It is bursting with activities on the grassland these days. With the mowing, chopping and silage work, these are tropical days for many dairy farmers and contractors. The reactions to the first cut have been purely positive.
Gerard Abbink, advisor at Groeikracht, speaks of 'good conditions' when ensiling the first cut. The first results of the trial fields in North Brabant and Gelderland are therefore of excellent quality. Abbink estimates that the trial fields are also representative for the other parts of the Netherlands, because the growing conditions were almost the same everywhere. "In hindsight, the rain that fell in mid-April has been ideal for grass growth."
3 to 4 tons of dry matter
Abbink assumes yields between 3 to 4 tons of dry matter per hectare. "A yield of 4 tons per hectare is probably only achievable for fields that have had the main fertilization early." The yield of fields where the main fertilization was not applied until mid-April (due to the wet conditions) will probably be somewhat lower. "These plots have suffered some growth retardation." However, Abbink is sure that the yields on sandy soil will be higher this year than last year.
In general, the first cut produces good and quickly digestible grass. Abbink talks about relatively high protein contents. The sugar levels also picked up at the end, due to the sunny conditions that can be used for silage. However, it remains to be seen how the silage measurements on the various dairy farms will turn out.
René Verhoeven, of grass seed specialist Barenbrug, also speaks of yields of up to 4 tons of dry matter per hectare. Verhoeven still finds it difficult to estimate the feed values. It is striking, according to him, that the mowing moment is the same in almost all regions. "It may turn out to be a bit unfortunate for contractors in terms of planning, given that the maize still has to be sown in many places."
Verhoeven notes that some dairy farmers are still waiting to bring in the first cut. In view of the weather conditions and the expectations, the motivations for this cannot be estimated directly. "These dairy farmers may prefer a higher yield and extra structure over a lower feed value." This is in line with the trend that the correct silage moment is increasingly determined on a company-specific basis.
Steam peels wanted
The suppliers of potato steam peels are experiencing a peak in demand these days. Steam peelings are increasingly used to cover the grass silage. According to Bart Grob van Duynie, the supply is sufficient enough; the crux lies in logistics. Due to the peak demand, there may be a few days waiting time.
For a pit area of approximately 175 square meters, 1 lorry (of 35 tons of steam shells) is sufficient. With these volumes, a cover thickness of 30 centimeters can be achieved. Duynie uses a steam shell price of €20 per tonne for silage covering.