| PERENNIAL RYEGRASS - ASTONENERGY (T) | 3.30 | KGS |
| PERENNIAL RYEGRASS - OAKPARK | 3.30 | KGS |
| TIMOTHY | 0.70 | KGS |
| RED CLOVER | 1.50 | KGS |
| WHITE CLOVER | 1.50 | KGS |
| PLANTAIN | 1.00 | KGS |
| CHICORY | 0.70 | KGS |
| 12.00 | KGS PACK |
Diamond Multispecies Sward bring together 2 grass species, 2 legume species and 2 forage herb species to create a mixture that provide a wide range of services. These include:
- Nitrogen fixation – legumes will fix nitrogen from the air to feed the sward. This will allow a reduction in fertiliser N applications without losing forage production. The quantity of nitrogen fixed is principally dependent on the proportion of legume in the sward and the amount of fertiliser N applied (clover seems to get lazy when fertiliser N is applied and fixes less N). The best legume species are White Clover for grazing and a mix of Red Clover and White Clover for silage.
- Reduced leaching of Nitrogen – Plantain is said to reduce the risk of Nitrogen leaching due to its diuretic properties. This claim is backed by New Zealand research; it is yet to be proven in Ireland and there are currently ongoing trials to investigate it.
- High palatability – clovers and herbs are highly palatable and high forage intakes are achieved. This is particularly noticeable in summer, when grasses in the sward are prone to becoming stemmy.
- Higher protein silage – By having high clover swards for silage, you can expect a higher protein content in the silage produced compared to a grass only sward. This may allow a reduction in the protein content of purchased concentrate feeds, depending on the requirements of the animals being fed – growing weanlings and finishing beef animals have a higher dietary protein % requirement.
- Drought resistance – Plantain and Chicory have deep roots that allow greater tolerance of drought conditions; maintaining production much better than grasses. Clovers and Meadow Fescue are also better than Perennial Ryegrass in drought.
- Mine nutrients from depth – species like Plantain and Chicory with deep root systems will collect nutrients at depth for growth and also present them to the animal in their foliage for a more balanced diet.
- Weed suppression – with varied species types and shapes in the sward there is more potential to outcompete weeds and not allow them to establish and thrive in the sward.
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