East Essex Smallholders Chitchat

Web Version  |  Update preferences  |  Unsubscribe Like Tweet Forward

TABLE OF CONTENTS • Welcome • Soil compaction - how bad is it? • Words of wisdom • Northants suckler herd set for rapid expansion • Keep weed killers out of drinking water • Sobering thoughts DO IT NOW Sample your soils Collect soil samples and send them off for analysis now, as it should be done at least two months after the last application of manure, fertiliser or lime. Include fields that are underperforming, are going to be reseeded, which receive a lot of muck and slurry, or where the content of sown species is declining. If the field is cut frequently, repeat every three years, as a significant proportion of the nutrients will be removed with the harvested grass. Grazing fields should be tested every five years, as there is less off-take and most nutrients are returned via the dung. Take soil samples at the same time of year to give consistent results. Twist the sampling auger/soil corer down to 7.5cm and collect 25 samples in a ‘W’, avoiding gateways and feeding areas. For more detail see the BRP manual Improving Soils for Better Returns. For fields that are going to be ploughed or cultivated prior to reseeding next spring, take samples 15cm deep, to account for soil movement during cultivations. Click the link for a list of companies that carry out forage and soil testing. HOW TO Deal with CAP greening From 1 January next year ‘greening’ becomes an integral part of CAP support. But what does this mean for livestock farmers? When is grassland temporary and when is it permanent? When is it classed as ‘arable land’ and which crops can be grown on Ecological Focus Areas? Read more... Start rotational grazing Winter is a good time to start rotational grazing, but it needs careful planning to ensure there is enough grass to meet the flock’s nutritional needs. Sheep farmers Ian Robertson and Alan Cowan successfully practice All Grass Wintering, but take a different approach when it comes to setting up their paddocks. Read more... UPCOMING EVENTS EBLEX & Catchment Sensitive Farming EBLEX livestock scientists Liz Genever and Poppy Frater are working with the Catchment Sensitive Farming initiative to deliver a series of meetings to discuss how farmers can create and maintain healthy grassland soils. 24 Nov - Morpeth 25 Nov – Lancaster 25 Nov - Yorkshire 26 Nov -Tingewick 2 Dec – Leicestershire Contact Poppy Frater for more details or view theEBLEX events calendarfor dates and venues. Welcome The EBLEX Grazing Club is for all beef and sheep producers who want to: - Improve grass yields and quality - Improve animal performance off grass - Cut production costs - Make more money This newsletter is full of topical information, ideas and suggestions on how to achieve these objectives. As with any club, members can share and swap ideas on how they make the most of grass. Join the Grazing Club conversation on twitter – just follow #grazingclub. Dr Liz Genever, EBLEX livestock scientist Soil compaction - how bad is it? Grass will not grow to its full potential if its roots are in compacted soil. A new ‘Healthy Grassland Soils’ tool provides a step-by-step process for evaluating compaction and an event in Cornwall showed how easy it is to use. Read more... Words of wisdom Soil releases the ‘after rain’ smell Streptomyces bacteria that grow in wet earth play an important part in breaking down organic matter in the soil. During a dry spell, the Streptomyces produce tiny spores and when the air turns humid before rain, the spores pop off into the air and are easily breathed in.  People with a sensitive-enough nose can smell the spores and give a credible forecast of showers on the way.  But the really powerful scent is released when rain hits the dry ground and kicks up clouds of spores in a fine spray. The fragrance comes from substances called geosmins, which are thought to attract earthworms and springtails to the bacteria to pick up and spread the spores.  The Times, 20 June 2010 Northants suckler herd set for rapid expansion Cattle numbers are set to rise rapidly on George Coles’ beef unit in Northamptonshire, as the farms’ owners and George between them, aim to quadruple the herd and introduce a new breed. Read more... Keep weed killers out of drinking water Traces of herbicides commonly applied to grassland are finding their way into water destined for human consumption. Livestock farmers need to be aware of new rules on spraying weed killers that will come into play at the end of next year, which sets out to reduce this problem. Read more... Sobering thoughts Days out grazing The latest Stocktake figuresshow that cows in lowland suckler herds are out grazing an average of 32 weeks, with the minimum being 22 and the maximum 52. The number of ‘grazing days’ is linked to business efficiency – the more the better because fresh grass is always the cheapest feed.  But keeping cows out longer is not always possible as there is a risk of soil damage in wet conditions where infrastructure such as tracks do not exist. Nitrogen fertiliser For breeding flocks in Less Favoured Areas, Stocktake shows the average amount of inorganic nitrogen (N) applied is 20kg/ha/year. The minimum was 0kg/ha/year, which was likely to be for organic systems. The maximum was 125kg/ha/year, but most producers were putting on between 10 and 30kg/ha/year. White clover is undoubtedly contributing N for grass growth on these farms. However, it could be that strategic use of bought-in N to grow more grass on in-bye areas could be cheaper than buying-in feed.

© Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board 2014 EBLEX is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) Edit your subscription | Unsubscribe EBLEX, AHDB Stoneleigh Park Kenilworth Warwickshire CV8 2TL