Covering Soils with Direct Driller Magazine (20th Sept 23)

Join us at “Covering Soils” – featuring discussions & demonstrations relating to cover crops, drill technologies, soil health & compaction.

Date and time

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 09:30 – 16:30 BST

Location

TWB Farms, Burntwood WS7 0LG, UK

Description

Covering Soils is an essential event for farmers and agri-professionals to deepen their understanding of cover crops, machinery technologies, soil health, and compaction management. Through several interactive stations, the event will highlight the importance of integrating these practices to enhance both productivity and environmental sustainability.

This one-day event will provide a platform for participants to share their experiences and create a networking environment, allowing attendees to connect with fellow farmers, researchers, and industry experts. Lunch & refreshments will also be provided to attendees.

Also, speak to our exhibitors: AgreenaBTT UKFarmdeals and Tractair.

Key Highlights:

Cover Crops Insights:

Join RAGT, who will give a comprehensive overview of cover crops and their pivotal role in enhancing soil health. Experts will emphasise the benefits of cover crops, such as preventing erosion, increasing organic matter, and improving nutrient retention. Farmers will gain valuable insights into selecting the right cover crop species and integrating them effectively into crop rotation cycles.

Machinery Demos:

Attendees were treated to live machinery demonstrations from Horsch UK and Grange Machinery, showcasing cutting-edge technologies for precise and efficient cover crop planting. The demos will provide practical knowledge on optimising usage for maximum cover crop establishment.

Soil Health Management:

Prominent soil health specialists Poly4 and Agrii will discuss holistic approaches to soil management. Participants will learn about soil testing techniques, nutrient cycling, and the critical role of microbial communities in maintaining soil fertility.

Mitigating Soil Compaction:

Soil compaction concerns will be addressed by speakers Phillip Wright, Wright Solutions and Stephen Lamb through insightful presentations and hands-on activities. Attendees will learn about strategies to mitigate compaction, including cover crop selection, reduced tillage, and precision machinery usage. Live demonstrations will showcase equipment designed to alleviate compaction issues.

Agenda

10:00 – 10:15

Setting the scene opening talk

Clive Bailye, Farmer

10:15 – 11:00

Station 1: Tyres & Compaction

Phillip Wright, Wright Solutions

Stephen Lamb, Tyre Consultant

10:15 – 11:00

Station 2: Cover crop biology & SFI

Will Francis, Agronomist, Agrii

Steve Corbett, Cover Crop Specialist, Agrii

Amy Watkins, Head of Green Strategy, Agrii

11:30 – 12:15

Station 3: Soil health & Nutrition

Kathryn Bartlett, Soil Scientist, Anglo American

11:30 – 12:15

Station 4: Cover crop plots walk

David Ramdhian, Head of Forage Crops & Soil Health, RAGT

Jack Holgate, Arable Product Manager, RAGT

Peter-Gan Jongenelen, International Product Manager,RAGT

10:15 – 15:45

Machinery Demos

Gareth Burgess, Horsch UK

Rhun Jones, Grange Machinery

12:00 – 13:15

Lunch from Untamed Grill

Refreshments from Farmdeals

13:00 – 13:45

Station 1: Tyres & Compaction

Phillip Wright, Wright Solutions

Stephen Lamb, Tyre Consultant

13:00 – 13:45

Station 2: Cover crop biology & SFI

Will Francis, Agronomist, Agrii

Steve Corbett, Cover Crop Specialist, Agrii

Strategy, Agrii

15:00 – 15:45

Station 3: Soil Health & Nutrition

Kathryn Bartlett, Soil Scientist, Anglo American

15:00 – 15:45

Station 4: Cover crop plots walk

David Ramdhian, Head of Forage Crops & Soil Health, RAGT

Jack Holgate, Arable Product Manager, RAGT

Peter-Gan Jongenelen, International Product Manager,RAGT