Sustainable Grass and Muck 2024: Germinal forage shows the way forward

Monday 10.06.2024 , News

For Germinal, it was exciting to see the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS) bring the Sustainable Grass and Muck Event to Aberystwyth University Farm at Trawscoed in 2024.

Livestock farming can be productive and sustainable

On Thursday 30th May, hundreds of visitors travelled to Trawscoed Farm, a mixed farming enterprise covering 1,000 acres. During the day there were farm tours, attendees could view trial sites, silage and muck demonstrations, trade stands, seminars, and more.

Speaking for Germinal was Ben Wixey, Agricultural Director of UK and Ireland, who outlined practical solutions for livestock farms to be more sustainable while not compromising on production.

“Bred by IBERS and evolved by Germinal Horizon, Aber High Sugar Grasses (HSG) can increase milk production by 6% and liveweight gains by 20%. This is while improving the energy and protein imbalance in the rumen to reduce ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions,” Ben told delegates.

“Germinal Horizon continues to push the Aber HSG range forward. This year, AberSevern is available for the first time after topping the Recommended List for grazing yield and quality.

“Aber HSG varieties can be even more effective when paired with white clovers, which are proven to fix atmospheric nitrogen while increasing intake and improving forage quality in grazing leys.

“Then you have red clover, which can be combined with Aber HSG varieties to produce protein-rich silage as a nutritious feed source for winter. Historically, clovers were fundamental to grassland farming, and we believe they need to be prominent again.

sgm doubleroot

“Legumes are a major focus for our research division, Germinal Horizon, which is playing a leading role in the £3.3 million Nitrogen Utilisation Efficiency-Legume (NUE-Leg) project, as funded by DEFRA. Alongside our project partners, Germinal Horizon aims to improve the nitrogen-fixing ability of clovers from 150kg N/ha to 300kg.

“Germinal Horizon has also completed a multi-year study into the grassland performance of multi-species swards. Used alongside perennial ryegrasses, herbs and legumes can make forage more productive while fixing nitrogen and improving soil health.

“Today has been a great opportunity to examine the benefits of sustainable grassland practices and show that they can be productive for livestock farmers,” Ben concluded. “Thank you to RWAS for organising and to Aberystwyth University for hosting Sustainable Grass and Muck.”

Germinal trial plots

Ahead of Sustainable Grass and Muck, four Germinal mixtures were established on Trawscoed Farm, with each one expertly formulated for a specific purpose.

Aber HSG Multi-Species Grazing

Combining Aber HSG varieties with Timothy, white clover, red clover, plantain, and chicory, the high nutrient levels can drive performance in grazing stock. Further benefits of this mixture include improved soil health, higher drought tolerance, and reduced dependence on nitrogen fertiliser.

Aber HSG 2 Multi-Cut

Formulated with high-yielding Aber HSG varieties, this mixture produces leys that can be cut at four-to-five-week intervals and then allow for winter grazing.

Aber HSG 3 Long-Term Grazing with Clover

With the added benefit of clover, the diploids in Aber HSG3 Long-Term Grazing produce a dense sward offering high digestibility in livestock to give impressive daily liveweight gains.

Aber Red 5 HSG Quality Silage

Adding red clover to Aber HSG varieties can create highly productive silage requiring low inputs. Cut at five-to-six-week intervals from mid-May, Aber Red 5 delivers outstanding grazing yield and D-value.