Diamond High Clover grass seed is suitable for farms stocking rates of 2 livestock per hectare or less. A significant saving in nitrogen applications can be made from high clover sward. All Diamond brand grass seeds have been tested with Teagasc for the past five years to ensure maximum results. It is recommended that Diamond High Clover grass seed is sown at the rate of 14 - 16 kg per acre of land. Sow at 14 to 16 kgs/acre Included in the Diamond High Clover MAJESTIC 2.50 KG PICCADILLY 2.50 KG TWYMAX (T) 2.00 KG ASTONENERGY (T) 3.00 KG WHITE CLOVER - CRUSADER 1.00 KG WHITE CLOVER - BARBLANCA 1.00 KG 12.00 KG TETRAPLOID (T) 42% Majestic This is one of the most highly recommended late diploids recommended by the Department of Agriculture. Majestic delivers high total yields and spring growth. Majestic is a late diploid and has a heading date of June 2. Piccadilly Piccadilly is excellent for grazing and silage with high total yields and high spring growth rates for grazing and has the best first cut silage yield of all the late heading varieties. Piccadilly has a high resistance to weed establishment and is the best dual purpose late diploid. Piccadilly has a heading date of June 3. Twymax Twymax has been on the Irish Recommended list since 2007 and is a great choice for dual purpose swards with high digestibility throughout the grazing seasons. Twymax is a late tetraploid and has a heading date of June 7. Astonenergy This is included in the mix at almost 50% due to its properties of being highly digestible and palatable. During the Teagasc feeding trials taken out at Moorepark over the past five years Astonenergy proved to be the most palatable and helped produce the highest milk yield. Astonenergy is a late tetraploid and has a heading date of June 2. Crusader Crusader is a small leaf clover that has a high total sward yield and will supply the grass with nitrogen without taking over the sward during the summer. Crusader is one of the best varieties of clover for spring growth and is highly tolerant of close grazing of sheep and cattle. Barblanca Barblanca is a large leaf clover that has a good spring and autumn yields. It has high grazing persistence for large leaf clover and is the perfect silage variety. What is the difference between Tetraploid and Diploid? The main difference between diploid and tetraploid ryegrass is the number of chromosomes per cell. Diploid plants have two sets of chromosomes per cell whilst tetraploids have four. As a result Tetraploids have an increased cell size and have a higher ratio of cell contents (soluble carbohydrates) to cell wall (fibre). This means that tetraploids have a higher water content per cell and are more palatable. This leads to a high graze out of livestock. However with less tillers tetraploids have a worse ground cover rate which can leave a gappy sward. This can be good for allowing clover to grow but can if are the only grass in a sward can leave the pasture exposed to poaching. Diploid in comparison have more tillers per plant meaning they will have better ground cover than tetraploids. Due to the lower water content per cell, diploids have a higher dry matter per kg of feed, meaning they cure and wilt easier when making hay or silage. They also offer more energy than tetraploid plants. Both diploid and tetraploid plants will have similar protein levels. A mix of both is required regardless of what you are looking from your grass. However a higher percentage of tetraploid is better for grazing while a greater number of Diploids is more advisable for silage or hay meadows. Animal performance benefits of Tetraploids Tetraploid ryegrasses offer several benefits in terms of animal performance. Due to the higher ratio of cell contents to cell wall, tetraploid plants offer several benefits for animal performance. One benefit is that it is more palatable to animals which improves intake and therefore leads to an increased animal production. In addition tetraploid cells consist of easily available nutrients, such as sugars and starches necessary for more efficient rumen function. However it is important to remember that tetraploids higher water content in the cells so when livestock are full from grazing the actual dry matter intake could be lower compared to that of diploids plants. A mix of tetraploid and diploid ryegrass could achieve a more balanced pasture, retaining a good level of dry matter production, an improved balance of quality feed and if used for silage will be more easily cured than a pure tetraploid pasture. Grazing management It is important to monitor grazing pressures on tetraploid ryegrasses as they are sensitive to overgrazing because of their excellent palatability. If grazing occurs to a lower level than with diploid ryegrasses it may compromise persistence. Similar to diploid ryegrasses, tetraploid ryegrass require nitrogen applications to a similar level to ensure good growth after grazing. Farm management benefits Tetraploid ryegrasses have higher establishment costs than diploids as the recommended sowing rate for tetraploids is higher due to the larger size of the seed (2-3 times heavier). If planting tetraploid ryegrass in a mix, the plants will allow up to 10% more clover in the pasture due to the reduced tiller density promoting an increased pasture quality. What are the advantages of reseeding grass? Reseeding grass is one of the highest paying investments that a livestock farmer can take advantage of. Reseeding will deliver higher grass dry matter yields and higher quality of grass. For every tonne of grass dry matter used there is an increase in profit of up to €160 for the farm. Reseeding will increase your grass production by at least 10 % each year Advantages of using Diamond Grass Seed Mix All Diamond Grass Seed Mixes have the best varieties of grass available All ryegrass and clover variety are taken from the Irish Recommended list and have been tested by Teagasc. Diamond Grass Seed Mixes have been designed with studies by Teagasc and elsewhere taken into account. Diamond Grass Seed Mixes have been designed to increase profits for farmers. There are Diamond Grass Seed Mixes designed for all soil types as well as mixes designed for what you expect from your grass seed. For a copy of the Irish Recomended List click here For a copy of our grass brochure click here Need a custom mix? Contact us here and a member of our team will be in touch. Due to stock availability sometimes a seed variant may be substituted for a suitable alternative.
