Press Release (26 November2007)

Grass – Cost Effective Feed Source

Despite a plethora of fringe and alternative crops being grown in Scotland by the livestock industry, grass will continue to be the most important and cost effective feed source according to John Watson of John Watson Seeds.

Speaking at the AgriScot feed processing and mixing demonstration, he said the value of grass as part of the diet could not be underestimated. With the current dilemma of escalating feed costs, grassland management, an often neglected pursuit on many farms, needed careful consideration.

Last year, Scotland’s grass silage crop was over 6 million tonnes producing 1.55 million tonnes of dry matter. Wholecrop, for example, produced only 100,000 tonnes of dry matter.

Despite the unpredictability of the Scottish weather, there were farmers who recognised the value of making good silage. Mr Watson outlined the basic principles to adhere to:  Fertilise at the right time with the appropriate product; cut at the right growth stage; wilt as quickly as possible 24/36 hours maximum; chop short to help release the sugars; consolidate well, especially the sides and cover overnight particularly in wet conditions.

“Terrible silage is as expensive to produce as good silage,” he said. “But good silage offers real savings in livestock production costs leading to improved profitability.”

Also making technical presentations at the demo were Dr Tom Blair of Yara, Dr Gerard Thomas of Secure Covers and Andrew Pringle of Solway Recycling. Working demonstrations were staged by Feedmix, Keenan and BvL.