Diamond Multispecies – MSS MEASURE 2025

Diamond Multispecies Sward bring together 2 grass species, 2 legume species and 2 forage herb species to create a mixture that provide a wide range of services. These include:

• Nitrogen fixation – legumes will fix nitrogen from the air to feed the sward. This will allow a reduction in fertiliser N applications without losing forage production. The quantity of nitrogen fixed is principally dependent on the proportion of legume in the sward and the amount of fertiliser N applied (clover seems to get lazy when fertiliser N is applied and fixes less N). The best legume species are White Clover for grazing and a mix of Red Clover and White Clover fsor silage.
• Reduced leaching of Nitrogen – Plantain is said to reduce the risk of Nitrogen leaching due to its diuretic properties. This claim is backed by New Zealand research; it is yet to be proven in Ireland and there are currently ongoing trials to investigate it.
• High palatability – clovers and herbs are highly palatable and high forage intakes are achieved. This is particularly noticeable in summer, when grasses in the sward are prone to becoming stemmy.
• Higher protein silage – By having high clover swards for silage, you can expect a higher protein content in the silage produced compared to a grass only sward. This may allow a reduction in the protein content of purchased concentrate feeds, depending on the requirements of the animals being fed – growing weanlings and finishing beef animals have a higher dietary protein % requirement.
• Drought resistance – Plantain and Chicory have deep roots that allow greater tolerance of drought conditions; maintaining production much better than grasses. Clovers and Meadow Fescue are also better than Perennial Ryegrass in drought.
• Mine nutrients from depth – species like Plantain and Chicory with deep root systems will collect nutrients at depth for growth and also present them to the animal in their foliage for a more balanced diet.
• Weed suppression – with varied species types and shapes in the sward there is more potential to outcompete weeds and not allow them to establish and thrive in the sward.

Main Advantages of Species included in Diamond Muiltispecies Sward:

Perennial Ryegrass – Produces high quantities of highly digestible forage. Very responsive to nitrogen fixed by legumes

Timothy – Grows well in cold wet soils, different root structure to PRG and different feed fibre

White Clover – Persistent under tight frequent grazing. Can spread via stolons to increase proportion and improve persistence.

Red Clover – Tap root structure is less persistent under tight grazing but is more aggressive growth and N fixation in year of establishment

Ribworth Plantain – More robust under frequent tight grazing. Diuretic effect, with deeper rooting N capture, helps reduce Nitrogen leaching into groundwater. Higher mineral content than grasses

Chicory – Extremely highly digestible leaf material, giving animal performance benefits in early life of sward. Proven not to be persistent under very tight grazing. Antiparasitic properties.