Seed - Grass and forage - Openfield Leys

Openfield Leys

May Climax: two year silage ley

Massive yields with emphasis on first cut yield and quality. Cut 15-21 May (70D-67D). May Climax can be ensiled throughout the season with the aftermaths used for grazing. Contains NIAB recommended varieties of the most productive Italian and hybrid ryegrasses.

May Climax is capable of the most efficient response to nitrogen. Care should be taken to replace the potash removed by the cut of silage.

Flexible: two to three year ley for grazing or silage

Flexible, as its name suggests, aims to provide a choice of management systems. Supported by adequate fertiliser applications, it can be the most productive and versatile ley on the farm. If conservation is part of the management, care should be taken to replace the potash removed during this operation.

Charger: four to five year `all grass` main season grazing ley

Charger is formulated to respond to high performance demands. Suitable for all grazing situations and all classes of stock.

Perennial ryegrasses perform at their best and are most cost-effective when managed intensively under high nitrogen inputs. 300-400 units/acre are recommended to obtain the highest possible yields. Surplus production should be conserved as quality silage.

White Charger: four to five year grazing ley, with white clover blend

Similar to Charger, as it is based on NIAB recommended varieties of perennial ryegrass but, contains the white clover blend to enhance voluntary intake for increased milk or live weight gain.

Sow into top 2 cm of fine, well-consolidated seed bed.

Red Leader: two to three year red clover ryegrass for enhanced protein silage

Two to three year red clover/ryegrass ley, designed to increase protein levels in silage and to decrease dependency on `bag` nitrogen. Aftermath can be used for lamb finishing. Ideal for lead-in to organic farming systems.

Check soil fertility indices to ensure that pH and P and K levels are correct. For clover, pH should be a minimum of 6.0 and indices less than 2+ should be enhanced.

Long Term Extra: cutting and grazing mixture

A true long term mixture for grazing and cutting, with consistent growth and rapid recovery through the growing season. Timothy included for winter hardiness and early spring growth, plus the quality clover blend to improve the sward`s palatability.

Permanent Mixtures

Choose from Permanent or Permanent Plus. Both are true permanent mixtures for grazing and cutting. Permanent Plus contains Timothy and white clover for improved palatability and reduced fertiliser requirements.

The Meadow: three to five year hay and grazing ley

Contains a blend of both hay and grazing varieties of perennial ryegrass, along with Timothy, meadow fescue and white clover to produce the best traditional hay. The Meadow is equally suitable as a grazing pasture for cows, sheep and suckler herds and for young stock.

Recommended for all soils except very drought prone sands, where our Dry Ground mixture may prove more suitable.

Alternative mixtures

We also stock more specialist mixtures, for example:

Dry Ground mixture: cocksfoot/meadow fescue
Lamb mixture: early grazing for lambs
Sheep mixture: main grazing sheep mixture
Horse paddock mixture; and horse paddock mixture with herbs

Root Crops

Root and forage crops are now playing an increasingly important role in UK agriculture. The need to feed of livestock economically and efficiently puts ever greater pressure on producers to consider all of the cost saving options available to them. By selecting the correct species and varieties, livestock farmers can confidently look forward to maximising their home grown feed production and enhancing their profitability.

Stubble Turnips

Sow April/May for grazing nine weeks later, commonly finishing lambs. Sow July/Aug for Nov - Dec use, 3 kg/acre broadcast, 2 kg/acre drilled. Excellent catch crop, which can produce a highly palatable feed in just 9 - 12 weeks. Ideal for sheep and cattle feeding. Combicoat seed treatment available to reduce flea beetle attacks.

Preferred varieties: Samson, Delilah, Barkant, Rondo.

Kale

Sow April/May. 2-3 kg/acre broadcast, 2 kg/acre drilled. All treated for damping off diseases and early fungal attacks. All natural seed. Combicoat seed treatment available to reduce flea beetle attacks.

Preferred varieties: Keeper, Caledonian, Prover, Grampain.

Fodder Beet

Sow April/May. 50,000 seed packs for one acre. For use Jan - March. Gaucho seed treatment available.

Preferred varieties: Kyros, Jamon, Maestro.

Swedes

Sow April/May. 1-1.5 kg/acre broadcast, 1 kg/acre drilled.All treated for damping off diseases and early fungal attacks.

For use Jan - March.

Preferred varieties, Invitation, Gowrie.

Forage Rape

Sow April to August. 2.5 kg/acre. For use Nov - Dec, usually for sheep. Quicker growing, with higher protein content than stubble turnips. Often used as a catch crop in arable rotation when sown after early harvest for later use. The choice between stubble turnips and forage rape is a practical decision, dependent upon the time available to sow.

Preferred varieties: Hobson, Interval.

Forage Rye

Sow August/September: ideal for early turnout/bite. Three weeks earlier turnout than Italian ryegrass. Suitable for cattle or sheep. Can also be zero grazed or made into big bale silage.

25kg bags, sowing rate 75kg/acre.

Preferred variety: Humbolt.