Grass mixtures have been dominated by perennial ryegrass for around the last fifty years. They can produce considerable palatable forage, but they are reliant on good soil fertility and high rates of inorganic nitrogen. Breeding programmes across the world are heavily focused on the species and they have produced varieties that are high in yield, quality and sugar. They have been and will continue to be a vital component in grass mixtures to provide high quality silage and intensive grazing.

Multi-species leys are increasingly becoming a valuable option in a low input grazing system especially geared towards sheep production. They are made up of diverse grasses, herbs, and legumes. They offer a range of potential benefits from legumes providing a free nitrogen source with the potential of stretching the grass growing season through the inclusion of varieties such as cocksfoot and timothy. The various rooting depths of the components offer the ability of greater drought resistance and increased trace element uptake. The improvements in rooting structure and soil health have the potential to improve water infiltration, which leads to a more robust grazing ley during the very wet, as well as the very dry periods. Careful management is key to their longevity and performance. They should be rotationally grazed to avoid selective or over grazing and a residual of at least 7cm should be maintained to avoid damage. It is best to give it a long rest period of around thirty days until the herbs are at the correct stage for further grazing. We have looked closely at the herbal leys through farm trials and by looking at the 1000 grain weights of the various components to formulate our Hermitage and Herbal Ley mixture to perform to Scottish conditions.

They are certainly not a new idea and in fact would be something that Johnny’s Grandfather in the 1950s would have been very familiar with when mixtures were far more complicated, as can be seen in the mixture below. With farming coming under ever more environmental scrutiny, a multi-species ley which has the potential to store more carbon, improve soil structure, and to provide a quality grazing platform with less inputs is something that warrants consideration.