We have set up a demonstration to look at reseeding and rejuvenating an 11 year old silage sward without ploughing out the existing pasture.
The site chosen, which will be a stop on the Scotsheep farm tour, is a 32 ha field that sits between the 255m and 315m contour (836ft - 1033ft). The soil is predominately Lauder series, a brown soil derived from old red sandstone and is classified as classes 4.1 to 5.2 at the top of the field near Cocklaw Hill.
James Hamilton and his brothers Charles and Harry are keen to demonstrate the following:
1 - To show visitors that their integrated farming system with suckler cows and breeding sheep can deliver wider benefits in soil sequestration and carbon storage on soils that are not easily cultivated, low rainfall, drought prone and exposed to the elements from the east. When ploughed and cultivated these soils tend to have exceptional flushes of fat hen, polygonums and docks which can be problematic in a full reseed.
2 - By using FYM and slurry, produced from their cows and finishing stock, they can grow good quality forage with minimum inputs of artificial fertiliser and bought in feedstuffs.
3 - To demonstrate that by rejuvenating and direct seeding their existing sward, they can hopefully increase the nutritional value and yield of their forage, without the expenditure on steel and diesel by ploughing out their existing pasture and doing a full reseed. Maintaining the very impressive levels of soil organic matter and carbon that they have built.
4 - To look at 3 different direct drills and compare the establishment of a full reseed into the burnt off sward and rejuvenating the existing sward after a second cut of silage in August 2023. The existing silage sward had been treated with herbicide to control docks so there was no clover present.
5 - The mixtures chosen for the full reseed was based on Dundas with Baronaise timothy, Global red clover and rotational white clover included. The sowing rate was 15kg/acre. The rejuvenation mixture had 30% intermediates and 60% late tetraploids along with 10% rotational white clover sown at 11kgs/acre.
6 - The field was drilled on 24th and 26th August with the Moore Unidrill, Erth Agriseeder and Vredo Twin Overseeder. The field was left for 10 weeks to get well established before ewes were introduced on to good covers with more than sufficient moisture in September and October.
NSA Scotsheep, Wednesday 5th June 2024 at Aikengall Farm, Innerwick, Dunbar, East Lothian
