By kind permission of Briefing Media - Article published in Dairy Farmer
Submission to Dairy Farmer (8.2.16)
GRASS SELECTION UNDERPINS BOOST IN PASTURE PERFORMANCE
Irish dairy farmers Danny and Patrick Cremin are achieving pasture yields of 16t DM/ha with 85%
utilised. Dairy Farmer finds out how a change in strategy has helped boost overall farm
performance and profitability.
Grass and cow genetics have always been number one for the Cremin family, but pressure to
make a more profitable business caused the Cremin brothers to drill further down on the specifics.
Having taken over the County Limerick farm from their father in 2009, Danny and Patrick knew that
grass and cow performance had to improve and cow numbers increase in order to support two
families.
Danny explains: “We started to upgrade our grass measurement skills, put more emphasis on soil
fertility and focus on growing more pasture and utilising it,” he says.
Since then, aggressive reseeding has been undertaken using grass varieties that best suit the
farm. Extensive drainage work has also been implemented and management overhauled to better
protect soils. Jersey genetics have also been introduced and cow numbers increased from 70 to
220 cows, using homebred replacements.
Work has proved hugely beneficial with dry matter yields increasing from 9tDM/ha in 2008 to
16tDM/ha in 2015. Better use of grass, less concentrate use and improved milk solids/cow has
also helped reduce variable costs and make for a more efficient system (see box).
Danny says: “We reseeded aggressively while stocking rates were low and took out about 12-15
hectares at one go for reseeding, predominately in the spring/summer. In the last 3-4 years we’ve
been able to increase stocking rates as grass has been better. We’re now at 2.8 cows/ha.”
With the herd calving in a 12-week, spring block, getting cows out and grazing early is crucial to
the success of the low costs system. However, with much of the 71 hectares of land around the
main farm lying heavy, soil protection is vital to avoid long term damage. As a result the Cremins
opted to invest in their own grass stitching machine and stitch in 80% of new reseeds. Any ground
that needed leveling has been ploughed, with some land mole ploughed.
The whole farm is soil tested annually. This has identified the need to build soil P and K indices
and increase soil pH, with some fields testing as low as pH4. Liming has been used to raise pH
generally and most reseeds now receive 7.5 tonnes of lime per hectare and a 10:10:20 compound
fertiliser at 40kgN/ha.
Patrick also places variety selection high up the priority list. He explains: “We always want to pick
the best grasses that have had the research done on them. We have a similar attitude to grass
genetics as we do cow genetics as one feeds the other. The Pasture Profit Index is the way to go.”
In Ireland, grasses are ranked using the Pasture Profit Index which gives an indication of the
relative profitability difference of a variety when compared to the Base Values (see table). Only
varieties that have completed a minimum of two harvest years in the Irish Department of
Agriculture, Food and the Marine Frequent Cutting Protocol have a PPI value.
The Cremins also use Teagasc’s Pasture Base, grass benchmarking software to monitor
performance and identify where they can improve. To ensure they are selecting the best varieties,
they are also one of a number of farms across Ireland involved in Teagasc’s monoculture grass
trial.
Patrick explains: “It (the monoculture trial) tells us which grasses are suited to different farms,
which are more palatable, and which grow best. It gives us a lot better idea of what’s suited to our
farm.”
Six of 25 paddocks are planted with a monoculture, with diploid varieties favoured on wet ground,
to give added ground cover. Tetraploids are then used on drier paddocks. Danny plans on using
high PPI ranking variety AberGain moving forward, however so far he has had the best results with
the diploid, AberChoice, which is also in the 2016 PPI top ten.
Danny adds: “AberChoice was planted in 2014 and that field has grown more than any other on the
farm. It yielded 19.5tDM/ha last year including 2.1tDM in bales. I’m pleased how it grazed out too
as diploids can be harder to graze.”
A mix of two diploid perennial ryegrasses (PRG) and one tetraploid PRG was used on most of the
reseeds done in 2009.
To further protect soils, on/off grazing will be implemented if ground conditions are wet. This
involves grazing cows in two, three-hour blocks and then bringing them back to stand on the farm’s
220-cow, open cubicle building. This is a conventional cow cubicle building, excluding a roof, which
halved initial building costs.
Patrick adds: “We’re better at managing grass now. It’s all about attention to detail. We walk the
farm at least once a week and we’re very conscious about minding the soils in the spring and
following a Spring Rotation Planner and allocating the exact amount of grass.”
As part of the Spring Rotation Planner, 30% of the farm will be grazed by 1 March, 60% by St
Patrick’s day, with the second round starting in the first week in April. To maximise grazing intakes,
cows will only be topped up with silage and concentrate when grass does not meet demands.
Danny also believes selecting fertile cows and calving as many as possible at the start of the block
is key to getting the most from grass. This year the farm is predicted to calve 88% in the first six
weeks, starting on 9 February.
“Six week calving rate has a big impact on the amount of grass grazed in the spring. The key is to
get it grazed and growing for the next rotation. The other part of that is putting enough nitrogen on
the grass in the spring,” he explains. This involves targeted application of slurry and urea in
January, with slurry applied to ground that will be grazed later in the rotation.
BOX: Cremin family - forage stats
Milk solids per cow have increased from 375kg in 2013 to 461kg in 2015.
Pasture yields have increased from 11.5tDM/ha in 2013 to 16.2tDm/ha in 2015.
Concentrate use decreased from 1t/cow/year in 2013 to 303kg/cow/year in 2015.
Concentrate costs down from 6.5c/litre to 1.5c/litre.
Grass plate meter used to monitor grass and create grazing wedge.
Aim for residuals of 1,600-1,700kgDM/ha.
Silage taken from off-lying ground and as management tool on grazing platform.
Teagasc Pasture Profit Index (PPI) 2016 - Top Five Varieties
Ploidy
Total €/ha/year
AberMagic
Diploid
210
AberGain
Tetraploid
199
Diploid
190
AberPlentiful
Tetraploid
177
Solus*
Tetraploid
175
Dunluce
Tetraploid
174
AberChoice
Diploid
173
Rosetta
Diploid
168
Seagoe
Tetraploid
160
Kintyre
Tetraploid
156
Variety
Nifty
*Provisional data only
Ends
A monoculture of the diploid perennial ryegrass AberChoice produced 19.5tDM/ha in 2015, says
Danny Cremin.
Danny (pictured) and Patrick Cremin use the Irish Pasture Profit Index to select the best grass
varieties for their dairy farm.
The 220-cow herd is accommodated in outdoor cubicles and milked through a New Zealand style
parlour.