Grass clover provides good protein supplement

Due to the cold and wet spring, the grass harvest started late and the silage results from the first cut show a wide spread. Now that about half of the grass season is over, the question arises whether some compensation can be made in the 4th and 5th.

The ensiled grass is generally low in crude protein. With the first cut that are siled around King's Day, it is still not that bad, but as the first cut is mowed later, the crude protein decreases in most cases.

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The cause of this is the large mass of grass that was harvested from the first cut. The protein and minerals are, as it were, diluted. In addition, in most cases fertilization has not been carried out for such a heavy cut. As a result, the grass had to extract the minerals from the soil stock. 

As a result, many dairy farmers long for subsequent cuts with a higher crude protein content to compensate. Grass clover can give the protein content in the silage a big boost. Especially with the current high prices for concentrates and other protein-containing (by) products, it is extra interesting to grow your own protein with grass-clover. 

Grass clover benefit is now discussed
The real benefits of grass clover don't really come into play until halfway through the growing season. This is because clovers only start at a higher soil temperature. Clover needs little fertilizer because it binds nitrogen from the air like leguminous plants. This nitrogen is stored in the soil and can be absorbed by the grass. This makes extra nitrogen available, especially in summer and early autumn, which in turn benefits the crude protein content in the grass.

Roughage participant Frank Rooker can better meet the protein requirements of the dairy cows with these grass-clover plots and this can be perfectly combined with this year's silage lasagna silage.

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