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Organic One Year LeysFast growing, high yield grass seed mixtures |
Very fast growing ryegrasses, clovers and vetches can produce a lot of forage in a matter of months. This is a useful means of providing for a shortfall of silage or maximising production from forage in short crop rotations. Cotswold Seeds provide seed mixtures of these quick growing and high yielding species to be grown as one year leys. Annual yields depend on soil fertility but can exceed 15t DM per hectare from an autumn sowing. Spring sowings yield around 25% less. Fast & Furious Westerwolds Ryegrass Westerwolds is the highest yielding but shortest lived ryegrass. It is an annual, capable of extremely quick growth from seed and is grown largely for silage production or early grazing in the spring. When sown in the autumn it provides grazing in March and April and regrows for summer silage or it can also be spring sown on damp fertile land for summer production only. It can be considered as a modern and less expensive alternative to forage rye, an early turnout crop that was extremely commonplace in former times. Westerwolds like all ryegrass is ‘hungry’ for soil nitrate and for this reason it is best grown with a nitrogen fixing annual vetch. Westerwolds needs cutting frequently to keep growth leafy and can produce up to 3 cuts of silage during the year. After only 12 weeks from sowing, westerwolds is usually ready to be cut. Westerwolds feed value is very similar quality to Italian ryegrass. Good & Reliable Italian Ryegrass This high yielding grass may be a little lower yielding than westerwolds but lasts for two years and is a good, reliable choice especially when sown with red clover. Protein rich vetches and the annual crimson clover are also good companions and the mixture ‘Fast & Vast’ opposite is a good forage/soil building combination. Italian ryegrass is a little later growing in the spring than westerwolds and is usually ready during the second half of May for silage. Two subsequent cuts follow at approximately 6 week intervals. Soil Improvements Included The very noticeable benefit of growing short term leys in arable rotations is due to the large amount of root produced which adds organic material to the soil and makes it easier to work. Soil particles are bound together by ‘humus’, (decomposed organic matter,) which forms soil aggregates (crumbs) which in turn make easy working soil and a good growing medium in which to grow crops. Effective nitrogen building with legumes such as clovers and vetch also leaves behind massive amounts of free nitrogen. Although trials results vary it is usual to expect around 200 kgN/ha after a grass ley has been incorporated. Nitrogen availability however may be limited during the establishment phase of a ley as legumes only start to fix nitrogen once they are reasonably well established and the soil is warm. It is therefore very prudent to apply some manure in the seedbed if this can be made available. |
Westerwold and Vetch Six Month Ley
Ref. MIXWWVORG 65% Organic A mixture of westerwolds ryegrass and vetch can be used to provide a large cut or grazing. It is best sown in the Autumn by late September. Spring sowings can be successful but only where soil moisture and fertility are not limiting factors.
Westerwold ryegrass will regrow after cutting so this ley can be left for a further cut or graze if required. To minimise the risk of ryegrass seed being shed it is advisable to cut before the seed heads are visible.
9.00 kg certified MENDOZA west. ryegrass
18.00 kg certified EARLY ENGLISH ORGANIC vetch 27.00 kg per acre (67.5 kg/ha)
Fast & Vast High Clover One Year Ley
Ref. MIXFVORG 65% Organic This short term ley is for those wishing to produce a
large amount of forage in a very short time. This type
of ley has been used on organic farms in Europe for
many years. It is also a good fertility builder providing
large amounts of N once ploughed.
The mixture can be sown from March until August and will provide grazing or a massive cut of silage after 8 12 weeks. There will also be regrowth which provides a second cut or grazing. The ley can be left down over the winter as a cover or to hold stock. The forage is high in protein and is a well balanced feed due to the ryegrass content. In addition to red clover the mixture also contains crimson clover and vetches. These two species lift the yield over a short period of time. The mixture can be left for a second year if required. The vetch seed is larger than the others, hence the higher inclusion rate.
4.70 kg certified FABIO Italian ryegrass
4.30 kg certified STAR ORGANIC Italian ryegrass 2.00 kg certified MILVUS red clover 1.00 kg certified CONTEA crimson clover 10.00 kg certified EARLY ENGLISH ORGANICvetch 22.00 kg per acre (55 kg/ha)
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