Clover seeding key to REPS dairy success

CLOVER seeding about 20% of the farm each year is the key to successful REPS dairy farming at Teagasc's Solohead Research Farm in Co Tipperary, from which research results have now been published.

Milk yields of 1,100 gallons per acre (for 600kg of concentrates) and a two cows per hectare stocking rate are maintained. But researchers James Humphreys and Aidan Lawless found that after about five years, white clover shows signs of 'age fatigue', losing vigour and becoming less productive. This has been overcome by re-introducing pelleted clover seed on about 20% of the farm each year.

In the autumn issue of Today's Farm, published by Teagasc, the researchers outlined the benefits of reducing nitrogen usage to just 90kg/ha, on average, and pushing clover in the sward.

In March and April, silage ground gets 115kg/ha of nitrogen, grazing ground gets 58kg/ha.

Pelleted clover seeding costs only €8/ha, and savings on nitrogen are 63/ha.

The white clover content of the sward has also been greatly improved by tight grazing in February and March, and before housing in October or November.