Mixed pastures help Welsh farmers recover after drought

On two farms in Ceredigion, a more varied mix of plants is helping keep livestock fed after a punishing summer.

Farmer Jack Cockburn says fields containing herbs and clover have regrown faster and more strongly after rain than fields with fewer plant species. Nearby, Rhodri Lloyd-Williams reports that deeper-rooting plants, including chicory and plantain, stayed green through the drought.

Their accounts were published by the Nature Friendly Farming Network on 1 October. Lloyd-Williams says his animals had grass available throughout the summer.

These mixed pastures work in several ways. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board explains that deep roots can reach moisture further below the surface, while legumes such as clover reduce dependence on manufactured nitrogen fertiliser.

The farmers’ observations are not a controlled comparison. AHDB also warns that no grassland system is drought-proof: choosing suitable seeds and getting plants established are critical.

Even so, Cockburn has seen pasture recover as the rain returns. Alongside hedges that shelter cattle and sheep from heat, that regrowth is giving his farm a firmer footing.

Sources

• Nature Friendly Farming Network — farmers’ accounts of drought recovery
• AHDB — research and guidance on mixed pastures