Philip Roose from St Teath in Cornwall was somewhat surprised when he won the Grassland Management category in last year’s Wadebridge Farmers Club Competition because, in theory at least, it should be much more difficult for an organic farmer such as himself to produce good grass than one who uses conventional methods.

The reason for his success, Philip believes, could be the fact that farming well organically requires a higher standard of grassland management and that has forced him to look more closely both at what he does and how he does it. In the absence of conventional inputs he has found that it is essential to use only the best quality inputs and focus intently on getting the best from them.

Born at Higher Hendra Farm, where he has worked for the last 38 years, 54-year-old Philip runs the 280-acre livestock enterprise with sons Christopher and James, while his wife looks after the family’s holiday lets. Situated 500' above sea level on the North Cornwall coast, the main enterprise is a herd of 100 beef cattle, with an additional 25 suckler cows, young stock and 250 Suffolk x Dorset cross breeding ewes, with a further 150-200 store lambs bought in to fatten on catch crops.

Philip was prompted to ‘go organic’ in 1999 by the ‘carrot’ of improved profitability, and that was when he started to focus on making the best use of grass, calling on the expertise of Graham Ford, a Nickerson Direct agent in North Cornwall and Devon, to help him select the best mixtures to grow. He has continued to use Nickerson products ever since.

“There is certainly no cheaper forage than grass and no doubt that it pays to use the best mixtures,” says Philip, who admits that whilst the change to organic farming represented a steep learning curve it taught him a great deal about grassland management. Should he ever return to farming conventionally, Philip would continue to farm in the same way as he does now, having learned how to grow crops without additional nitrogen fertilisers.

Higher Hendra Farm includes 79 acres of permanent pasture together with 104 acres of temporary grass, which is sown with a two-year Nickerson Pro Plus Circle ley mixture. Each year, Philip undersows 40–50 acres of Pro Plus with triticale, a stiff strawed, upright crop that lets light through to the grass, thereby maximising its potential. After the wholecrop has been harvested by a contractor in July the field is shut up, the sward left to grow and after three or four weeks the new grass is grazed by sheep or store cattle. Philip then takes a crop of round-bale silage, which is made possible by the fact that the ley contains clover which generates nitrogen and promotes sward growth.

Whilst the farm has bought grass seed from other suppliers in the past, Philip now purchases only Nickerson Direct mixtures because of their quality and vigour, which means that the seed germinates quickly and grows away strongly, helping to suppress weeds naturally.

Pro Plus, Philip points out, is the ‘universal crop’ which he uses for cutting and grazing, and which also helps to improve the soil structure. Designed for one- or two-year production and available with organically-produced constituents to meet the requirements of this type of farming system, it combines red and white clover with Italian and perennial ryegrasses. Traditionally used to produce high-quality hay, it is equally suitable for silage, aftermath grazing and green manuring. Additionally it provides high-quality forage, is a good source of fibre and ideally suited to organic systems.

New short-term leys are sown at the end of March and tine weeded twice a year during the growing season. Since converting to organic production, Philip has become a big fan of the Einbock Grassland Manager, which acts rather like a giant rake in that it removes dead grass, chick weed, moss and weeds, at the same time aerating the soil. During the growing period he also goes over the leys with a flail mower two or three times to keep them in good condition and help to thicken the bottom of the crop.

For longer-term leys Philip uses Nickerson Gold Circle and Red Circle. The former is a four- to six-year cutting ley that is reliable, durable and tillers well, producing high yields of quality silage with good grazing potential. Red Circle is a very high-yielding long-term ley which provides top-quality grazing or silage and is winter hardy, an important consideration on this exposed coastal farm. A carefully-selected blend of late-heading perennial ryegrasses, clovers and Timothy, it has a high D value combined with high sugars, minerals and proteins. Because it contains perennials which do not produce early seed heads the mixture also retains its quality when left to bulk up.

With the price premium for organic products having declined considerably since Philip converted to organic production he, like most others, has found it increasingly difficult to turn a profit from organic production. With inputs prices rising and end product prices failing to reflect the higher costs, Philip says that it has become even more critical to use the best quality products to maximise forage production. Whilst grass yields are not as high as under a conventional farming system, the much lower levels of inputs more than compensate for this. Consequently the farm is able to produce enough forage to support its own stock, sell some to neighbours and grow 50 acres for another organic dairy farm.

SEED QUALITY IS PARAMOUNT
Graham Ford says that seed quality should be a priority for all farmers, but particularly organic producers who are prevented from using conventional inputs, such as seed dressings, agrochemicals and fertilisers. He states:

“Grass is the greatest resource that most livestock enterprises have available, but many don’t fully-appreciate its importance, the need for good grassland management or how to exploit the crop’s potential.

“The type of grass mixture will depend on a range of factors, which is why Nickerson Direct considers it so important to have first-hand knowledge of individual farms. In recent years the service element has gone out of the seed trade, but farmers are increasingly recognising the value of sound advice and good quality products to optimise production. When I visit a new customer we talk about their farm, their rotation, their system and their plans for the future. This supports Nickerson Direct’s focus on quality and the company even conducts its own trials to ensure that Circle Ley mixtures have the best possible specification, together with levels of germination and purity that are considerably above European Minimum Standards.

“Attention to detail is critical at all stages, because a livestock farmers’ profitability depends on optimising every part of the production process. Ley mixtures, for example, are continually improving, so it will pay to seek expert advice and reseed regularly. Nickerson Direct Seed Specialists and agents have all the latest information available to assess swards and help farmers to make the right choice. It is also important to remember that forages must complement each other and that the process of planning should be ongoing, encompassing every conceivable factor, from breed, system, housing and type of milk contract to assessment of swards, potential yields, harvest dates and subsequent cropping.”