Yorkshire farmers taking part in grass trial with potential for environmental and financial benefits

Ten northern farmers are running new trials on an underutilised type of grass that could improve resilience and save costs while capturing more carbon and making grasslands more nature-friendly.
Emma Ryan
By Emma Ryan
Published 2nd Sep 2023, 11:45 BST

In a new field lab, they are testing the potential of a grass species called cocksfoot that is thought to be better for the environment than traditional grazing swards such as ryegrass.

Cocksfoot is hoped to have financial benefits as lasts longer and rarely, if ever, requires re-seeding unlike many of the leys the participating farmers are currently using that need sowing every four to five years.

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It also grows early in the season, giving farmers the potential to increase yields.

Ten farmers across the North York Moors and Howardian Hills are testing the potential of cocksfoot – a grass species thought to last longer and be higher yielding, more resilient, and better for the environment than traditional grazing swards such as ryegrass.Ten farmers across the North York Moors and Howardian Hills are testing the potential of cocksfoot – a grass species thought to last longer and be higher yielding, more resilient, and better for the environment than traditional grazing swards such as ryegrass.
Ten farmers across the North York Moors and Howardian Hills are testing the potential of cocksfoot – a grass species thought to last longer and be higher yielding, more resilient, and better for the environment than traditional grazing swards such as ryegrass.

It is hoped the grass could provide a longer-lasting option for northern farmers which would save money while also building soil fertility, improving water infiltration, and capturing carbon with its deeper and more complex root systems.

However, despite the potential benefits, cocksfoot appears confined to a small niche of farmers and is not widely available in commercial grass mixes, something the research is trying to understand more.

The trials are taking place on seven farms within the North York Moors National Park and three in the Howardian Hills Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

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Participating farmer and project manager Fraser Hugill said: “The farmers we are working with have curious minds and several independent grassland experts have mentioned the value of cocksfoot as part of the Local Ryevitalise Project. This got us thinking – why are we not seeing it in commercial grass leys we’re all using?

“In addition to the commercial and environmental benefits, we’re getting more resilience in our grasslands by using cocksfoot in the mix – that’s really exciting and means we can potentially scale up after the trial. This is all a big help in developing farming systems that work more effectively.”

Working with scientists from the University of Leeds and independent grassland expert Jonathan Holmes, the team of farmers aim to determine the ideal percentage of cocksfoot to add to their ley mixes and to understand its longevity, capacity for carbon capture in soils, and the commercial potential of re-seeding less frequently.

The farms will assess how forage quality, water infiltration, soil health and water quality are affected, and will consider how well cocksfoot leys fit into the cutting and grazing platform.

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Triallist Philip Snowdon runs High Baxtons Farm near Helmsley with his father. It is a 400-acre mixed farm running 300 breeding ewes and 30 suckler cows.

Mr Snowden said they use ryegrass at the moment but it’s not well suited for a farm on higher ground and cocksfoot is still growing despite recent dry conditions.

He said: “This has huge potential for our kind of farm as it could extend the grazing window, increasing farm productivity. We’ve seen some encouraging results already and we’re excited to explore this further within the trial.”

The trial is supported with funding from the Oglesby Charitable Trust and Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) via the North York Moors National Park and Howardian Hills AONB.

Related topics:Yorkshire