Troubleshooting seeding at Kelliher’s

RESEEDING old pastures with new grass seeds is the best way to maximise quality and yield. When it comes to selecting the correct mixture – something that farmers can find difficult with the plethora of mixtures on the market – Kelliher’s Feed and Agri Supplies have all the answers.

Manager John Lynch says that the main thing to bear in mind is ‘does the seed do the job I want?’ “For example, in a grazing situation quality, persistence, durability and yield are the most important factors.

“When considering reseeding it is worth baring in mind the following: What is the perennial ryegrass content of the existing sward?

“A general rule of thumb is pastures with less than 65% Perennial ryegrass content should reseed.

“What is the weed content of the field? Land heavily infested with weed content, dandelions, buttercup, and thistle will need to be sprayed off with broad spectrum herbicides (e.g. Glyphosate).

“What machinery is available at time of reseeding? This is the most obvious influence on farmer’s options; however the majority of farmers will have access to most machines through contractors etc.

“What is the top soil depth in the field?

“The depth of the topsoil will determine if a plough can be used.

“If ground with shallow top soil is ploughed, the fertile soil on the surface will be dilute with infertile subsoil’s.

“What is the stone content of the field and how deep are stones?

“The stone content of a filed should have a bearing on the cultivation technique chosen; ploughing will bring stones to the surface while depending on the depth of stones in the soil profile power harrowing shallow may be an option.”