Dairying Notes April 2007

• Decrease Total Mixed Rations per out-of-parlour concentrate levels and increase parlour feeding before turnout.
• Graze for 2 to 3 hours per day at first and increase gradually to half days over 7 to10 days.
• Grass crude protein (CP) content tends to be higher at turnout (25 to 30 percent Dry Matter) than grass grazed later in the season.  As a result the CP content of concentrates fed at grass should be reduced to 16 to 18 percent as fed in an effort to reduce the effects of high protein per low energy intakes on dairy herd fertility.
• Mineral/Vitamin levels should be adjusted in the concentrate to ensure that cows are receiving 60g calcined magnesite/day, to prevent grass tetany.
• Allow winter and spring concentrates to mix in the storage bin if possible.

• Trials carried out by the Agri-Food and Biological Science Institute (AFBI) Hillsborough, have consistently shown that, even in the most favourable growing areas of Northern Ireland, the extra yield achieved using plastic mulch for early establishment has justified the expense.  
• The Forage Maize Recommended Varieties booklet 2007 produced following trials carried out by the DARD Plant Testing Station at Crossnacreevy is now available from your local DARD Development Centre. Varieties recommended for establishment under plastic include
   -     for the best sites (mainly Down and Armagh) Justina and PR39G12
   -     for good sites Goldcob and Nescio
   -     for marginal sites Tassilo and LG3193
• Maize is not tolerant of acid soils. Soils should be tested and and lime applied as necessary
• The soil test will also measure the P and K indices of the soils. At index 1, a total application of 100,000 litres of cow slurry per hectare in two dressings would provide most of the crops nutrient requirements (80 KG N, 85 KG P₂O₅ and 205 KG K2O per hectare).
• Wait until ground conditions are suitable before making the seedbed. Forcing a seedbed can lead to soil compaction, causing yield loss. Field headlands will benefit from a run with a “shakerator” before ploughing;
• With crops sown under plastic, drilling can commence in early April as the crop should be emerging after the danger of late frosts has passed.
• With the removal of Atrazine from the UK market  last year’s weed control strategies were mainly based on the use of Stomp and Calaris.  At Crossnacreevy, there was a problem with weeds developing on the area between rows of plastic, a follow up treatment was needed to spray between the rows with a tank mix of Stomp, Calaris and Bromoxinil, before the crop emerged from the plastic.  An alternative but more expensive chemical treatment available this year is the application of the pre-emergent spray Cadou Star (Bayer) at planting.