Beef and sheep farms are needed for a new GrassCheck project which will help farmers across Great Britain improve management of their grassland.
The GrassCheckGB project will monitor the growth and quality of pasture, make predictions of future growth and report this to the industry on a weekly basis.
Improving grassland management efficiency is a key driver of profitability on beef and sheep farms across the UK.
It comes on the back of the programme’s success in Northern Ireland.
A recent study carried out by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) showed that improving pasture utilisation by 1t/ha is worth an additional profit of £204/ha/year to a beef farm.
GrassCheckGB aims to benchmark current and potential performance, support novel grassland research and encourage uptake of innovative grassland management practices such as pasture management and nutrient budgeting.
Dr. Liz Genever, Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) Beef & Lamb senior scientist, said: “As the extent of the problems associated with the prolonged dry weather become increasingly apparent, a new opportunity is on the horizon to help minimise the impact of similar occurrences in the future.
“The programme has been successfully implemented in Northern Ireland since 1999 and most recently the data has been used to offer evidence to the NI Government on the magnitude of the impact of the drought and inform discussions on how much support the industry needs.”
The project will also see levy bodies Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) and Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) partnering with the Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock (CIEL) and researchers at AFBI and Rothamsted Research.
The project is being part-funded from the £2 million fund of AHDB red meat levies ring-fenced for collaborative projects which is managed by the three GB meat levy bodies – AHDB, HCC and QMS.
The ring-fenced fund is an interim arrangement while a long-term solution is sought on the issue of levies being collected at the point of slaughter in England, for animals which have been reared in Scotland or Wales.
CIEL chief executive Lyndsay Chapman said: “It’s great to see this collaboration across the three industry bodies focused on supporting the beef and lamb sector combined with research expertise from AFBI and Rothamsted Research – all recognise the importance of efficient pasture management for profitable and efficient ruminant livestock farming.”
What’s involved in GrassCheck?
Participant farmers will be required to measure grass each week throughout the grazing season, with regular grass samples taken for analysis.
Each of the pilot farms will have an automatic weather station installed, which will measure key metrological data such as temperature, rainfall and sunshine hours.
Farmers involved in the project will receive detailed information on grassland productivity and utilisation, nutrient efficiency and performance of livestock from grass on their farm together with predictions of future pasture growth and quality.
They’ll also have the opportunity to discuss their grassland performance with pasture management experts and other farmers directly involved in the project.
Up to 25 beef or sheep farms are needed to kick-start the project. Applications to participate in GrassCheckGB are now being sought. Application forms and information packs can be downloaded from the CIEL website.
