Products

Livestock - Grasstrac Booklet - 03

Grasstrac - enriching grass with key trace elements

The bar chart shown on the previous page illustrates that most soils are deficient in essential trace elements. These need to be replenished if grass is to meet the nutritional needs of grazing animals. Grasstrac and Grasstrac Sheep Special are combinations of key trace elements in granular form for application to grazing pastures and silage fields. Grasstrac nutrients are drawn up from the soil by the grass root system and into the grass which animals graze throughout the season. The nutrients will also be in conserved grass which has been treated.

Using Grasstrac

Application Rates and Timings
Apply one 20kg bag per acre (50kg/ha) ideally up to ten days before stock are expected to graze, or six weeks before silage is due to be cut, using a conventional spinner or spreader.

Only one application each year is necessary. Fields for grazing or 1st cut silage should be treated from February to May.

Grasstrac is in granular form and can be spread alone or mixed with standard fertiliser. The granules are dense (1.19kg/l) and can be routinely spread at 12 metres, or 18 and 24 metres, if desired. Tractor speed is normally 11kph (7mph). Spreading on a dry day is preferable since the granules are liable to become sticky when moist and this will prevent even spreading.

Spreading Alone
There are fertiliser spreader settings for 5 machines tabulated on the reverse of every Grasstrac bag. To supplement this information there is a booklet available from your distributor or from Yara Phosyn, giving settings for a comprehensive range of spreaders.

Mixing with Fertiliser
The following example is for treating 6 acres that will require 6 bags of Grasstrac to be mixed with the fertiliser which is likely to be in 600kg big-bags. A top corner of the Grasstrac bags should be cut and the opened bags placed alongside the spreader. Do not make a large cut in the bottom of the big-bag, but rather a small cut so that the fertiliser runs into the spreader at a manageable rate to ensure that the Grasstrac is added evenly as the big-bag is emptying. The resultant mix will give an even spread in the field. Finally, remember to adjust the spreader setting to 120kg/acre.

Analysis