Trials at Grassland 2005 are showing higher yields and D-value from cuts this year, says Dalgety’s Brendan Paul.

Up to the minute silage yield data, with a range of first cuts made from April 14 up to cuts made during Grassland 2005 at Stoneleigh, will be the star turn on the Masstock stand (no 314) at the event which runs from May 18 to 19.

“Our aim is to get three first cuts done starting in mid April to illustrate to farmers the nutritional benefits of a very early start to silaging, especially in terms of D-Value,” says Brendan Paul, the company’s forage department manager.

The plots at Grassland are being compared to plots in a sequence at the Cheshire Grassland Society Research Group and are replicated across five different seeds mixtures.

The best performing plot cut on April 14 gave a fresh yield of 3.15 t/acre (7.8t/ha) with 17.16 per cent dry matter giving a D-Value of 73.8. The lowest yield was 1.61 t/acre (4.0t/ha) at 15.3 per cent dry matter giving a D-Value of 75.2.

Investment in such trials and the valuable data they yield are helping Masstock assemble precise seed mixtures and foraging systems for maximum silage yield.

“With this data added to other trials across the country we are already logging generally high yields and D-Values for the silaging year 2005,” says Brendan Paul. “With tighter dairy and other livestock margins, increasing precision in grassland management and such moves as pushing first cut ever earlier can make all the difference.”

Masstock Arable (UK) Ltd comprises the following businesses: Acorn Agronomy; Agrownomics; AgSouth; Alan Whittaker (CPS); BBW Cropcare; Cleanacres; Clive Utting; Cropchem; Dalgety; Faulkner & Partners; FSC Agronomy; JB Agronomy; Jeff Beer Agronomy; Kenneth Wilson; Masstock Farm Consultancy; Medicrop; PCC Agronomy; Prince, Doyle & Jenkins; RM Jones; Ryehill Farmservice; Thistle Agronomy.