Accumulating pasture during Autumn to extend the grazing season in pasture‐based dairy systems

Abstract A longer grazing season can lower the costs of pasture‐based dairy production. Accumulating herbage during autumn increases mass available for in late and following spring but results higher pre‐grazing (PGHM). This could affect sward nutritive value milk The effects accumulating on length season, value, production supply (opening) were examined at systems scale this study. dataset was 60 from comparisons conducted between 2001 2018 with spring‐calving herds (mean stocking rate 2.4 cows ha −1 ) Solohead Research Farm, Ireland. Herbage accumulated per system measured as average (AHM; >4 cm; all paddocks). PGHM (1,783 vs. 1,445 kg dry matter [DM] , p < 0.001, standard error mean [ SEM ] 32.5) peak AHM (highest AHM; 1,345 1,139 DM = 0.002, 39.2) summer (1 August to end [closing]) did not or ( > 0.05). Each increase 100 increased days pasture cow by 2.2 ± 0.44 partial R 2 0.46) closing 46 6.5 0.42). Opening February 0.41). facilitated a while impacting