Catch-crop+

This dual species catch-crop mix (Tabu+ and Hattrick oats) takes up nitrogen and gives you more bang for buck than cereal alone. You get better quality feed, more flexibility and save on re-sowing costs because it is a 12-18 month pasture. 

Why catch-crop? 

Fast-growing species such as oats and Italian ryegrass quickly cover ground left bare after autumn or winter forage crops have been grazed. In doing so, they utilise soil nitrogen and other nutrients deposited during grazing and reduce leaching. They also protect soil quality. Benefits are both environmental, and economic, as Catch-crop+ provides extra home grown feed.

Why oats + grass?

Our trials show Catch-crop+ captures soil nitrogen very well, with the added gains of increased re-growth and feed quality. Rather than a 1-2 cut or graze system of straight oats, Catch-crop+ is a high performance 12-18 month pasture, so you don’t have to spend time and money resowing straight away. Yield at the first silage cut or grazing is like a straight cereal, but from the second grazing onwards, this mix has better ME and re-growth.

System fit 

In summer-moist areas, sow Catch-crop+ for a high yielding, high ME spring silage crop with multi-graze and/or multi-cut flexibility. Oversow Agricote Clover to improve feed quality and fix nitrogen.

In dryland areas, sow Catch-crop+ for summer pasture (moisture dependent), with fast response to autumn rain for high quality winter feed.

What does the data say? 

Hattrick oats outyield several other oat cultivars in the first cut. Mixing Hattrick with Tabu+ Italian ryegrass doesn't significantly reduce yield at the first two cuts, and provides the flexibility of continued cutting/grazing for the next 12-18 months.

Total yield, split into first two harvests, of a late-winter/early spring catch-crop*

Sowing Catch-crop+

Sow Catch-crop+ at 75 kg/ha. It comes in 25 kg bags, containing 18 kg Hattrick and 7 kg Tabu+, for sowing at 3 bags/ha.