Bare patches in grass leys sown last autumn may well be the result of 'frost heave' and should be partially or completely reseeded, depending on the severity, advises Helen Mathieu of British Seed Houses.

She has witnessed numerous cases of frost damage following the severe winter. "This kind of frost damage to new leys is likely to result in irreparable damage to the seedlings," she explains. "They will either have been snapped off at the roots due to the movement of the soil, or will have withered and died due to a lack of soil contact.

By Lois Macdonald, BGS.

Don't treat your horse like a human. Its well-adapted digestive system was designed for grazing fibrous grasses and plants. Investing time into researching what you put in your horse's mouth will never be wasted. 

Applying fertiliser and controlling weeds in grass after first cut is vital to optimise total silage yields this year, says independent grassland specialist Charlie Morgan.

 "With lower first cut grass yields expected due to the late, cold spring, and silage stocks low or non-existent on most farms, farmers will be looking to big second cuts to make up any shortfall," says Charlie.

Got a forage question? Ask some grassland society members

BGS's Scotgrass stand on May 11^th will offer visitors the chance to quiz to four members of the South West Scotland Grassland Society, who are willing to share their own practical experiences on a range of forage topics -from organic red clover to finishing beef on maize.

South West Scotland Grassland Society timetable for Scotgrass