Forage Crops

Field Science ‘cut its teeth’ treating livestock pastures to improve the quality and nutritional value of grazing ground and therefore of livestock. Producing crops of a higher nutritional standard for whole crop forage falls perfectly within the capability of Field Science. Whether the crop is annual (peas, beans, etc) or perennial (lucerne, grass, etc) Field Science combines its ability to improve the quality and yield of an arable crop with the nutritional improvement of a grazing grass to create the optimum forage crop for livestock.

The tailored trace element dressings are formulated to contain the complete spectrum of nutrients that the forage crop requires not only for its own growth and development but also for that of the animal eating it.
Livestock feeding on nutritionally-optimised forage will eat less as the rumen microbes feel replete or ‘full’ sooner due to the higher percentage of nutrient per kg of fodder. This means not only that silage goes further but also that the ruminants defecate less. There will also be less requirement for expensive ‘cake’ and ‘creep’ feed.

All forage crops from treated ground will contain selenium which is not only a vital trace element but is also an anti-oxidant in its own right. Therefore the stored crop should arguably be less vulnerable to oxidation during storage due to the anti-oxidative properties of this vital element.

There are many crops suitable for growing as a forage crop. Although Field Science will have had experience of growing most of them, the important point is that the Field Science tailored trace element service can be applied to any soil and it is the soil that needs to be nutritionally correct ….the crop will then look after itself!