Drier parts of the country, especially in the Southeast, could face a grass deficit this week with little rain expected.
Meanwhile, farmers in the north-west will be begging for a bit of dry weather, with heavy rain over the past week leaving some fields saturated.
Currently, grass growth averages about 75-80 kg dry matter (DM) per hectare mark.
With demand still in the mid-50s (kg DM/ha), many farms have now retreated to grass surplus status again.
In fact, 54% of PastureBase Ireland recording farms had a surplus of grass in the last week, with an average average farm cover (AFC) of 747kg DM/ha.
This may seem all well and good even with farmers looking to pastures to pull surplus bales from the rotation, but with a high-pressure building and low rainfall on the horizon, management must be strict.
We all know how quickly the turf situation on a farm can change in a matter of days, so it is important to continue walking the turf consistently to ensure the AFC remains at or near the target of 650kg DM/ha.
Surplus and deficit grass
Grass deficit farms are in the minority this week, with only 14% of PastureBase farms registered in this status.
However, as dry and warm weather continues over the coming days, a lack of precipitation may lead to further soil moisture deficits.
According to Met Éireann, soil moisture deficits already range from around 20mm to 50mm across most parts of Munster and Leinster.
This moisture deficit is expected to increase further during the week, with water levels in some places in the southeast reaching 60 mm, ultimately restricting grass growth.
Farms already in deficit should plan carefully, and consider increasing rations, feed buffer or palm kernel fodder.
These farmers also need to try to keep their average farm cover above 550 kg DM/ha (currently meaning 581 kg DM/ha).
If growth begins to decline below 50 kg Mark/ha/day, the cycle length should be increased to 25 days, and a reduction in pre-grazing production to 1250 kg Mark/ha is considered acceptable.
Additional stock on the milking platform such as heifers or Culling of cows They should be moved to outside areas if possible, or even consider selling the culled cows as they do not add any value to the farm.
Farms with grass surplus should continue to allocate 18-19kg of grass and 1-2kg of meal over 20-21 days, but should use grass walking to identify any incoming deficit.
Remember, grass growth is a balancing game as we need to try to keep pre-grazing covers of 1400kg DM/ha ahead of the herd.
If pasture exceeds 1500 kg DM/ha, it must be dug out for baling.
It is also worth noting that there will be significant consumption of nutrients from this pasture which must be replaced immediately.
A paddock with a cover of 2000 kg DM/ha and producing about 4 bales/ac would need to be replaced with 40 units of nitrogen (N), 6.4 units of phosphorus (P), and 40 units of potassium (K).
