Learning Outcomes:
- To describe how grass plants grow
- To explain what aim is with grass plants growth
- To describe some aspects of grassland management.
Benefits of Good Management
- Increased lifetime of the ley
- Reduces husbandry problems, e.g. weeds.
- Improves animal health.
- For both grazed and conserved grass:
- Increased yield
- Increased quality
- Higher live-weight gain and more milk
- Lower reliance on expensive concentrates.
Grass Growth.
Grass like other plants goes from Vegetative growth to Reproductive growth = seeds
Seeds not aim with grass for forage
As growth changes from vegetative to reproductive the Nutrient value of grass falls as plant diverts resources to seed production. So aim is to stop plant entering reproductive phase. Do this by grazing and keeping plants at 2-3 leaf stage
Grazing Grass.
To fully utilise grass it should be grazed at 2.5 – 3 leaf stage. It has been said that grass utilisation is not as good as it could be in the UK.
Below is presentation which gives more details about grass management.
