Description
Organic system, grazing system, food system based on hay (dryed in barn) and haylage. Prio-rity to grazing with 70 ha available for the cows.
Renovation of permanent grasslands in pro-gress since 2015 with seedling of a catch crop (intercrop) during spring or automne, that is grazed (5 times) then destroyed to be reseeded as permanent grassland (multispecies) the next spring. Composed by Perenial Rye-grass, Tall Fescue, Meadow Fescue, Thimothy grass, Red Clover, Hybrid Clover, White Clover, Chicory and Plantain.
Sowing of multi-species grasslands in 4 stages: destruction of inter-crop with a rotavator, 2 cover-crop passages, sowing the grassland with combinatied sowing then 2 passages of cultipacker roll.
Reason for the innovation
Technique works quite well for now with good results from milk production (especially when intercrop grazing) and White Clover being present in permanent grassland thanks to spring sowing.
Restrains: climate when sowing, no labour which means good machanical destruction of the intercrop is needed and cost of the organic seeds.
This technique was setted up to increase production and reduce feeding costs.
Farm description
Environment
- Soil: Loamy
- Climate: Oceanic climate
- Altitude: 30m
Grassland management
- Grazing: Yes
- Grazing Management type: Rotational, strip-grazing
- Length: 8 months/year
- 48% of grasslands grazed and mowed
- Fertilization: organic only (compost 10 t/ha every 2 years)
- Intercrop composition: Fodder Colza, Perenial Rye-Grass, Diploïde Oat, Oat and Fodder radish
- Fodder conservation types: hay (dryed in barn), haylage
Structure
- Annual Work Unit: 3
- Agricultural area: 200 ha UAA
- Main forage area: 175 ha
- Permanent grassland: 165 ha
- Temporary grasslands: 10 ha
- Organic production
- Breeds: Prim’Holstein, Montbéliarde and Cross-breeding (Jersiaise x PH)
- Stocking rate: 1.08 LU / ha main forage area
- 137 Dairy cows—190 LU
Animal performance
- Milk production per head: 5 000 L/year
Why it is working
The farmers wanted to start a renovation program of permanent grasslands (following a trip to another French area) to improve production.
Great care is given to renovation with intercrop sowing before grassland so-wing to clean up the soil keeping good productivity.
Spring sowing of grassland because automne is too wet.
Optimum valorization of multispecies grasslands thanks to the dryer in barn.
