Under continued support of AgriSearch and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), GrassCheck bulletins provide actual and predicted grass growth information on a weekly basis throughout the grazing season.  This year, for the first time, grass growth information is also available for 5 separate locations across Northern Ireland.  These locations are Fintona, Loughgall, Antrim (Greenmount), Hillsborough and Portaferry.

The information provided through GrassCheck in 2007 has been improved from that of the past 3 years.  The main improvements are:

1. The inclusion of a map that will allow growth rates throughout the province to be reported. The five locations contributing to these values will be Fintona, Loughgall, Hillsborough, Greenmount (Antrim) and Portaferry. Growth rates will be measured on a weekly basis at these locations throughout the growing season.
2. All grass growth values for 2007 will be based on a reduced fertiliser nitrogen input compared to that used previously within this project. The nitrogen fertiliser application rate for 2007 will be 289kgN/ha, as this is the maximum level stipulated within the Nitrates Directive regulations.

Similar to the past 3 years, the grass growth curve will be retained and the data within it will be based on the grass growth from two of the above locations, namely Antrim (College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), Greenmount Campus) and Hillsborough (AFBI, Hillsborough).

GrassCheck will also continue to include grass quality analysis throughout the season, with the one and two week predictions of future grass growth. This feature has proved to be an extremely important aspect of GrassCheck, enabling better planning of grassland management.

Through the inclusion of a wider range of sites within GrassCheck, and the publication of individual growth rates from across Northern Ireland, the information provided through GrassCheck will be better targeted at providing critical information to assist in improving grassland management. The continual pressure on farmers to improve efficiency will inevitably focus mainly on maximising the use of grazed grass, and this is only possible by making informed decisions at the right time in the season. GrassCheck provides critical data on which to base decisions, leading to improved confidence in relying on grazed pasture, whilst reducing the risk of major grass surpluses and shortages across the grazing platform.