Does Pasture Reseeding Work?

Not long ago, we shared Lyle "Spud" Edwards' Rules for Being a Successful Dairy Farmer.  Rule Number 2 was "Feed Them Well."  I asked Spud to elaborate on that rule by describing the pasture reseeding he's been doing as part of feeding his grass-based dairy herd.  So not long ago we talked by phone while he moved his dry cows. Mid-May last year, Spud reseeded 6 acres, putting in 20 pounds per acre of perennial rye, fescue, Ladino clover seed, and some other mix. He got the seed from his friend, Jack Lazor, in a trade for use of a tractor and other favors, but I think he would have paid for it too. (Don't tell Jack!) Seeing as Spud's got an organic dairy farm, he'd have to buy organic seed at $3/lb or more, so the seed would have cost about $360.  Spud said he is really glad he did the reseeding, because now that pasture grows more feed. While 2014 has been an excellent pasture year, he noticed that the reseeded pasture grew faster than it would have otherwise. Spud's observation has also been demonstrated by researchers working in Ireland where perennial rye is the predominant grass. The researchers realized that more than half of the dairy farmers were reseeding some of their pastures each year, and wanted to see if there was any value in it. Unlike Spud, who simply drilled new seed into existing pasture, the Irish farmers wer