Grass

This Livestock and Pasture study is part of the wider UKRI STFC-funded EO4Agroclimate programme.  

The development of a forage network which will recommend a pathway to gaining optimum benefits from forages through realistic actions​. This project, which runs from September 2023 for 6 months, will: Bring together a network of stakeholders to understand the best approach for improving forage systems, considering potential opportunities and barriers to uptake​ Create a roadmap, which can be used to achieve benefits for livestock sectors through changes in forage systems​

In 2021 Defra commissioned an ADAS led consortium to look at the environmental and productivity benefits of mob grazing systems in the UK. 

Guidance from AHDB GREATSoils giving four easy-to-follow steps for assessing soil structure. 

Devon silvopasture 12-year on-farm trial including site at Rothamsted's North Wyke

GrassCheckGB is a grass monitoring project involving 50 dairy, beef and sheep farms.   Growth and quality data is published weekly throughout the growing season

Pasture Optimisation for Resilience and Livelihoods (PASTORAL) will work with farmers to co-design a new digital platform to help improve data to inform on-farm decision making to increase farm productivity and carbon efficiency using satellite data to plan pasture management.    

The National Arable & Grassland Awards will be held on Wednesday 8th February at the Hilton London Bankside. The awards recognise the key areas of crop production, land management, environmental responsibility and innovation.

This Open Access chapter describes the current status of IWM for grasslands. Its focus is on management practices available to influence transitions in a weed’s life cycle: from the soil seed bank to seedling establishment, from the seedling stage to the mature plant, and from the mature plant to the soil seed bank.

The new field lab with Innovative Farmers is investigating bale grazing, a common practice in North America and Canada, where bales are put out in summer to feed cattle through winter.

In February 2018, ADAS, AHDB and Defra launched the Grass and herbal leys farm network. The network is a partnership between farmers, researchers and industry and provides a platform to investigate the long term impacts of leys in rotations, such as: Quantifying changes in soil organic matter and soil health from introducing temporary grass/herbal leys across a range of soil types and rainfall areas. Quantifying subsequent changes to soil organic matter and soil health following the destruction of the temporary grass/herbal leys and return to arable production. Investigating the effectiveness of grass/herbal leys in controlling blackgrass in ‘problem’ fields.

  https://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/north-wyke-farm-platform

The SUPER-G project is a European wide project aiming to work with farmers and policy makers to develop sustainable & effective permanent grassland systems.

Dairy farmers in the south west of England are exploring whether they can improve soil whilst maintaining forage quality when adopting longer resting periods after defoliation.

Independent research to enhance the performance of grass and forage crops

Ten farmers in the North Yorkshire Moors are working with independent grassland experts and researchers from the University of Leeds to better understand the value of an under-utilised option for leys - cocksfoot.

Combining Agronomic and Technical presentations. The Society’s 2023 Conference will be held at Robinson College, Cambridge, UK on 6-8 December

Concerns over the increasing cost and environmental impact of high inorganic nitrogen (N) inputs have led to a reappraisal of the role of legumes, particularly clover, in maintaining soil fertility in improved grasslands.

Soil is the basis of every grassland system and aiming to constantly improve soil health will pay dividends in grassland productivity.

At Teagasc Athenry, researchers have been investigating the use of mixed swards in pasture-based sheep production systems. The results suggest increased diversity may be beneficial for animal performance.

New study suggests “techno-grazing” approaches can support more cattle in less space without adversely affecting soil structure and function

Grasscheck Bulletins provide up-to-date information on the state of grass growth in Great Britain

GrassCheckGB Forage Quality Webinar

The SEEGSLIP project sought to evidence the practices of a particular group of farmers, the Pasture-Fed Livestock Association (PFLA) in terms of their social, ecological and economic sustainability. This video explains the project, the pasture-fed concept and some of our research findings.

Accounting for fertiliser and feed prices, it calculates the cost benefit of applying nitrogen to grassland. Use this tool to work out the cost versus the benefit of applying nitrogen fertiliser to grassland. Accounting for fertiliser and feed prices, it calculates the cost of nitrogen application and then compares with the feed value of grass. This will help with the decision on whether it is more cost effective to apply nitrogen fertiliser to grassland or purchase feed instead.  

This guide collates the available knowledge and numbers on forage utilisation and feeding.

Get the most you can from grazed grass and silages.

Grass grown for silage has different needs to grass grown solely for grazing.

This guide intends to highlight to farmers and crofters who are considering sowing a grassland herbal lay what species to consider.

Grass is an important crop and grazed grass is the cheapest feed on farm, yet it rarely earns the respect it deserves as a potentially high-quality, natural ruminant feed.

Catch crops are grown post-harvest or following silage, these crops hunt nutrients to reduce leaching from the soil while also allowing cover for the soil which prevents erosion.

Do pigs fit into a regenerative farming system? Can their diet be sustainable? Can they be pastured?

Pastured poultry can be a great regenerative enterprise. Hear from the farmers making it work!

This document is intended for farmers looking to reduce their reliance on soya in pig systems, or as a jumping off point for those hoping to establish a new pastured pig operation.

Interested in stockpiling grass for winter? Tall Grass Grazing' webinar with Rib Harvard, farmer and ecologist from Worcestershire.

Join us (AHDB), alongside Pasture for Life and Innovative Farmers, for an on-farm discussion covering everything you need to know about bale grazing.

Six Pasture for Life member farms have come together in an Innovative Farmers Field Lab to undertake a four year study to explore the impacts of bale grazing on soil and forage.

Dr Emma Davies: IBERS, Aberystwyth University.

Across the UK, many farmers are working to reduce their dependence on soya.

From grazing management to pest and disease, our advice and resources will help you to successfully manage clover. (AHDB)  

The RWAS Feature County for 2024, Ceredigion will host the Sustainable Grass and Muck event at Aberystwyth University Farm, Trawsgoed on Thursday 30th May 2024.

Organic Management Techniques to Improve Sustainability of Non-Organic Farming.

Nutrient management can often be forgotten on beef and sheep farms, yet there is considerable scope to reduce costs and improve output through the use of home-produced and bought-in nutrients.

UK grasslands are an essential cog in ecosystem function. They lock in vast amounts of carbon, accounting for one-third of the earth’s carbon storage and two billion tonnes of carbon in UK grassland soils.