The need for traceable, sustainable home grown protein sources for livestock is increasing, particularly given recent price increases for feed and fertiliser. As such, ruminant farmers in the UK are under increasing pressure to maximise use of grassland-based systems to feed livestock. Forage proteins such as red clover and lucerne have been proven to improve feed intake, feed conversion efficiency and increase productivity among ruminants. This project aims to increase the uptake of least-cost, low-carbon forage proteins on UK livestock farms.
Beef, lamb and dairy producers will work with researchers, a seed producer, processors and a retailer. Alternative forages and innovative techniques will be trialled through controlled scientific evaluations and on-farm research to determine successful forage strategies. The economic and environmental effects of the different strategies will also be assessed. Participating farmers are drawing on their own experiences to inform the selection of techniques and will run projects on their own farms. This participatory approach will help address some of the practical challenges and constraints experienced in the sector to date.