While the first cut of grass was cut earlier than usual this year, the second cut seems to come off the land later this season. "I expect that we will only be able to say more about the yield and quality of the second cut in 2 to 3 weeks," says Jan Rozeboom, Nutrition specialist at ABZ Diervoeding.
Various advisors expressed the expectation in May that the second cut could be mown at the end of May/beginning of June. However, due to the cold and wet weather of the past period, that plan fell through. According to Rozeboom, the second cut of grass is therefore far from being available everywhere in the country. "Those who have mowed the first cut of grass smoothly are the ones who have already mowed the second cut of the land."
The feed advisor reports that this mainly concerns plots in the south of the country. "In the north of the Netherlands, very few plots have been mowed for the second time. For many, it is a matter of waiting until it dries out."
No analyzes yet
Rozeboom further states that no analyzes are yet known of these plots, mainly because silage is being dug on top of each other. Last year the second cut was significantly less than the first cut. Gerard Abbink, roughage advisor in the East of the Netherlands at Groeikracht, said: at the time know that this was mainly due to the poorer growing conditions during the second cut. This will also be the case this year, so it is expected that this year the quality of the second cut will also be lower than the first cut.
The first cut of grass this season was scarred by drought at the beginning of the year, which caused the protein content to be much lower. The grass that was mown around Easter barely achieved a yield of 3 tons of dry matter. Those who mowed later ended up even lower.
Better weather
Rozeboom expects that in 2 to 3 weeks more can be said about the quality and yields of the second cut. "However, this is completely dependent on the weather conditions. The faster it dries, the faster the second cut is removed from the land."