Grassland – Part 3

Direct Sowing Best and most reliable way to obtain a

ley. The seedbed is prepared by ploughing

and harrowing. It should be very fine, finer than that for

cereals. Fertiliser should be broadcast and

worked in during the final seedbed preparation.

The seed is sown using a combine drill, in lines 10cm apart and 2cm deep.

They may also be broadcast over the soil and covered over using a chain harrow.

The land should be rolled after sowing to improve seed – soil contact and better germination rates.

Spring sown leys should be sown before May 1st due to the risk of drought.

Autumn sown leys should not be sown after Mid – September.

Undersowing Undersowing is used by farmers who

employ tillage / grass rotations. The grass seeds are grown with the

tillage crop, usually a spring cereal. Over the summer the two crops grow

together and after harvesting, the grass takes over.

The land should be autumn ploughed and the seedbed prepared in the usual manner.

The grass is sown directly after the cereal (using a drill) and then the land is rolled.

Spring Barley is the most suitable “nurse crop” as the competition between the two crops is less due to short straw and early harvesting.

Lodging is a problem with this method, so N application should be lessened by 30%.

Tillage yields are reduced using this method also.

Undersowing grass with arable silage (oats / vetch) is good farming practice.

The silage is cut early and the grass has a good chance of establishing itself.

Direct Drilling This technique involves drilling seeds

into unploughed ground. The drilling machine cultivates a small

strip of soil and sows the seed in it. No problems occur if direct drilled into

stubble. But if direct drilling into grassland,

problems and/or competition can occur.

The grassland should be grazed bare or mown and killed with a herbicide before direct drilling.

Slug pellets and fertiliser are added with the seed in order to help its establishment.

Direct drilling is most successful on shallow soils where ploughing is difficult.

Stitching In This system is almost the same as direct

drilling, except the old sward is not killed. The seed is drilled using a similar drill,

along with slug pellets and fertiliser. If the seeds establish themselves then

they become the dominant species in the sward.

This system is not as predicable as direct drilling and the old sward can often win out.