Grassland, forage and silage advice
Advice to enhance grassland productivity, improve animal nutrition and increase profitability
ADAS grassland consultants provide a comprehensive grassland and forage advice service for livestock and arable farming systems. We offer expert guidance on all aspects of grassland management, from soil preparation and seed selection through to management and harvest.
When cared for and correctly managed, grass is a farm’s cheapest feed. Compaction, poor soil structure, bad PH balance and a lack of moisture will affect grass’s growth rate. Our consultants can help you get to the root of why your grass is not growing as well as it should and help you begin to make improvements.
Our consultancy services
When it comes to forage preservation and rationing, we can advise on suitable options that can best meet your livestock feed requirements.
Introducing grass leys as part of an arable rotation
Incorporating grass as part of an arable rotation has multiple benefits. For the soil, including a grass ley can improve fertility, reduce erosion and run-off and increase above and below-ground biodiversity. Grass leys can help to break pest and disease cycles in arable crops, as well as reduce the weed seed bank in the soil.
Whether you are interested in using grass leys for blackgrass control or to boost soil organic matter, we can advise on where and how best to implement grass/herbal leys into an arable system.
Using multi-species swards
Using multi-species swards can help optimise grassland productivity by helping to improve soil health and forage quality.
A typical mix includes rye grass, legumes for protein and nitrogen fixing plants, such as red clover.
These reduce nitrogen emissions and have deeper roots, making them more resilient to drought. We advise on the best mix for your land, livestock and farm goals.
Grassland monitoring
Understanding how grass grows is vital for good grassland management. Through grassland monitoring, we assess grass productivity or forage quality.
The information collected can help to:
- inform management decisions on grazing timing or intensity
- track changes in species composition
- identify potential problems early.
Fertiliser advice
If we believe nutrition is an issue, we will advise on the most appropriate and cost-effective fertiliser treatments to ensure you get the most from your spend.
Weed control
Effective weed control is important for a high yield because weeds will outcompete grass for resources. If weeds are a limiting issue, we can work with our in-house team of weed research scientists to create a weed management plan listing sustainable methods of controls and effective herbicide application options.
Agronomy and environment
We can assess any agronomic and environmental aspect of grassland production. Examples of our previous work include disease control in forage maize and the effect of sward height on grassland birds.
Turn your challenges into opportunities
Clear and expert advice to support you with agricultural opportunities.
Speak to the team