Don’t compromise on quantity in your second cut

Spraying the re-growth of weeds between silage cuts is crucial if producers want to achieve higher quantities of silage this year - this is the view of Vaughn Stansfield, grassland agronomist for Dow AgroSciences.

Those producers that cut their silage earlier saw a similar theme repeating, of high quality, but low quantity grass silage. If quality is high it makes sense to try and cut as much as possible. Therefore, to maintain quantity, it is vital to minimise weed populations within the re-growth period, to ensure that the weeds are not competing with the grass.

For the later-cutting producers, another point to consider is that the recent weather has forced 'stop-start' cutting patterns, leading to heading of the grass. Producers should remember that when grass goes to head the quality and quantity ratio shifts, as quality begins to drop off.

Mr Stansfield explains that after the first cut has been taken, many of the major weeds that infest grassland, such as docks, thistles and nettles show rapid re-growth, with lots of new leaf development. "Spraying weeds at this time is a sure way of reducing competition and therefore maintaining grass quality, without compromising quantity of second cut silage," advises Mr Stansfield.

"Producers should remember that using a herbicide that translocates, such as Forefront and Doxstar, is important to save time, money and labour in the long term."

Translocating herbicides work by killing the weeds right down to the root, which provides greater and longer lasting control from perennial weeds in grassland.