Grassland farmers should not be tempted to give reseeding a miss this autumn, even if all their swards look dense and healthy at the moment, says Nickerson forage specialist Simon Broddle.   

“Deciding which fields to reseed is difficult this year as most grass has enjoyed the wet summer weather,” says Mr Broddle. “Even swards with a high proportion of undesirable meadow grasses are looking green at the moment.”

Mr Broddle advises farmers to think back to March - when many swards were suffering in the droughty conditions - to identify the worst performing fields in terms of production and quality. How did these compare to fields that had been reseeded last year?

Response to fertiliser, soil fertility, overall yields and silage analyses from individual fields should also be considered when deciding which ley should be replaced first.

“Reseeding missed this year could have devastating effects on forage production next year, particularly if we have a drier summer,” warns Mr Broddle.

“Swards that should have been reseeded will be a year older and consequently even lower in production. The outcome could be a shortage of forage next winter and a greater reseeding need in autumn 2008.”

Which mixture?

Seed mixtures are carefully formulated using varieties and species suited for particular and different end uses.  So the first step is to decide what the new ley is for, and how long it is to last. Is it for sheep grazing, early bite for dairy cows, silage making, or does it need to be multi-purpose? Also how much clover is required and what fertiliser strategy will be followed, as this will have a bearing on what mixtures to use.

A full reseed will produce the best results. This method will warrant using high quality mixtures such as Nickerson Red Circle – a very high yielding, long term top quality grazing mixture that also produces high quality silage if required. 

Where a full reseed is not possible, over seeding and slot seeding, with a shorter term, vigorous mixture such as Nickerson Green Circle or Catch Crop is a good alternative option. 

“Remember that as insecticide seed treatments are no longer allowed, the use of an insecticide pre-drilling is essential,” says Mr Broddle. “Leatherjackets, wireworm and numerous other pests will flock to the new seedling as it germinates, so reducing populations in the soil is essential.