype: Paper
In Finland, grass yield response to potassium (K) fertilization varies with soil acid-extractable potassium (KHCl) availability, rather than the traditionally used measure of soil acid ammonium acetate-extractable potassium (KAAc). However, in previous experiments, no animal manure was used and grass nutritive value was only partially taken into account. The objective of this experiment was to measure the effects of cattle slurry, mineral K-fertilization (0, 50, 100, 150, 200 kg ha‑1 year‑1) and their interaction on grass (Phleum pratense – Festuca pratensis) dry matter (DM) production and nutritional value (organic matter digestibility, K concentration, Diet Cation Anion Difference = DCAD, grass tetany index) under three different levels of soil KHCl. Three-year field experiments were established at three locations: site 1, 2 and 3. The study was carried out as a split plot experiment. KHCl concentration of soil did not entirely explain the utilization of potassium by grass. Mineral K fertilization, given as KCl, decreased nutritional value of forage except for DCAD, on which Cl has a strong positive effect. K uptake was more effective without slurry application especially on soils with low and medium levels of KHCl.

Bijeenkomst: EGF2015
Auteur: Sairanen A. and Hyrkäs M.
ISBN: 978-9090-289-61-8
Jaar van uitgifte: 2015
Producttype: Paper
Development of yield and digestibility of grass leys was studied in Maaninka, Finland during the 2014 growing season. A field plot of 8 ha was sown in 2013 using a mixture of timothy (Phleum pretense L.), meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). The field was divided into two sectors according to the timing of the first harvest. The early first cut was taken on 10 June and the late first cut on 23 June. Four sampling points were used per sector. Samples were taken around the first cut and during the regrowth approximately every fifth day. Digestibility of grass (D-value) was determined by near-infrared spectrometry. The primary cut produced higher dry matter yield than the regrowth. A low grass growth rate during the regrowth was partly compensated for by using a long growing period. The D-value of grass decreased almost at the same rate in both the primary growth and the beginning of the regrowth period. The D-value of regrowth increased at the end of growing period. Thus the rate of decrease of the D-value of the regrowth depends on the observation period.

Bijeenkomst: EGF2015
Auteur: Gustavsson A-M. and Nadeau E.
ISBN: 978-9090-289-61-8
Jaar van uitgifte: 2015
Producttype: Paper
Forage is a major source of micronutrients for dairy cows. This study examined the concentrations of micronutrients in birdsfoot trefoil (Bf ), red clover (Rc), timothy (Ti) and meadow fescue (Mf ) at different sites, years and cutting dates. Mixtures of Bf+Ti, Rc+Ti and Rc+Mf were established at Skara (58°21’N; 13°08’E) and Umeå (63°45’N; 20°17’E) in Sweden. First-year leys (Umeå 2005, Skara 2005 and 2007) were cut on three occasions in spring relative to the maturity stage of timothy: one week before heading, at heading and one week after heading. Summer growth was cut six weeks after each of the three occasions in spring growth. The results show that there was a need for Cu supplementation in all treatments because of low Cu concentration. The relatively high Mo concentrations compared to the Cu concentration in both grasses at Skara, in Mf in second cut at Umeå, and in Bt in the second cut at Skara may further increase the demand for Cu supplementation in dairy cow rations because there is a risk that Cu can be bound to a sulphate-Mo-complex in the rumen. The Zn concentration was lower than required for dairy cows, except for the mixture with Ti and Rc in the second cut at Umeå. For Mn and Fe, concentration levels were appropriate for expected dairy cow requirements for all treatments.

Bijeenkomst: EGF2015
Auteur: Hopkins A., Bailey J., Reheul D., Brandsma J., Pehrson I., Mosquera-Losada M.R. and Crespo D.G.
ISBN: 978-9090-289-61-8
Jaar van uitgifte: 2015
Producttype: Paper
This paper summarizes outcomes of a focus group that examined resource-use efficiency of permanent grassland in the context of profitable utilization, taking account of trade-offs needed to deliver other ecosystem services. Resource efficiency is considered at the levels of (1) improved herbage production and quality; (2) improved herbage utilization; (3) improved livestock utilization to deliver higher product value; and (4) resource efficiency to improve ecosystem services. A range of farm-scale and system-scale measures and innovative actions are identified that have potential for realizing improved resource-use efficiencies.

Bijeenkomst: EGF2015
Auteur: Owen J.M.
ISBN: 978-9090-289-61-8
Jaar van uitgifte: 2015
Producttype: Paper
Wales has some of the most favourable climates for growing grass in the whole of the UK. It means grass can be grown very efficiently and it makes economic sense to optimise the use of that grass. Dairy farmer numbers in Wales have been falling since the 1960s, but there has been a more rapid decline in recent years. The main reason for this has been the downward pressure on milk price and an increase in the cost of production. It was interesting to see that with the 2013-2014 improvement in price the rate of decline slowed down. Wales has always received a lower milk price than areas in England that are closer to the higher density population areas, so making the most of grass to keep production costs down is clearly a priority. Milk from forage used to be a more common benchmark of performance and still has a very close correlation with profitability on forage based systems. The reason for the reduced interest in milk from forage as a performance indicator has been the increase in high input systems where milk from forage is not considered to be the right benchmark of performance. However, on grazing and high forage systems 4,000+ litres per cow of milk from forage is achievable.