A boost for drought-resistant crops

The benefits of drought-resistant crops have been highlighted for growers wanting to feed livestock, as the UK endures one of the driest summer’s on record.

Specialist seed merchant Bright Seeds said it had received many enquiries from customers wanting to know which crops would be best to grow after this year’s dry spell. Between January and July, Britain recorded the lowest amount of rainfall in 60 years, leaving growers looking for crops that could survive the challenging conditions.

‘The past three summers, where we have experienced unusually high levels of rain, some farms have been less prepared for dealing with drought,’ said Chris Bright, sales director at the seed merchants.

‘Therefore we have received a huge number of calls from customers asking for advice.’

However he pointed out that two crops had thrived this year, despite the lack of rain.

‘Both Lucerne and Chicory flourished under difficult growing conditions, with farmers, whose crops were well established, benefiting from bumper yields,’ he continued.

Lucerne, which is one of the oldest forage crops, is a drought tolerant legume that has been used at farms suffering from a lack of grass silage. It can be cut three to four times a year, with intervals of around six weeks. Chicory is a high yielding summer perennial herb that can be used for grazing.

For further information, visit www.brightseeds.co.uk or call 01747 873 930.