Spring has arrived and producers should be planning for the upcoming fodder conservation season.
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However, there is more to this decision than shutting the gate.
The first step is to create a fodder plan. Every farm is different and a fodder plan will help determine the quantity and quality of fodder required to fill the feed gap. This information will inform whether you need silage or hay, when to close the gate and for how long.
Good agronomic management is important in achieving high fodder yields of high nutrient value.
Locking up the paddock based on a date on the calendar will not account for seasonal variability.
- Sue Briggs
A fodder paddock should contain a perennial or a sown annual that has had good weed and insect control. Weed-infested pasture will not make good quality fodder, even if you wrap it up for silage.
Fodder conservation removes large amounts of nutrients. For every tonne of fodder cut per hectare, it will remove up to 3 kg/ha of phosphorus, 20-25 kg/ha of potassium and 2.5-3 kg/ha of sulphur. If you cut the same paddock each year, it is important to monitor nutrient levels with soil tests.
Spring fertiliser requirements will vary with soil type, pasture species and current soil test results.
The timing and nitrogen rate are key aspects in ensuring quality and quantity goals are achieved. Nitrogen is best used in conjunction with shorter lock-up periods.
When to close the gate
Locking up the paddock based on a date on the calendar will not account for seasonal variability.
With a lock-up date in late winter or early spring, you can achieve greater than 11 megajoules of metabolisable energy per kg of dry matter (MJ ME/kgDM), but ensure the locked length is no longer than 10 weeks.
The later the paddock is locked up, the less flexibility you have in achieving good quality fodder. The pasture quality will decline quicker as grasses enter reproductive state. One tactic for late lock dates is to ensure that grazing pressure has been maintained throughout spring and to shorten the lock-up period.
The forecast wet spring may make it difficult to achieve optimal closure duration. It is worth considering staggering closure dates and durations to spread the risk of weather damage at harvest.
It costs the same to make good quality fodder as it does to make poor quality fodder, and with planning, the fodder conserved this spring will be on target to meet your livestock requirements next summer and autumn.
