Grassland and forage crops

It’s important to take full advantage of the steep increase in growth rates in April and into May, by growing enough grazed grass to maximise livestock productivity at a time when the nutritive value of grass is at its peak to support compensatory growth in young cattle and milk production. This is where grassland managers need all their experience to balance nitrogen and sulphur applications on the available grazing area to support the farms stocking rate and grass demand.

Where high stocking rates are being supported, grazing paddocks should have received 70 kg/ha of nitrogen by early April, and this drives grass growth up to mid-April. By mid-April a further 30 kg/ha of nitrogen with sulphur (120 kg/ha YaraBela Nutri Booster) or an NPKS product (110 kg/ha YaraMila Stock Booster S) if phosphate and potash is required will be needed to sustain high daily grass growth rates. Current research on grass and white clover swards recommends applying the same level of nitrogen as grass only swards up to May.

On lower stocked farms which have not applied nitrogen up to this point, 20 – 30 kg/ha of nitrogen with sulphur should be applied as soon as possible to hasten grass supply in April. Too often on beef and sheep farms livestock are short on grass in April because of the reluctance to apply nitrogen, because of the cost. Nitrogen fertiliser applied in April has the highest return on investment, because of the amount of grass it grows, and the quality of the grass.