Reduce emissions and protect grass and forage output (March 25)

A range of seed mixtures has been launched that offer increased performance, as well as helping to meet climate-change mitigation targets.

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It is possible to reduce emissions in a range of ways and when it comes to forage production, this starts with seed selection. With this in mind, Germinal has launched forage mixtures that will make it easier for producers to select seed to reduce emissions and meet environmental targets while protecting grass and forage production.

The Climate Smart ranges, called CLEAN, THRIVE, ADAPT, CAPTURE and RESTORE, are seed mixtures, containing grazing and cutting grass and clover and herb varieties, that deliver environmental benefits to help producers meet net-zero targets while building greater plant resilience against the effects of climate change and maintaining profitability.

“During the next 40 years, the UN predicts that farmers must produce as much food as they have during the past 1,000 years,” says Germinal’s Paul Billings. “Food producers will play a vital role in securing supplies, but farming is also central to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and tackling climate change.”

He says that in the face of these challenges, how food is produced will change. “Climate Smart is about growing the ‘right’ crops in the ‘right’ places. These grass-seed mixtures will make it easier for producers to select the best varieties for their specific needs while, at the same time, helping the industry to meet food production targets, lower environmental impacts, and adapt to changing weather patterns with improved crop resilience.

“Producers have to build sustainable herds and businesses for future generations that can remain profitable, produce food and reduce emissions.”

Each Climate Smart range offers benefits – from reducing GHG emissions and fertiliser use, through to improving soil health and biodiversity.

CLEAN, for example, comprises varieties that produce higher levels of soluble carbohydrates (sugar). This range is ideal for dairy producers, for grazing and cutting, because it contains Aber high-sugar grasses. Trials show that these support milk yields and heifer growth, and also reduce ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions, because cattle can utilise more protein from grazing and forage.

Environmental schemes

RESTORE is a range tailored to meet the requirements of government-supported environmental schemes. These mixtures include multispecies varieties to meet various environmental scheme requirements, including the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) Scheme in England and Growing for the Environment in Wales.

Climate Smart THRIVE, which contains grasses, herbs and Legumes, has been formulated to support soil health and improve biodiversity. Deeper rooting varieties, such as festulolium-hybrid DeepRoot, help to sustain grass production and performance. DeepRoot has been bred by crossing the North African fescue species Atlas with Aber high-sugar grasses to produce a festulolium-hybrid grass with the persistence and deep rooting drought tolerance of Atlas fescue.

Similarly, ADAPT comprises varieties with deeper roots and greater persistency that can survive volatile weather conditions. It includes a hybrid clover variety called DoubleRoot, which combines stolons and rhizomes. CAPTURE is a range containing atmospheric nitrogen f ixing clovers that require fewer nutrient inputs, support improved nutrient efficiency and provide environmental and herd performance benefits. This range is ideal for producers looking to reduce artificial nitrogen inputs and increase protein self-sufficiency.

Ben Wixey: plant breeding holds the key to unlocking forage-sustainability solutions

Future innovations

Future plant breeding innovations being developed by Germinal Horizon will also be added to the ranges as they become available. These include the grazing-resistant red clover RedRunner, which allows cows to capture more protein under grazing conditions.

Future varietal and on-farm system innovations being developed as part of the government-funded Nitrogen Utilisation Efficiency-Legume (NUE-Leg) Project will also be incorporated into the Climate Smart range. A specific objective of the NUE-Leg project is to use new clovers to help producers maximise atmospheric nitrogen f ixation, which could be as much as 300kg of nitrogen per hectare per year.

“It’s important to continually look ahead to anticipate the profitability and environmental challenges that producers are facing now and in the future,” adds Germinal’s Ben Wixey.

“Plant breeding already holds the key to unlocking the solutions producers need to build sustainable dairy businesses, and there are more variety and grass and forage mixture developments in the pipeline.”