To maximise the potential performance of any field care must be taken in selecting the correct mixture to suit your farming system. Grass should be viewed like a crop and the same care must be taken in mixture and variety selection as you would for a crop of spring barley. You should work with your grass seed specialist and question yourself or them to ensure you get the best mixture to suit the situation.
HOW LONG WOULD YOU LIKE THE MIXTURE TO LAST?
If it is a break crop that is in the ground for 2-3 years you may include shorter term species such as italian ryegrass, hybrid ryegrass and intermediate perennial. If you are looking for longer term production the mixture should have a higher percentage of late perennials, timothy, and cocksfoot.
WHAT IS THE SWARD GOING TO BE USED FOR?
Do you need a dual-purpose mixture that can be cut or grazed? Is it going to be intensively grazed or is it primarily for silage production? Some mixtures are better for hay making and others are well suited to multi cut systems.
WHAT ARE YOUR TARGETED SILAGE DATES?
Try and match your mixture to when you anticipate you will be cutting. If silage production is a priority a mixture with a tighter heading date between the varieties will ensure less variation in maturity of the sward when cutting.
MAKE SURE YOU CONSIDER YOUR SOIL TYPE?
What suits one area most certainly does not suit another. Sowing a mixture into the wrong soil type can lead to pouching and a sward that is less robust to conditions than it should be and ultimately reduce the longevity of the sward. Tetraploid ryegrasses are more palatable and deeper rooting and suit lighter soils and their inclusion rate should be increased. On heavier soils a higher inclusion of diploid ryegrasses is appropriate. They are 30% smaller than tetraploids so you get more seeds in a bag leading to a greater plant population and they also tiller twice as much as tetraploids resulting in a dense sward to stand up to grazing.
SHOULD I INCLUDE CLOVER WITH THE MIXTURE?
In most cases the answer to this is yes. It is a free nitrogen source combined with the ability to improve livestock performance. If the field has a weed burden it may be worth leaving the clover out and overseeding once any weeds have been taken care of.
Once you have decided on the structure of the mixture it is important to make sure that you have the best varieties. The easiest way of doing so would be to use your relevant Recommended Grass and Clover List.
