Law number 1: Make use of a long crop

Wortels zijn de ankers van de plant in de bodem. Zij nemen water en voedingstoffen op en stellen de plant in staat om stress, kou, hitte en begrazing te overleven. Eén van de basisproblemen die wij tegenkomen is dat veehouders graag werken met een kort gewas. En proberen met deze methode het maximale uit het gewas te halen. Wat juist net het tegenovergestelde resultaat oplevert.

Crider's (1954) research has shown that if you want to achieve the highest growth per day of a fodder crop (monocultures and polycultures), it is important to let the plant grow for a long time to get the most out of the plant. Then you should think of calf or knee high. About a year later, a third of the root system off a plant will die, and it will regrow.

Mowing or grazing a forage crop (grass mixtures/feed herbs) has a direct effect on the growth of new roots. When mowing or grazing too short, the forage crop dies. If the leaf area is kept at an optimal length, roots will support more plant growth.

Law number 2: Keep your soil covered at all times

Bare soil is soil that is not protected by plants or grazing residues. Pastures with a high percentage of bare soil are at greater risk of run-off and erosion. Bare soil has no protection against drought, rain and temperature rise or fall. In case of continuous excessive grazing, the biodiversity will decrease.

By keeping a forage crop short, there is a greater chance of weeds. If this happens, there is a greater chance that the forage crop will suffer from drought and grass production will decrease.

Een tip voor een betere bodembedekking:
Maak gebruik van een gewas waar lengte in zit. Een Saladebuffet kan tot kniehoog worden en is nog zeer bladrijk en zeer goed verteerbaar. Hierdoor houd je de bodem bedekt en creëer je een “mini-regenwoud”. De bodem blijft koel, donker en vochtig.

In addition, the forage crop continues to maintain a high yield, because you leave more residue, so that re-growth starts immediately.

3 tips to prevent drought in feed herbs:

– Let the crop grow to length; mid-calf, just below the knee. (1st year around 30cm/2nd year or older around 40-50cm)
– Mow as high as possible (10-12cm); by leaving the rest, the root system remains intact and re-growth starts immediately.
– Or graze half of the crop; this keeps the root system intact and re-growth starts immediately.