Weather conditions “almost perfect” this year for grass seed
1st August 2024
One Suffolk farm currently harvesting grass seed says yields are looking good – and they have also had success using a new stripper header.
Farm foreman Robert Hale said the weather conditions have been “almost perfect” this year for growing grass seed and yield appears to be good so far.
“It’s our third year of growing grass seed and this is by far the best season we’ve had so far. Perfect,” he told Farmers Guide, as he began harvesting a 53ha field yesterday (30th July).
The farm, near Mickfield in Suffolk, is growing AberGain ryegrass for Germinal.
Starting harvest about the same time as usual, Rob, who is foreman at RH Forrest & Co, added: “The quality is definitely up there. The yield is good or it certainly appears to be good at the moment. Harvest moisture is 30% and the crop is fit to cut.”
As well as arable crops, the farm also keeps a herd of red poll cattle, which became part of the business 14 years ago.
Whilst a small area of grass is sometimes cut for hay, the majority goes to a straw contractor.
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Stripper header works well
For the past two years, Robert has been using a 28ft CSD stripper header from Shelbourne Reynolds.
Demonstrating its capabilities to Farmers Guide, he explained that the header combs the grass and strips the seed from it, leaving the plant behind.
“All we’re interested in is just taking a small amount of seed into the harvester rather than all the crop residue,” he added.
The header is uniquely designed for combines, featuring a rotating stripper rotor with eight rows of stripping fingers that strip the seed, or grain, from the crop and leave the plant stem standing and attached to the ground.
Growing UK market
Harry Garrett, a mechanical design engineer for Shelbourne Reynolds, was also visiting the farm to see how Robert is getting on with the header.
“We’re hoping to see as many stripper headers in these conditions in the UK as possible to get a grasp of the different conditions,” he commented.
The UK and European markets are currently smaller than the export market for Shelbourne Reynolds, with a lot of its headers, especially for harvest machines, going to the US, Australia and the rest of the world.
However, the UK market is building up. “We’re trying to grasp a knowledge base and help customer feedback, here in the UK [to see] how they’re getting on with the machines,” Harry added.
It was positive feedback from Robert yesterday, Harry confirmed. “He’s had this header for two years now. He’s got to grips with how it functions and the usability of it, so he’s getting on well.”
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Heavy duty machine needed
Grass is heavy and power-hungry to harvest compared to wheat, barley and other cereal crops, so the stripper header is heavy duty, Harry noted.
“It’s ideal for these conditions, especially with the UK weather – if you get a damp, green crop you really need a more hefty sort of machine to be able to cope with the power needed.”
The CVS and CSD ranges are available from 12–32ft and all models are suitable for harvesting a wide range of cereal crops including wheat, barley, oats and grass seed.
The rotor drive options are variable speed belt (CVS) or high torque drive system (CSD).
According to Shelbourne Reynolds, the stripper header increases harvesting efficiency by up to 50%. And because the combine no longer has to process so much foreign material, the seed recovery rates generally improve.
Harry said the 28ft model that Robert has is ideal for his set up, particularly with his high-powered, high-capacity Claas Lexion 8900 combine.
Read more harvest news.
