Reseeding produces better and healthier pastures

Maintaining productive pastures means that you have greater reliability and return for your work. Reseeding not only improves the nutritional viability of your land, it also minimizes the risk of diseases caused by poor sward management.

Ignoring weeds and poor grass quality only increases the chances of poor quality and waste of financial resources.

Having endured a particularly wet summer has increased the need for reseeding in some cases. Even good quality land is showing signs of bare spots caused by poor grass growth and livestock traffic on fields that would normally be drier than normal for the time of year.

Your land’s characteristics will guide the extent of your reseeding and what is required. Your soil fertility, getting the timing for seeding right, pH levels, the kind of animals you intend on grazing and good drainage all come into play to guide your approach. Soil tests for Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K) and pH, testing usually requires a minimum of 10cm soil depth.

Your ultimate aim is to increase forage potential on land that is healthier for animals with better nutrition and fewer diseases and parasites. In most dry stock and beef farms, reseeding should be done in the spring or autumn. April and May were exceptionally fine months but if you’ve missed this window of opportunity, the autumn is a prime time to address this.

Another advantage of reseeding in autumn is that next spring’s grass growth will outdo weed growth making for production-ready land at an opportune time. This produces not just quality grass but also quantity. Reseeding in autumn helps negate the prospect of old grass swards from re-forming in spring. Remember, a good start to your pastures will result in quality feed.

Choosing high quality grass seed also makes for quality driven grass sward. Seeds that contain a high volume of perennial ryegrass will grow up to 3 tonne DM/ha.

Again, higher yield and feed quality will be in line with optimum animal performance that makes for better milk output and weight gain. In some cases it’s recommended that you have the seed quality assessed prior to planting in order to establish the effectiveness of its germination quality.

Lastly, the post-seeding stages are also of vital importance as this is when your hard-earned money and work can be significantly reduced. Watch out for pest damage - it’s thought the three most significant pests after reseeding are Frit Fly, Leatherjackets and Slugs. Keep a close eye and treat accordingly.

Pay attention to the fine detail now and reap the benefits of a healthy and strong sward come springtime.