Adding to record-breaking temperatures this summer, official Met Office data confirms the period between January and June this year has been the driest in England since 1976. 

GrassCheckGB is closely monitoring the impact recent extremes in weather are having on-farm. The project's nationwide network of beef, sheep and dairy farms are all actively measuring and recording grass growth throughout the growing season. This wide distribution of farms delivers regional insight, highlighting the variation in grass growth across the country. The South of England has been hit hardest, with summer grass growth rates having been significantly lower than the 3-year average for the region. The drought conditions are expected to continue for some time, but it is hoped that the return of some rainfall will help grass growth rates recover as farms look to build covers moving into the autumn and winter. 

With the threat of extreme and unpredictable weather expected more frequently, having evidence-based tools to help manage grass effectively in difficult conditions is increasingly important. The data collected through GrassCheckGB has informed the development of innovative predictive grass growth models. New for 2022 are predictions of grass growth based on 7 & 14 day weather forecasts. Whilst still being refined, these predictions could significantly help farmers manage challenging conditions.

It is now widely recognised that improving grassland management can improve productivity and profitability in ruminant systems. GrassCheckGB is delving deeper into best practice on farm through 3 new studies focussing on the incorporation of clover, rotational grazing lengths and the application of fertiliser in rotational grazing systems.

GrassCheckGB is a collaborative project involving a 50-strong farm network working alongside CIEL, the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Rothamsted Research, the GB meat levy boards AHDB, HCC and QMS, plus a growing number of industry sponsors: Germinal, Datamars Livestock, Handley Enterprises, Sciantec, Corteva Agriscience, Morrisons, Yara UK.