SCHOOL EDITION 22 MARCH 2023 - Flipbook - Page 24
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NEWS
FARMWEEK
JANUARY 28 2021
Cutting-edge tool launched to reduce
fertiliser damage to the environment
L
EADING Scottish scientists have
invented a new cutting-edge tool to
help farmers nd the safest way to use
organic waste fertiliser in a bid to reduce its
damaging impact on the environment.
Researchers from Glasgow Caledonian
University, led by Dr Alejandro Gonzalez
Ollauri, developed the Waste to Land (W2L)
computer tool, which identies the best and
safest places to use fertiliser in elds.
About 100 million tons of organic
waste materials are spread in the UK’s
farmland each year. The team from the
university’s BEAM (Built Environment
Asset Management) Research Centre was
concerned that human and animal excrement
used in organic fertiliser could leak into
rivers, pollute the environment and enter the
food chain.
Dr Gonzalez Ollauri said: “There is
evidence to suggest that the use of organic
waste materials improves the quality of the
soil, enhances crop yield, reduces the costs
to both industry and farmers, and thus
contributes to a circular economy.
“The use of organic fertilisers in the UK
is subjected to very restrictive regulations,
attempting to avoid introducing pathogens,
heavy metals and now microplastics into
water bodies and the food chain.
“It is therefore crucial to reduce the
environmental impact of recycling organic
waste into farmland by identifying adequate
locations for their spreading and by
predicting the effect of such land practice.”
The W2L tool uses visuals and maps to
show farmers the safest areas to apply
organic waste, which it is hoped will give
them condence in its long-term use.
Dr Gonzalez Ollauri added: “W2L combines
environmental statistics and existing data
to generate fresh intelligence. While the
prototype of the tool currently shows a UK
perspective, it will eventually be tailored so
n Dr Gonzalez Ollauri
that you can drill down to individual plots of
land.”
He says future work will strive to transform
W2L into a “robust, user-friendly interface”,
so it can be easily accessible for multiple
users, including policy-makers.
The study, Waste to Land (W2L): A novel
tool to show and predict the special effect
of applying biosolids on the environment,
funded by the EPSRC through the SECURE
Network, has been published in the
prestigious journal Agricultural Systems.
The study has been applauded by other
environmental scientists around the world.
How one farmer used best practice
to stay resilient in a difcult year
L
AST year has been a favourite
with few people. Alongside
widespread disruption and
uncertainty due to Covid-19
and post-Brexit negotiations,
UK farmers have had to face
extremely poor weather conditions
at the beginning of the year.
After an exceptionally wet few
months, the weather then shifted
to a prolonged period of drought.
Many farmers have therefore found
their whole year to be a difcult
uphill battle.
For Andrew Bray, who owns
Tregevis Farm near St Martin in
Cornwall, establishing consistent
best practice and the right products
at the right time has meant he
has
weathered
these
issues
better than many, ensuring his
business has stayed resilient and
protable despite the unfortunate
circumstances.
“It’s been a year of extremes,” says
Andrew. “The driest May on record
came after the wettest February.
Grass growth was very slow quite
late on into the year. However, our
rst cut was strong and the steps we
took to ensure our business stays
robust have paid off. All in all, we’ve
actually had a good year.”
Andrew identies crop nutrition
– and a careful management of it –
as key to his success. In particular,
sulphur has proven to signicantly
played a role in robust yields and
quality when it comes to his grass
crop.
“Applied nitrogen becomes truly
effective when combined with
sulphur,” says Philip Cosgrave,
Grassland Agronomist at Yara, who
conrms that Andrew’s proactive
approach with sulphur has proven
fruitful when it comes to his
grassland swards.
“When using sulphur we see higher
yields, yes, but also elevated protein
levels, which enables higher quality
silage. You should apply sulphur
little and often, alongside nitrogen,
as it behaves similarly in the soil. As
n Sulphur deficient grass.
TREGEVIS FARM – THE FACTS
n 240 Pedigree Holstein cows;
n Farming 148ha, mainly
grassland, plus fodder beet and
spring barley;
n 67ha of off land, mainly
used for silage and regularly
reseeded;
n Half of farm is permanent
pasture;
n Calving in two blocks, from
September-November and then
March-May;
n Autumn cows grazed in
spring and summer; spring
cows grazed from September to
November;
n Buys 35ha of wholecrop each
year.
n Andrew Bray from Tregevis Farm.
sulphur can easily leach, it’s best to
apply it only as and when the crop
requires, rather than all at once.
Andrew has followed that approach
and seen then the benet.”
Using a range of true uniform
compounds that contain sulphur,
When using sulphur we see higher
yields, yes, but also elevated protein
levels which enables higher quality
silage
Philip Cosgrave
Andrew is careful to achieve an
accurate and even spread pattern
while closely monitoring the farm
and using soil testing to ensure the
best results possible.
Andrew usually cuts silage early to
prevent drying out due to Tregevis
Farm’s proximity to the coast. He
also annually buys about 35ha
of whole crop as forage. There’s
another feed source that Andrew
swears by, despite its relative lack
of popularity in recent years: “We
grow fodder beet,” says Andrew.
“It can handle the dry weather. We
don’t just rely on one source that
could potentially go awry. We stay
prepared and never take anything
for granted.”
Andrew uses a separate area –
he refers to this as the “off-land”
– as permanent pasture, while the
main farmstead is primarily used
for silage, regularly reseeding on
rotation with fodder beet and spring
barley, before going back into grass.
“We grow fodder beet because
it has high yields and excellent
nutritional
composition,”
says
Andrew.
“We use it to feed the cows right
through until about July, so roughly
10 months overall. Fodder beet has
a great effect on the milk quality. It’s
very high energy.”
Milk quality is the main watchword
at Tregevis Farm. They supply
producers of clotted cream, so a
high butterfat percentage is vital.
Fodder beet’s excellent nutritional
composition helps achieve that,
along with allowing a break in
rotation and a useful opportunity to
clean up the swards.
Andrew always plans ahead,
working alongside Nigel Hester, his
Yara Area Manager, to devise an
agronomic strategy that matches
his unique farm situation. For
example, his cows are fed via silage
on a TMR (total mixed ration) diet at
the peak of production, while those
in the later stages of lactation are
grazed on the off-land’s permanent
pasture.
“While permanent pasture might
not be as productive as a newly sown
ley, good soil fertility and a low weed
burden mean that these swards can
remain surprisingly productive,”
says Philip. “Ultimately, Andrew
knows what does and doesn’t work
for his farm. What matters is his
devising a strategy that maximises
what does work and sticking to it
with diligence.”
Despite the tough year, Andrew
is optimistic for 2021. “So many
people are in a difcult situation at
the moment. It’s never been more
important to be in control and take
action wherever you can. Burying
your head in the sand won’t help
anyone. A positive attitude and
working towards a robust strategy
can make all the difference.”