Growing demand for quick winter home-grown feed solutions
Announcement posted by PGG Wrightson Seeds (Australia) Pty Ltd 19 Mar 2018
It’s been a particularly dry spring/summer season for farming – and in many cases that’s led to quite heavily grazed paddocks, creating a reduction in feed options over the coming months.
For this reason, farmers will increasingly be looking at cheaper and quicker options for animal feed over autumn and winter, making fast-growing, home-produced feed an increasingly viable option.
As PGG Wrightson Seeds Sales Agronomist Matt Carracher explains, “the cheapest form of feed available on farm is what you grow yourself. Essentially, the cost per kg is much lower than from buying it in. Plus with fluctuating commodity prices, and with both current and forecast milk prices not looking too rosy, there’s a major economic benefit to growing your own feed.”
Home-grown feed is not only cheaper – it also gives farmers the option for multiple grazings over the growing season. For farmers like Luke Darcy, who runs a cattle farm in Bungador, South West Victoria, home-grown feed also creates a better end-product, as well as reducing costs:
“We aim to make all our own silage, mainly because of the rising costs associated with bought-in feed. Just as importantly, it’s also much easier to monitor the quality of home-grown feed, compared to bought-in,” Luke said.
For Luke, having an efficient production system is vital, and while most of his paddocks are perennial, the introduction of fast-growing annual grasses is a key component of his growing strategy – especially whenever there’s a need to bump-up production levels to create extra supplies:
“If we have poor-producing paddocks, we’ll tend to use fast-growing annuals – especially if it gets too late to sow perennial pastures, and particularly for unrenovated paddocks that have lots of native grasses. This is where annuals can be really helpful,” Luke says.
For farmers wishing to boost their home-grown feed stocks over winter, a new-to-market quick-to-establish annual ryegrass is set to have a major impact – and for Luke, PGG Wrightson Seeds’ new annual ryegrass Ascend has already proved to be a major success:
“Our last crop of Ascend ryegrass went in quite late in the season – yet it grew much earlier, much quicker, and much stronger than what we’d used previously. It definitely boosted our supply through winter and into spring.”
PGG Wrightson Seeds agronomist Matt explains why Ascend can be so helpful in satisfying the growing demand for quick winter feed:
“Ascend has been bred specifically for quicker establishment. Animals are able to get on to the paddock within 6-8 weeks of sowing, and it delivers strong late autumn and early winter feed – traditionally a time of year when feed can be in short supply.
“It has exceptional early vigour, with a good ability to maintain its quality all the way through to early spring and summer. It also has finer leaves, and is more densely tillered, to improve grazing performance. In addition, improved prostrate growth means it fills in inter-row spaces much better, to reduce weed ingress. Plus its improved rust-resistance improves the overall quality of both hay and silage.”
According to Matt, good grazing management practices give the best chance for plentiful winter feed supplies, and he stresses the importance of sowing at the right time of year:
“It’s crucial to sow when there’s still some warmth in the soil, as well as after those autumn rains, when they arrive. That has a big bearing on the speed of establishment, leading to better feed supply through those early winter months, when it’s most valuable. After the conditions we’ve experienced over summer, that’s going to be more important than ever this year,” says Matt.
To find out more about how Ascend can benefit your pasture system, visit www.pggwrightsonseeds.com.au, or speak to one of PGG Wrightson Seeds’ pasture agronomists by calling 1800 619 910.
- Ends –
Media Enquiries: C7EVEN Communications
Kate Munsie Adam Arndell
(02) 6766 4513 / 0421 935 843 (02) 6766 4513 / 0403 372 889
kate.munsie@c7even.com.au adam.arndell@c7even.com.au
Photo Captions:
For this reason, farmers will increasingly be looking at cheaper and quicker options for animal feed over autumn and winter, making fast-growing, home-produced feed an increasingly viable option.
As PGG Wrightson Seeds Sales Agronomist Matt Carracher explains, “the cheapest form of feed available on farm is what you grow yourself. Essentially, the cost per kg is much lower than from buying it in. Plus with fluctuating commodity prices, and with both current and forecast milk prices not looking too rosy, there’s a major economic benefit to growing your own feed.”
Home-grown feed is not only cheaper – it also gives farmers the option for multiple grazings over the growing season. For farmers like Luke Darcy, who runs a cattle farm in Bungador, South West Victoria, home-grown feed also creates a better end-product, as well as reducing costs:
“We aim to make all our own silage, mainly because of the rising costs associated with bought-in feed. Just as importantly, it’s also much easier to monitor the quality of home-grown feed, compared to bought-in,” Luke said.
For Luke, having an efficient production system is vital, and while most of his paddocks are perennial, the introduction of fast-growing annual grasses is a key component of his growing strategy – especially whenever there’s a need to bump-up production levels to create extra supplies:
“If we have poor-producing paddocks, we’ll tend to use fast-growing annuals – especially if it gets too late to sow perennial pastures, and particularly for unrenovated paddocks that have lots of native grasses. This is where annuals can be really helpful,” Luke says.
For farmers wishing to boost their home-grown feed stocks over winter, a new-to-market quick-to-establish annual ryegrass is set to have a major impact – and for Luke, PGG Wrightson Seeds’ new annual ryegrass Ascend has already proved to be a major success:
“Our last crop of Ascend ryegrass went in quite late in the season – yet it grew much earlier, much quicker, and much stronger than what we’d used previously. It definitely boosted our supply through winter and into spring.”
PGG Wrightson Seeds agronomist Matt explains why Ascend can be so helpful in satisfying the growing demand for quick winter feed:
“Ascend has been bred specifically for quicker establishment. Animals are able to get on to the paddock within 6-8 weeks of sowing, and it delivers strong late autumn and early winter feed – traditionally a time of year when feed can be in short supply.
“It has exceptional early vigour, with a good ability to maintain its quality all the way through to early spring and summer. It also has finer leaves, and is more densely tillered, to improve grazing performance. In addition, improved prostrate growth means it fills in inter-row spaces much better, to reduce weed ingress. Plus its improved rust-resistance improves the overall quality of both hay and silage.”
According to Matt, good grazing management practices give the best chance for plentiful winter feed supplies, and he stresses the importance of sowing at the right time of year:
“It’s crucial to sow when there’s still some warmth in the soil, as well as after those autumn rains, when they arrive. That has a big bearing on the speed of establishment, leading to better feed supply through those early winter months, when it’s most valuable. After the conditions we’ve experienced over summer, that’s going to be more important than ever this year,” says Matt.
To find out more about how Ascend can benefit your pasture system, visit www.pggwrightsonseeds.com.au, or speak to one of PGG Wrightson Seeds’ pasture agronomists by calling 1800 619 910.
- Ends –
Media Enquiries: C7EVEN Communications
Kate Munsie Adam Arndell
(02) 6766 4513 / 0421 935 843 (02) 6766 4513 / 0403 372 889
kate.munsie@c7even.com.au adam.arndell@c7even.com.au
Photo Captions:
- Matt Carracher, PGG Wrightson Seeds Sales Agronomist
- Cattle Grazing Ascend Tetrapliod Annual Ryegrass
- Ascend Tetrapliod Annual Ryegrass