It’s important to treat indexing not as a one-off task, but as...
It’s important to treat indexing not as a one-off task, but as something you should do regularly through the year. What it does is to provide you with a data-driven decision-support system that will help you identify not just which of your fields needs attention, but also with what priority
What does ‘production’ mean for YOUR farm? According to Janet...
What does ‘production’ mean for YOUR farm? According to Janet Montgomery, Agriculture Product Manager at Barenbrug UK, defining this crucial concept is the first step in building a successful grass strategy.
Maximising ‘daughter tillers’ gives grassland managers the best...
Maximising ‘daughter tillers’ gives grassland managers the best route to a resilient sward this summer, advises grass-seed experts Barenbrug UK – and will also provide the ideal sward in which to establish clover later in the season.
Climate change, and its possible effects on British farming...
Climate change, and its possible effects on British farming, remains one of the big unknowns. We're unable to predict with certainty how the climate will change or the impact it might have on how we farm. But we do know agriculture must pursue a lower carbon future.
Flooding has been an all-too-common sight on golf courses...
Flooding has been an all-too-common sight on golf courses throughout the country. But what does flooding mean for your turf? How long can grass stay submerged for and what is the best course of action if you need to overseed?
What exactly IS in a bag of seed? It’s a good question, says...
What exactly IS in a bag of seed? It’s a good question, says Janet Montgomery, Agriculture Product Manager, because Barenbrug invests tremendous effort in ensuring that every one of our grass-seed mixtures is fit for its purpose.
Growers who signed up for herbal leys as one of the 23 options...
Growers who signed up for herbal leys as one of the 23 options from the 2023 Sustainable Farming Initiative programme should seek competent advice on the suitability of mixtures being sold as ‘SAM3 compatible’, Barenbrug UK says, as seed decisions loom.
This year will see the launch to the market of two new elite...
This year will see the launch to the market of two new elite varieties of slender creeping red fescue from the Barenbrug European breeding programme. After 30 years of Barcrown as the market leading variety, a new generation is taking over.
UK grass and forage breeder Barenbrug has announced that...
UK grass and forage breeder Barenbrug has announced that perennial ryegrass varieties Killylea and Tollymore will be available in their Bar Forage mixture range from Spring 2024.
There should be no mystery in the value of well-managed grassland...
There should be no mystery in the value of well-managed grassland. But keeping it performing at its optimum level demands some big decisions from time to time, says Janet Montgomery, Barenbrug UK’s agriculture product manager.
Livestock farmers must pay close attention to their grass and...
Livestock farmers must pay close attention to their grass and pasture utilisation for the rest of the year, following the Met Office’s confirmation that the month of June 2023 was the hottest on record.
A seed specialist in the Scottish market for more than 30 years...
A seed specialist in the Scottish market for more than 30 years, the family-owned Watson Group, comprising Watson Seed, Seed Logistics and GroGreen, is well-known in the industry with a reputation for integrity, quality, trust and customer service – values that align strongly with those of Barenbrug UK.
The UK’s most prolific grass-breeding programme has set its...
The UK’s most prolific grass-breeding programme has set its sights on developing new varieties for the 2040s and beyond, following a renewed agreement between Barenbrug UK and Northern Ireland’s Agri-Food and BioSciences Institute (AFBI).
Barry O'Brien, Heads Grounds Person for Burnley FC, discusses his...
Barry O'Brien, Heads Grounds Person for Burnley FC, discusses his experience collaborating with Barenbrug to find grass seed solutions. With a mission to help improve Burnleys playing surfaces, Barry discusses how Barenbrug grass seed can help with colour presentation, disease tolerance, recovery and wear tolerance.
Reduced reliance on bought-in feed and improved input use-efficien...
Reduced reliance on bought-in feed and improved input use-efficiency will be valuable strategies to maintain ruminant production margins over the coming months, suggests Barenbrug UK, citing three compelling reasons for farmers to consider a reseed this autumn.
A more holistic approach to pasture management – specifically...
A more holistic approach to pasture management – specifically, species composition and soil health – can pay dividends for flock health, grazing utilisation and overall enterprise economics.
Livestock farmers who rightly postponed clover overseeding in...
Livestock farmers who rightly postponed clover overseeding in drought-stricken pastures have been advised to act cautiously if still planning to go ahead, despite recent rainfall and mild temperatures appearing to provide favourable opportunity.
2022 - another glorious summer, but another full of challenges...
2022 - another glorious summer, but another full of challenges for turf managers. The combination of heat and drought, particularly in England, has resulted in loss of grass cover on many golf courses, only four years after the decimation of 2018.
Grass breeding specialist Barenbrug UK will be hosting the first...
Grass breeding specialist Barenbrug UK will be hosting the first ever Grass Clinic at UK Dairy Day, encouraging farmers to be more ambitious about getting more from their grass by visiting the drop in clinic.
If you have livestock, what would you say is your farm’s most...
If you have livestock, what would you say is your farm’s most productive asset? You may say it’s your dairy cows, or your breeding ewes. We believe it’s your grassland; at least, it should be. Grass remains the most cost-effective livestock feed. It is the primary source of quality, nutrient-rich forage which, when managed well, will increase farm biodiversity and soil health while maximising farm productivity, resilience and sustainability. With the potential to reduce inputs, both in fertiliser and brought in feed, and produce a high-quality feed, this translates into increased grass yield and more litres of milk and animal weight from more nutritious forage, while supporting animal health and maintaining overall farm productivity.
A £2.2 million investment in automated packaging facilities will...
A £2.2 million investment in automated packaging facilities will see one of the UK’s largest growers and processors of grass seed increase efficiency, quality control and staff safety.
Pressure on golf clubs to deliver courses which can meet the...
Pressure on golf clubs to deliver courses which can meet the often‑conflicting demands placed on the is leading some course managers to use ultrafine‑leaf ryegrasses. Luke Hunt, product manager for Barenbrug, the UK’s leading grass seed breeder and grower, explains why.
An Open Championship at the Home of Golf, St Andrews Links, is...
An Open Championship at the Home of Golf, St Andrews Links, is always special, but when it is also the 150th time the most famous tournament in golf has been played, it adds something extra to the sport’s showpiece
A new initiative which sets-out to offer grassroots clubs an...
A new initiative which sets-out to offer grassroots clubs an opportuntiy to see leading turf service companies help in renovate a pitch has kicked off this year with the help of Turf Business & Leicester City FC. Supported by the generosity of eight sponsors; Barenbrug, Total Amenity Solutions, Hewitts Sportsturf, Mansfield Sand, Nutrigrow, Harrod Sport, Leicester City Sports Turf Academy and AMS Robotics, Highfield Rangers is undergoing a full pitch renovation.
Growers may be keener than ever this year to keep valuable...
Growers may be keener than ever this year to keep valuable nitrates in the soil by under-sowing maize with a grass or legume-rich cover crop, but caution is needed to receive the full benefit of the practice, advises grass breeder Barenbrug UK.
Luke Hunt, Barenbrug UK's Product Manager says, "In the course of...
Luke Hunt, Barenbrug UK's Product Manager says, "In the course of my work visiting golf courses around the UK, I find myself getting asked a regular question – “is it OK to use perennial ryegrass on a golf green”? The answer, as with many things related to greenkeeping and turf care, is not a straight yes or no! As a breeder of fine-leaf ryegrasses, we can shed some light on the subject and try to give some clarity to the question."
Barenbrug UK announced its hook-up with Northern Ireland’s Agri-Fo...
Barenbrug UK announced its hook-up with Northern Ireland’s Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in 1991, with the objective of providing a steady flow of new varieties to meet the evolving demands of the UK’s grassland and livestock industries.
Plenty more to celebrate at the Kilrea Young Farmers’ Club’s 75th...
Plenty more to celebrate at the Kilrea Young Farmers’ Club’s 75th anniversary celebrations after agricultural and amenity seed producer Barenbrug UK announced it will continue as the club’s primary sponsor.
Ipswich Town Football Club has been using Barenbrug seed...
Ipswich Town Football Club has been using Barenbrug seed varieties for five years. The stadium pitch is difficult to manage, admits Grounds Manager Ben Connell, with a 1970s construction base in the shade of the 30,000 seater stands.
As Winter takes hold, day length and light intensity reduces as...
As Winter takes hold, day length and light intensity reduces as does air and soil temperature, resulting in a steady reduction in grass growth rates. Find out more about managing your winter grassland and planning for next season.
A new, top of the table set of grass seeds has been launched onto...
A new, top of the table set of grass seeds has been launched onto the winter sports market by Barenbrug, the leading grass seed breeder and grower, at the SALTEX show in Birmingham 3 November 2021.
Any farmer wanting to keep their grassland performing at an...
Any farmer wanting to keep their grassland performing at an optimum level needs to know how to judge when it’s time to reseed? A new ‘Grassland Index’, developed by grass breeder Barenbrug, promises to help the decision-making process.
What might just be the most expensive 20kg bag of grass seed ever...
What might just be the most expensive 20kg bag of grass seed ever sold in the UK was purchased by a Suffolk company director recently during an auction at the T20 charity cricket match between Bury St Edmunds Cricket Club and the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) England Legends team.
A highlight at Saltex will be the launch by Barenbrug of its new...
A highlight at Saltex will be the launch by Barenbrug of its new product range for the professional sports market, the latest result of years of investment in their own grass breeding, research, trials and production.
Pondering the return of livestock into an arable rotation...
Pondering the return of livestock into an arable rotation? Whether faced with problem weeds, as a move towards improving soil health, or part of a regenerative agricultural strategy, it’s a move many farmers are considering.
Soaring fed prices are prompting increased interest from farmers...
Soaring fed prices are prompting increased interest from farmers in homegrown, with multispecies swards, forage brassica and other crop such as maize and lucerne taking the top spots. Plan ahead now for your autumn reseeding and post cereal crop harvests, not just for livestock feed but soil health, better harvest performance and improved soil drainage.
Support for The Green Light Trust continues. Barenbrug have...
Support for The Green Light Trust continues. Barenbrug have helped towards the cost of renovating and opening a new education facility in memory of Suffolk naturalist, Grenville Clarke (BEM), at The Green Light Trust in Lawshall near Bury St. Edmunds.
Soaring nitrogen prices are prompting increased interest from...
Soaring nitrogen prices are prompting increased interest from livestock producers in ‘alternative’ sources such as white clover, reports Barenbrug UK. With UK-produced ammonium nitrate nudging £297/tonne in AHDB’s fertiliser price series, clover’s in-built nitrogen-fixing ability has encouraged farmers to consider including the legume in late-summer overseeds, or autumn reseeds.
The playing experience at the Old Course has to be second to none...
The playing experience at the Old Course has to be second to none. Whether you’re an Open Champion, an R&A member, a yearly ticket holder, or one of our many domestic or overseas visitors, it should be the experience of a lifetime.
As a key member of the The Farmers Weekly Transition Partner...
As a key member of the The Farmers Weekly Transition Partner Network, Barenbrug UK is part of a selected, UK-wide community of farmers, industry stakeholders and influencers working together to secure a sustainable future for your farm business.
At Barenbrug, we’ve one simple goal: to help all farmers make the...
At Barenbrug, we’ve one simple goal: to help all farmers make the most of grass, forage & herbal leys – and that applies across the board, whether you’re producing milk, raising livestock or growing essential crops.
Brassica crops are a useful tool for reseeding, they are not a...
Brassica crops are a useful tool for reseeding, they are not a host crop for leatherjackets making them particularly beneficial between permanent grass leys where high burdens of the pest can be found. As well as helping combat pest issues, brassicas help to reduce weed and disease burdens, create better soil conditions and cleaner seedbeds for establishing new swards of grass.
A long-established practice of organic systems, the herbal ley...
A long-established practice of organic systems, the herbal ley – a complex seed mixture of grass, legumes and herbs – is now becoming increasingly popular in conventional circles, says agronomist and grass expert for Barenbrug UK, Roger Bacon.
Better harvest performance and improved soil drainage are just...
Better harvest performance and improved soil drainage are just two of the benefits promised from a new, crop-specific green cover option for under-sowing maize, developed by grass and soil sustainability experts Barenbrug UK.
Buoyant soya prices, carbon reduction efforts and concerns about...
Buoyant soya prices, carbon reduction efforts and concerns about nitrogen management have caused interest in protein-rich forage, such as red clover, to surge, reports agricultural grass experts Barenbrug UK.
The AFBI-Barenbrug partnership now has nineteen ryegrass...
The AFBI-Barenbrug partnership now has nineteen ryegrass varieties listed on the 2020/2021 Recommended Grass and Clover Lists (RGCL), with varieties such as Gracehill (a late heading tetraploid ryegrass) being one of the newest additions
A long and wet winter has many pitches looking worn and tired...
A long and wet winter has many pitches looking worn and tired. With the window for renovation now upon us we thought that, whilst you may not be able to do it yet, a quick reminder of the principles of overseeding may be useful...
It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of Bert...
It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of Bert Barenbrug, third-generation owner of Barenbrug, former Chairman of the Board of Directors and former Supervisory Board member. We will all remember him as a dedicated, hardworking, and friendly colleague.
