Germinal Ireland, in association with Teagasc, will host a reseeding demo on Wednesday 7th August at 11am on the farm of Brian and Pat Hogan, Horse & Jockey, Co. Tipperary.
The focus of this farm walk is to share knowledge on maximising returns from reseeding.
Mark Plunkett, Teagasc Johnstown Castle and Bill Reilly from Germinal Ireland will discuss soil structure and soil health; to increase our understanding and awareness of soil health and its impact on total farm productivity.
During the morning, soil on the farm will be examined, as a means of demonstrating what exactly farmers should be looking for to identity good soil structure and a healthy soil. Soil fertility will also be a key topic for discussion.
As the grass seed you sow today is expected to perform on your farm for the next 8-10 years, Dr. Mary McEvoy will discuss the most suitable options for reseeding grazing and silage ground and how to assess grass seed mixtures.
Weed control in new and existing swards will also be examined, with discussion about options for controlling weeds, when the right time to spray a new reseed is, what the options are for controlling docks, thistles or chickweed in swards and best management for when clover is included in the sward.
Prof. Gary Lanigan and Jim Gibbons will discuss how to maintain a sustainable grass-based production system into the future, that returns a profit to the farm but also reduces the environmental impact from farming.
A machinery demonstration will take place where attendees will have the opportunity to view different methods of reseeding; including discing, one-pass and direct-seeding. The pros and cons of each method will be discussed, addressing the key steps to a successful reseed.
The morning will finish with a BBQ and all attendees will be in with the chance to win 5 acres of Top 5 Extend and the opportunity to visit the Germinal site in the Horse and Jockey to see the process involved in formulating a grass seed mixture.