Importance of reseeding

It is common knowledge that reseeding a field will improve yield, on average by 33%, and quality but there are also many other benefits.

Over several years “weed grasses” will ingress into any sward after poaching or a hard winter. These “weed grasses” have very poor quality characteristics compared to modern day perennials. They have poor digestibility i.e. they do not convert to meat or milk as efficiently as a perennial and they have poorer response to fertiliser. As the Grassland Research Institute at Hurley showed after 8 years more than half the original sown species have died out.

The benefits that a new reseed will bring are improved yields, better disease resistance especially to crown rust, earlier turnout of stock which will all lead to higher stocking rates.
The reseed will also be more palatable and digestible which will increase the intake, and then in-tern increase milk and meat production and also improving the animals condition.
The new grasses will improve silage quality, improve response to N fertilisers and increase margins per head by having lower concentrate feed costs.
There is obviously a cost associated with reseeding which is why it is vital you choose the best grass ley possible including the most modern up to date varieties. There is nothing more expensive than a reseed failure.

Response to Fertiliser

In this current era of volatile fertiliser prices it is important that the grass species in your sward respond to that fertiliser input. Yorkshire Fog only gives a response to nitrogen of 42 %; Creeping Bentgrass 33% and Rough Stalked Meadowgrass 17 % (WPBS). These losses in response occur when nitrogen is increased from 50 to 150 units per acre.