Spreading nitrogen and sulphur at the same time means more grass
Applying fertilisers containing nitrogen and sulphur means the grass uses nitrogen more effectively, you get more kgs of dry matter per kg of nitrogen that you apply
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Co Down farmer wins BGS Grassland Farmer of the Year 2025
16th Dec 2025
Yara would like to congratulate James Henderson from the Ulster Grassland Society who won the British Grassland Society Grassland Farmer of the Year competition for 2025. Yara are proud to sponsor this competition with Nufarm and Germinal.
James buys 85–90 young heifer calves in October each year, mostly British Blue and Aberdeen Angus crosses from the dairy herd, which are grazed in two mobs based on age, using a two-day paddock system. Native breeds finish off grass during their second grazing season, whilst continental crosses are housed for a further 30-40 days and fed silage plus a barley-based home-mix. Cattle are sold around 20-24 months, at 350 kg carcase weight.
The sheep flock of 220 ewes and 60-70 home-bred ewe lambs is in transition to becoming Aberfield-Belclare crosses. Meatlinc and Primera rams are used as terminal sires. Post lambing, sheep graze three-to-four-day paddocks. Ram lambs are finished on forage rape and perennial ryegrass swards, with 200 g/d of home-mix. Ewe lambs are grazed on herbal leys and red clover aftermaths, with no concentrates. The average age at sale is 168 days, with a carcase weight 21.5 kg.
Grass is measured using a rising plate meter and AgriNet software is used. Three cuts of silage are made from a PRG sward and red clover sward each year. Reseeding is undertaken after paddocks show an overall reduction in yield from plate meter readings for annual yield. This is approximately a 10- year cycle. Old leys are sprayed with roundup in October, then 10-12 tonne/acre of farm-yard manure and seaweed (from adjacent beach) is applied. It’s ploughed before a break crop of winter barley is sown, after which a herbal ley or red clover is established.
Grassland agronomy advice
The latest grassland fertiliser and nutrition advice from the Yara agronomists.
Recent grassland webinars
Advice on managing fertiliser inputs on first cut silage crops this spring
Philip Cosgrave, Yara's Grassland Agronomist is joined by Nicola Ingram and Nigel Mills, Yara Area Managers for UK and Ireland, to discuss a range of topics to help inform farmers on how best to manage fertiliser applications this spring on silage crops.
Yara and CAFRE Nutrients Action Programme (NAP) - Update for fertiliser distributors
In this webinar Philip Cosgrave, Yara Grassland Agronomist and Aveen McMullan, Senior Agricultural Technologist at CAFRE provide an update on the Nutrients Action Programme (NAP) regulations relating to the use and application of inorganic fertilisers and an explanation of the requirement for fertilisation plans.
How to get healthy grass and happy cows
In this webinar, Philip Cosgrave is joined by Conrad Ferris from AFBI to talk about the planning behind a successful spring grassland nutrition strategy.
How to manage lime and fertiliser on a livestock farm
In this webinar, Philip Cosgrave of Yara and Kevin Havekes of Kilwaughter Lime collaborate to give an insight into how lime and fertiliser work hand in hand.
Grass, milk and robots - webinar
Our grassland agronomy expert Philip Cosgrave joins Cormac Garvey from Lely for this webinar to discuss grazing systems for robotic milking, grassland management and grassland nutrition management.
How manage grassland fertilisation in simple steps
In this webinar, Jon Telfer, Philip Cosgrave and Nigel Hester talk through the steps needed for successful grassland fertilisation.
Listen to the latest grassland podcasts
If you are short of time why not check out our bite-size podcasts for the latest thoughts on grassland nutrition.
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