Assessing the clover content of your swards now will enable you to tailor nitrogen fertiliser applications, while also allowing the identification of paddocks which may require reseeding or over sowing to increase clover content.
In the below video, Michael Egan, Teagasc Grassland Researcher, offers practical steps on completing a clover assessment.
“We’re walking every individual paddock and we’re assessing – like you would at a cover or herbage mass – the level of clover content on those individual paddocks that we can then record on PastureBase later on,” he explained.
To aid in this assessment, Michael highlighted the use of the Teagasc Guide to Sward Clover Content, which gives a visual representation of clover content ranging from zero to greater than 50%. To complete the assessment, both the content and distribution of clover within a paddock must be assessed, which is achieved by continually monitoring the quantity of clover present when walking through the field. The clover content can then be recorded and saved on PastureBase Ireland, where it can be used at a later date to create tailored fertiliser plans.
Source: EMM/ The Agriculture and Food Development Authority