Dr C John Baker, Feilding, NZ If you want to start a pub debate amongst farmers, try telling them which direct drilling (no-tillage) opener is the best. Everyone has an opinion. Here are some of the problems that direct drilling openers have to cope with, plus summaries of what published science and field practice tells …
Written by Maxime Barbier. First Published in TCS Magazine N°97 in March 2018 With the list of agrochemicals that is available to agriculture constantly shrinking and a threat hanging over the use of glyphosate, there is a growing interest more and more in alternative weeding solutions. All over the world many alternatives are being investigated; …
ALTERNATIVE WEED CONTROL – A WORLD WITHOUT GLYPHOSATE BUT WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES? Read More »
Written by Steve TownsendThink you have your soil fertility mastered? Well-read on about possibly the most misunderstood soil scientist Dr WilliamAlbrecht, skip this article and you could be missing something I don’t think there is anybody in agriculture more misunderstood or misquoted than Dr William Albrecht, who was emeritus professor of soils at the University …
Article adapted from a presentation given by Cotswold Seeds MD Ian Wilkinson at this year’s Groundswell event In 2016, the NFU reported the biggest year-on-year fall in farm profitability since the millennium, as farmers deal with the impact of devastating cuts in the value of their products and the rising prices of nitrogen fertiliser. There …
PUT THE BIG ‘G’ – GRASS – BACK INTO YOUR FARMING SYSTEM Read More »
Nutrient stratification is common concern for no-till farmers.By Laura Barrera, first published onwww.Agfuse.com in August 2018 Without tillage to mix fertilizer into the soil, no-tillers may wonder whether the nutrients applied to the soil surface are reaching the crop roots. According to University of Nebraska Extension engineer Paul Jasa and Ray Ward, plant scientist and …
NUTRIENT STRATIFICATION NOT A PROBLEM IN NO-TILL Read More »
Jamie Stotzka, Consultant Bioagronomist Healthy soils contain billions of bacteria from thousands of species. A special group of these bacteria, collectively known as Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria or PGPR are known to promote plant health, growth and productivity. PGPR are unlike the nodulating rhizobia only found associating with leguminous plants, as they are free-living in …
It’s clear that we need to build more resilient soils, both for the future of our farms and for the long-term health of the land. The satellite images of muddy waters spilling out of brown rivers around the UK after a heavy rainfall are hair-raising. We can visibly see the soil gliding off fields, into …
HOW TO BECOME A SOIL HEALTH EXPERT ON YOUR FARM Read More »
A stressful time trying to establish autumn crops is what originally prompted Northamptonshire estate manager, Andrew Mahon, to move away from traditional cultivations. But it’s been a journey that’s paid off. As manager of the 1,000 ha Bromborough Estate at Glebe Farm, Podington near Wellingborough – with 840 ha of owned land plus 165 ha …
STEPWISE MOVE TO NO-TILL DRILLING HAS PROVED A SENSIBLE APPROACH Read More »
Report by Chris Fellows, Direct Driller Magazine Recognising an interest in reducing soil movement, AHDB has picked a new Monitor Farm that predominately uses a system of reduced tillage. The 4th July was the first event held at Rick Davies’ Newton Lodge Farm. It was a great chance for us to get to know Rick …
Written by Harry Henderson of the AHDB, August 2018 Take a look at the European Conservation Agriculture Federation website and you’ll see Finland has the highest percentage of arable cropping in a no-till system in Europe – 13 per cent (the UK stands at 8 per cent). While you can understand dry-land countries, such as …
TO TILL, OR NOT TO TILL, THAT IS THE QUESTION. FINLAND HAS THE ANSWER Read More »
