Management notes for April 2022

Management Notes are prepared by staff from the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE). CAFRE is a College within the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

DAIRYING

Prepared by: Richard Gibson

Early season grazing management

With a significant increase in forage costs on dairy farms this year, more emphasis must be placed on grazing management and increased grass. Early grazing and setting up the grazing wedge in the first rotation is essential and dictates grass quality for the rest of the grazing season, ensuring both surplus and deficit of grass supply does not become a major issue. Some key pointers are:

• Regular walking of the grazing platform should already have taken place and should continue throughout April. For April, target a pre-grazing cover of 3,000 kg dry matter (DM) per hectare. The average grass cover on the grazing block should be 2,200-2,400 kg DM per hectare. Rotation length should be 25-30 days.
• As ground conditions allow, get as many cows out to grass as possible. Gradually increase the number of cows going out to grass to coincide with improved conditions and grass growth.
• Depending on the calving pattern and herd yield, you may have to select cows to go out to graze. The general rule of thumb is that cows yielding under 36 litres per day can be successfully grazed.
• Current grass quality is high. Late March grass analysis indicates that DM is 19%, CP 18.8% and ME 11.6.

Monitor feed costs on your farm

While the cost of growing grass has increased on all farms, it still remains the cheapest feed available for cows. Recent costs calculated by CAFRE indicate significant increases in making and conserving forage. Average quality silage (10.5 ME) made using March 2022 fertiliser prices will cost £130 per tonne DM. Compare this to grazed grass costs of £66 per tonne DM. While both costs include a figure for feeding out in the housed system and laneway infrastructure is included for the grazing system they highlight that grazing is relatively cheaper. The table below illustrates that the difference in feed cost for a 200 cow herd is £324 per day and almost £10,000 over 30 days.   

Plan your forage requirements for the winter ahead

Fertiliser is more expensive, fuel cost has increased and contractor charges will be higher this year. This will result in significantly more expensive forage being made. Chemical nitrogen (N) is vital for first cut silage as it sustains yield and quality. The nutrient requirement for first cut silage on dairy farms is 120 kg N per hectare or 96 units per acre. Given that 2,500 gallons per acre of slurry will have supplied 24 units per acre, an additional 70 units of chemical nitrogen is required. On many farms this year this application will be split in half, with the first half already spread. The second application will go on in early April. Take time now to determine forage requirements. Some key pointers are:

• Ensure you make sufficient silage for the winter ahead. Do not allow chemical N prices to result in a short fall in forage on your farm this winter.
• Calculate how much forage you need to harvest this year, taking into account any remaining silage stocks.
• Detailed stock numbers on your farm will be critical for this calculation. Factor in cull cows and any other livestock you plan to sell off.

Top tips for April

• Grazed grass is the cheapest feed for dairy cows. Monitor feed cost on your farm. Are you getting maximum utilisation from grass or forage?
• If available, do not limit chemical N use for silage this year. Paying for expensive concentrate or purchased forage to fill a shortfall this winter will be more expensive.
• Focus on the livestock on your farm. Are there problem cows in the herd with SCC, fertility or feet issues?
• Budget slurry application across all silage cuts planned for this year.
• Monitor cashflow carefully in your business. Increased input costs and paying up front will add pressure to available cash within the business.

BEEF AND SHEEP

Prepared by: Jack Friar

Mineral supplementation for cattle at grass

Mineral supplementation at grass should be considered for both suckler cows and beef cattle. Research shows that mineral deficiency is a widespread problem in soils across Northern Ireland. Selenium and iodine deficiency is of particular concern, especially for suckler cow fertility. Trace elements play a key role in ovulation, conception and embryo survival. Although mineral deficiency can limit fertility, if overall nutritional needs are not met, fertility will still be compromised. 

Also, consider mineral supplementation for beef cattle receiving no concentrates at grass. Many essential trace elements are involved in energy metabolism and therefore feed conversion efficiency. If mineral levels in grazed grass are less than animal requirements, cattle may not grow to their potential.

The ideal way to identify a deficiency is to analyse a pooled blood sample from a group of untreated animals. This is usually done through your veterinary practitioner. If a deficiency is identified, there are various options available for supplementation, from boluses to slow release tablets through the drinking water. 

Stock management - remove costly passengers!

With input costs continuing to increase, this is not the year to carry any passengers by forgiving or forgetting even the slightest of problems. Record as much information as possible at lambing and calving to help with future replacement and culling decisions. Identify problem ewes/cows based on poor mothering ability or persistent health problems and sell them at the earliest opportunity. 

Closing silage ground

Ideally, silage ground should be closed off for first cut during the first week of April, with the aim of cutting in mid-May. The aim of this is to produce high quality silage to ensure good daily liveweight gains and to reduce concentrate input for finishing cattle or in-lamb ewes this winter. Although the thought of next winter is at the back of your mind, reducing concentrate inputs should be the focus, considering current global straight prices which may continue. Poor silage quality will have a knock-on effect this winter.   

Cattle vaccination programme

With spring calving already started, or about to start, keep a close eye on young calves for scours, pneumonia and joint ill, even at grass. Vaccination of calves for clostridial diseases should ideally be done before turnout as the risk of disease increases as they grow and eat more grass. Also, if your cows need any boosters or in the case of replacement heifers vaccinations programmes – plan these in now to be completed well before the start of the breeding season ?

Sheep parasite awareness and management

April usually coincides with the emergence of two parasites, nematodirus and coccidiosis, which affect young lambs that are starting to eat grass (five to six weeks of age). These infections can be confused with each other as they both cause scour, which will severely impact performance. Treatment programmes however are very different and it is important to identify the cause of the problem as soon as possible. This can be done by getting dung samples analysed. Discussion with your veterinary surgeon is essential to ensure correct diagnosis and treatment. Treatment for nematodirus is usually a white drench (benzimidazole type drench). For coccidiosis, use a coccidiostat oral drench or medicated feed for lambs that are being creep fed. The medication for the creep feed can be fed at a preventive or control rate, but a prescription from your veterinary surgeon is required before your supplier adds it into the concentrate ration. In all cases, consult your vet before purchasing and administering any treatments. 

PIGS

Prepared by: Liz Donnelly

Pig industry pressures

The pig industry continues to be in the midst of a crisis. A build-up of pigs on farms, combined with a decreasing pig price, created huge problems over recent months. Now exceptionally high production costs have added to farmer concerns. The backlog of pigs appears to be clearing, with the average Northern Ireland deadweight now 95 kg, down from a high of 99 kg. However, many pig businesses are now facing a cashflow crisis due to the large gap that exists between the cost of production and price received for pigs sold. If your business is facing cashflow problems, it is important you contact your bank as soon as possible to discuss funding options available. Options include provision of an overdraft facility, extending an overdraft or perhaps paying interest only on an existing loan. To help the bank determine the amount of funding required and the best option for your business they may ask you to do a cashflow. A cashflow provides a forecast of monthly expenditure and income for any time period. When preparing a cashflow, include all costs and accurately record when expenditure will occur. As most of you will have a tax bill to pay in July it is important to also include this in the cashflow. Feed cost and pig price, as well as having the biggest influence on the cashflow, are the two most difficult figures to forecast. Your bank understands this and will accept you ‘best guess’, provided it is realistic. The cashflow can be easily updated to take account of changing costs and price.

Updating it regularly is a valuable exercise as it allows you and the bank to assess the continuing impact of costs and price on your business and to budget for the future.

Mental wellbeing

At times, some pressure and stress is good as they keep us on our toes. However, too much can affect our mental health and wellbeing. Lack of control over the factors currently affecting pig production is causing increasing levels of stress amongst all pig farmers. As a farmer when you realize pigs are not thriving or there is a health problem you treat them immediately. The same should apply to you. If you feel under pressure and are stressed, talking to someone can help. Talk to a family member, a friend, another pig farmer, your pig adviser or anyone that understands the pressures you are dealing with. Rural Support is a local charity that provides a confidential support service. Several pig farmers have already contacted the charity and benefitted from the support and advice provided. They can be contacted on 028 8676 0040 or at info@ruralsupport.org.uk

Pig welfare training

One of the new Red Tractor standards requires everyone involved in the care of pigs to complete welfare training. This training is done online through the UK Pig Industry Training Platform, which was launched on 1st March. The first module is on moving and handling pigs. You and anyone on your farm that looks after pigs must complete this module before 31st August 2022. The course consists of videos and practical advice on moving and handling pigs. It is split into two chapters and topics covered include:

• Moving pigs
• Loading and unloading pigs
• Assessing fitness of pigs to travel
• Handling and restraining pigs

Although the course lasts 90 minutes you do not have to complete it all at once. You can do part of it, save what you have done and then return later. Completing a training course through the Training Platform normally costs £10 per person. However, this course is free to the first 8,000 people who sign up for it or for six months, whichever is reached first. When you complete the training, you will receive a certificate. It is important you save this onto your computer or print it off so you can show it to the auditor as proof of completion.

You can register and log in to the course at ahdbpork.vbms.co.uk/store

CROPS

Prepared by: Leigh Mc Clean

CEREAL MANAGEMENT

Winter cereals

Winter cereals are due their second split of N at early stem extension, growth stage (GS) 30-32, barley reaching this stage before wheat. Inspect crops for recently emerged broad-leaved weeds applying top-up herbicide as temperatures warm up.  As with all pesticides, adhere to product labels paying attention to latest application timings, sequences with other herbicides and approved tank mixes with other products. 

Disease control

Some forward winter barley crops have high levels of Mildew and Rhynchosporium infection. Keep fungicide rates high, particularly if T0 fungicide was not applied or T1 has yet to go on. The following T2 fungicide should be applied around GS 39 when the flag leaf has fully emerged and first awns are appearing. This should be no later than four weeks after T1. At both timings, best performance comes with Prothioconazole and an SDHI in the product mix. Both prothioconazole and new active ingredient mefentrifluconazole (Revysol) have shown useful activity against Ramularia in trials.

In winter wheat if T0 fungicide has not been applied the T1 is critical to control Septoria. Apply around GS 32 when leaf three is emerging. AHDB fungicide trials have shown a long-term gradual decline in SDHI/azole activity on Septoria tritici due to the disease developing resistance to established chemistry. New active ingredients, mefentrifluconazole (Revystar) from BASF and fenpicoxamid (Inatreq) from Corteva, work by two different modes of action. They give better protection against resistance developing to existing chemistry they are partnered with alongside a step up in performance compared with other azole/SDHI mixes on the market. As T2 gives the best return on fungicide investment, these new products are best applied at this timing. Where disease pressure is low or on varieties with good Septoria resistance like Extase or Graham, existing SDHI/triazole mixes at strong rates offer cost effective protection. Folpet should be included as a partner in mixes to protect other fungicide groups as its inclusion slows the pace of disease resistance developing in both wheat and barley.    

Spring crops

As we move through April gradually increase seed rate up to 400 grains per square metre for spring barley. Plan to treat weeds in all sown crops as soon as possible.  Pre-emergence herbicides in spring cereals can help manage resistant broad-leaved weeds such as chickweed and also target problem annual meadow grass. 

For protein crops, such as peas and beans, pre-emergence herbicide application is essential to control broad-leaved weeds as the only available post-emergent product does not cover a wide spectrum of weeds and can be quite harsh on the growing crop.   

POTATOES

Sprouting and chitting

Pre-sprouting systems must ensure adequate temperature, ventilation and light to control sprout growth and protect against frost. As seed planted now will be for the main crop, ensure that the pre-sprouting system encourages multiple sprouting to produce many tubers, which can increase in size over a longer growing season than with early varieties. 

Weed control and desiccation

A range of pre-emergence products offers good weed control, though for best results these need to be applied as soon as possible after planting. If the window for pre-emergence herbicides has passed, contact herbicides such as carfentrazone (Shark) are an option.

Desiccation with Spotlight or Gozai can be challenging particularly in seed and salad crops. These products are effective on crops that are starting to senesce, but typically take one to two weeks longer to give the same effect as Diquat. Decisions to plant earlier and careful N management help canopies start senescence earlier and improve probability of a successful burn down. If planting is delayed, a rule of thumb is to reduce N rate by 1.0 kg per hectare per day after planned planting date and avoid late N applications, which keep the canopy greener for longer. 

Notes to editors: 

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2. All media queries should be directed to the DAERA Press Office.

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