Fodder beet offers many potential benefits to livestock producers in Scotland, the largest of which is the yield potential, which is larger than any other forage crop grown in the UK.
The high yield potential gives the crop the ability to be the cheapest forage per kg of dry matter, while the excellent nutrition gives it the ability to be the cheapest forage per mega joule of energy. Achieving the yield in a cost-effective manner is key to maximising the potential of the crop.
Monitor Farm Scotland is a joint initiative managed by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the monitor farm programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
Listen to the podcast here.
The Angus monitor farm community group will be heading south this week to share best practice in the arable and livestock sectors by visiting three local farms.
On Thursday the group will tour Prestonhall, Saughland and Barnside Farms to engage in farmer-to-farmer learning.
Starting at Prestonhall, attendees will meet with farmer Bill Gray to hear how he and fellow monitor farmer Peter Eccles integrated livestock into an arable system. They will also view the new grain shed – a significant investment – as well as discuss the cropping in the ground.
Next stop is at Saughland, courtesy of Peter Eccles. The group will be shown a flock of ewes which have been in the genetic spotlight as part of the monitor farm programme. There will also be an opportunity to see and compare the rotational grazing systems and learn why this farm has opted for a leader-follower grazing system.
The tour will culminate at Charley and Andrea Walker’s farm, Barnside, which is known for exceptional clover based rotational grazing and winning the AgriScot Sheep Farm of the Year in 2018.
During the visit, the group will be able to quiz the Walkers on how they manage a productive sheep and cattle farm combining low cost and simplicity, with a view to achieving a better work-life balance.
Angus Monitor Farmer Robert Stodart said: “With a packed agenda, this should be a really interesting meeting for the group with lots to take in. I’m particularly interested to hear from Charley and Andrea Walker on achieving a better work-life balance and discuss ways we can generate more time outside of work.”
Mill of Inverarity is part of the Monitor Farm Scotland initiative, managed by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the monitor farm programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
Groups will leave the SAC office at 77 North Street at Forfar at 7 am, heading for Prestonhall Farm. The event is free to attend and will, with lunch provided, but to assist with catering those who’d like to come should book a place by phoning SAC Consulting’s Stonehaven office (01569 762305) or emailing fbsstonehaven@sac.co.uk.
Preparing and managing change in the lead up to organic conversion at Whitriggs in 2020 will be the focus of the next Borders Monitor Farm meeting on Wednesday 31 July.
Whitriggs is a partnership between Robert and Lesley Mitchell and their son Stuart. The Mitchell’s run a herd of 170 suckler cows at their 442-hectare farm as well as a breeding herd of 300 red deer. Stuart took on the responsibility of the day to day decision making at Whitriggs last year and initiated the conversion to organic earlier this year.
“We put in our application in April with the two-year conversion to officially start in June 2020. It’s a long process to become organic, but we’re preparing for it and working closely with our agronomist and veterinarian to trial some ideas in the run-up year, and to ensure we meet all the requirements to be recognised as organic when the time comes,” said Stuart Mitchell.
A strong line up of speakers, including James Bretherton from Agscope Ltd and agronomist David Cairns, will offer insight into reviewing the barriers of organic conversion as well as tips on soil, grassland and weed management relevant to both conventional and organic farmers alike. It’s a big decision to convert to organic farming and good technical performance and careful planning are fundamental to profitable organic systems.
Cattle nutritionist and soil specialist James Bretherton from Agscope Ltd has been working alongside farmers for over 20 years to and will lead the discussion on improving soil health and the mutual benefits to livestock and profitability.
“It all starts in the soil. I encourage any farmer looking to find out how we can help our soils cope and ensure good grass supply to come along to the meeting,” said Mr Bretherton.
Finally, the Mitchells will give an update on how they have tightened their calving pattern and improved suckler cow management. Colin Penny of Zoetis will be on hand to discuss the practical requirements for successful synchronisation and artificial insemination programmes to improve conception rates.
Whitriggs is one of nine monitor farms established in Scotland as part of a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the monitor farm programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The meeting on Wednesday 31 July will be held at Whitriggs farm, near Denholm, TD9 8QR and will begin with tea and coffee at 3:00pm. The meeting is expected to finish by 7:00pm with a BBQ dinner to follow. All are welcome and the event is free.
To reserve your place (and dinner!) please contact Stephen Young, one of the project facilitators, on 07502 339613 or email stephen.young@saos.coop.
Scandinavian spring barley variety Salome is now being grown on Monitor Farms across Scotland to see if it is a viable option for commercial use in the malting sector.
The variety, chosen for its early maturity, is being grown this year by monitor farmers in Angus, Lothian and Shetland, in order to compare its performance in different regions and climates. The farms will grow Salome alongside existing varieties, such as Laureate and Concerto, to compare grain and spirit yields.
Jamie Leslie, Chair of the Shetland Monitor Farm Management Group, said: “In Shetland we can grow decent crops of spring barley, our long summer daylight hours mean we can maximise growth during these months.
“However when autumn appears, harvest can be extremely frustrating with short damp days therefore crop maturity is of the upmost importance. These is no point in growing a record breaking crop if it won’t ripen and you can’t cut it.
“During a recent AHDB-sponsored study trip to Sweden I was extremely impressed with the trial plots of Salome that were on display, they stood out amongst many other varieties some of which were familiar to us in the UK. I was really keen to try it and I hope it exceeds my high expectations.”
AHDB Knowledge Exchange Manager Chris Leslie said: “Maltsters, brewers and distillers are concerned about the long-term sustainability of the barley crop. Seasonal problems in many parts of Europe resulted in a restricted malting barley supply that has only just been alleviated by an above average harvest in Argentina. Within the UK, drought conditions resulted in reduced barley crop quality, with higher protein levels.
“This project aims to bridge the gap between research and end user with a much more considered growing regime to create a niche within the Scotch whisky industry.”
The project is funded through the Monitor Farm Scotland programme, funded by the Scottish Government, and due to the diverse locations of the farms involved there will be a series of ‘virtual agronomy’ sessions to support crop management.
Chris explains: “Salome should ripen a week earlier than current favoured spring barleys such as Laureate which means we expect to see an increase in vigour and earlier use of key fungicides.
“At these critical timings we will host a virtual agronomy seminar with all the farms involved in the trial. Using tablets and 4G, the hosts will be able to walk their fields while discussing their crop with the other farmers in different locations as well as agronomists from SAC Consulting and Scottish Agronomy.
“At a time when product registration is becoming increasingly difficult it allows us to see first-hand the potential of new varieties in different locations in Scotland.”
The project results will be shared after harvest.
Monitor Farm Scotland is a joint initiative managed by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds. The aim of the programme, which is funded by Scottish Government, is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
For more information listen to this recent podcast episode on the topic.
The next meeting of the Morayshire Monitor Farm on 9 July will focus on the spring and winter barley varieties the farm has been trialling.
Many of the trials are run by Syngenta and Katie Murray will be present to discuss how the crops have been managed, highlighting key traits of the varieties on farm, and their management requirements.
Monitor farmer Iain Green explains: “We won’t know until after harvest how these varieties will yield but we can get a good idea of how they are performing through looking at the green leaf, how many heads we are getting per square metre and how they have stood up to disease pressure.”
The group will also visit Iain’s continuous winter wheat at the Duffus site, exploring how continuous crops are grown and managed in Morayshire.
“We’ve grown continuous wheat at Duffus since 1987,” Iain explains. “It’s not something many people do but in the right conditions it does work. That area is ideal for growing wheat and every year it yields well, which is why I am not keen on breaking the cycle.”
Stewart Rothnie from Agrovista, who has advised Iain on his agronomy for over 30 years, will also be on-hand to answer questions and talk through his management advice.
Later in the day there will be a session on grain marketing led by GrainCo’s Charlie Birnie. He will go over how the world and domestic cereal market is performing currently and how this will affect trade in 2019 and 2020.
The final session will be a roundup of all the trials on the farm over the last year which include the use of the beef monitor system and the calving results from the pelvic measured heifers.
The day will end with a BBQ, so booking is essential.
Corskie Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established around Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds. The aim of the programme, which is funded by Scottish Government, is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The Monitor Farm meeting will take place on Corskie Farm, Garmouth, IV32 7NN, on Tuesday 9 July from 1.30pm – 4.30pm. The event is free of charge but please book a place by contacting Samantha Stewart by phone (01343 548 787) or email (samantha.stewart@sac.co.uk).
For more information about the monitor farm programme visit www.monitorfarms.co.uk.
Download the presentation, Fooder Beet in Scotland, by Kirsten Williams, SAC Consulting Beef and Sheep Consultant and Dr Alex Sinclair, SAC Conculting Senior Consultant.
Fodder beet offers many potential benefits to livestock producers in Scotland, the largest of which is the yield potential, which is larger than any other forage crop grown in the UK.
The high yield potential gives the crop the ability to be the cheapest forage per kg of dry matter, while the excellent nutrition gives it the ability to be the cheapest forage per mega joule of energy. Achieving the yield in a cost-effective manner is key to maximising the potential of the crop.
This webinar is part of a series that will be held as part of this farmer led action research project, funded through the Monitor Farm Scotland innovation pot, which is exploring ways to collate information and data on farming activities — in this case the growing of fodder beet.
To listen to the webinar recording, click here.
Grassland management and weed control will be the focus of the next Lochaber Monitor Farm meeting on Thursday 13 June.
The meeting, which will assemble at the Moorings, Fort William car park (PH33 7LY) at 11:30am, will discuss and debate how Strone Farm should go about managing some of the old and new grass swards to maximise returns to their livestock business.
Strone farm, Lochaber’s monitor farm in Banavie near Fort William, is run by father and son team Malcolm and Chris Cameron.
Chris and Malcolm Cameron have made it a priority to improve the grazing land at Strone with improvement already noted in soil health and grass production in targeted fields following soil tests. These fields have received lime and fertiliser applications, and been ploughed and reseeded with a grass and clover mix in order to improve both yield and quality. The next step is to make sure these new leys are efficiently managed for livestock grazing and silage production to see them through the winter.
The group will go on a mini-bus tour of Strone farm, stopping at the key grassland swards available for both grazing and silage for the 2019 season. The group will be tasked with deciding the best use of these fields for the coming season and going forward.
Joining the group at the meeting on Thursday 13 June are SRUC grassland agronomist David Lawson and Watson Seeds agronomist Andrew Best, who will be on hand to answer any questions and discuss the grass seed mixtures formulated to suit the needs of Strone farm. They will also discuss how best to manage any weeds appearing in the new leys.
“This is my first visit to Strone Farm and I’m really looking forward to meeting everyone and using my previous experience on monitor farms to help formulate mixtures that are suitable to the Argyll area,” said Mr Best.
The Lochaber Monitor Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established around Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds. The aim of the programme, which is funded by Scottish Government, is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The meeting on Thursday 13 June will start at the Moorings Hotel car park and will begin 11:30am and finish at 3:30pm. To book your attendance please contact facilitators Niall Campbell or George Gauley on 01631 563093 or email fbsoban@sac.co.uk.
The next Shetland monitor farm meeting on Saturday 8 June will focus on effectively managing change and experimenting with new ideas for farm businesses.
The meeting will start at the Ness Boating Club and then move to Scholland Farm where Monitor Farm Management Group Chairman, Jamie Leslie, will host the meeting and will update the community group on the crop trials he is running at his farm.
Mr Leslie, who farms in partnership with his father John with help from brother Alistair, cousin Steven, wife Louise, and his three children, runs 1000 ewes and 80 cows. He also contract farms at Sumburgh Farm.
Mr Leslie has been rotational grazing his livestock for a few years and has previously experimented with forage crops such as plantain and fodder beet. This year, along with Bigton Farm, the Lothians Monitor Farm Prestonhall Farms, and the Angus Monitor Farm Mill of Inverarity, Mr Leslie will trial Salome, a Scandinavian barley variety. He will also discuss his entry into the national Grass YEN (yield enhancement network) which is judged on the MJ of ME/ha over two silage cuts.
“We are looking forward to welcoming the community group back to Scholland, where we will follow up on our fodder beet trials from last season including costings and ewe performance. We will also have a look at the Salome barley and grass trials and discuss what we have tried to achieve with the trials and what procedures we have gone through,” said Mr Leslie.
Also speaking at the meeting will be Jim Logan from Pirntaton Farm, Galashiels. Pirntaton is a large upland livestock unit in the Scottish Borders extending to 540 hectares effective, where he runs 1,950 breeding ewes, 120 suckler cows and an expanding deer herd presently numbering 200 hinds. Mr Logan will speak about the process of change, focussing on the introduction of a more forage-based system and rotational grazing at Pirntaton which has enabled a significant increase in the size of his ewe flock as well as the addition of the deer enterprise.
“Change can be hard at the beginning, messy in the middle, but seldom not worth the effort in the end.”
At the meeting on Saturday 8 June, Kirsty and Aimee Budge will also update the group on developments at Bigton including the barley trial plots and their grazing management plans.
The Shetland Monitor Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established around Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds. The aim of the programme, which is funded by Scottish Government, is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The meeting on Saturday 8 June, which is free to attend, will begin at Ness Boating Club at 1:30pm. BBQ dinner will be provided, and the meeting will finish at approximately 6.00pm.
To book your attendance (and lunch) please contact Graham Fraser, SAC Consulting Lerwick on 01595 693520 or email frbslerwick@sac.co.uk
The meeting, held at Girtridge Farm, Dundonald, Poppy Frater from SAC Consulting will return to Girtridge to see how the grazing system there has progressed since the introduction of rotational grazing.
Ms Frater said that it is important to manage grass to maintain quality throughout the grazing seasons ensuring swards are kept at optimum height or cover.
“One of the changes the Howie family introduced was rotational grazing cattle and sheep. With this system, John has the chance to manage grass in an effective way that allows rest periods which are important in maintaining grass quality,” she said.
John Howie runs the 140-hectare Girtridge farm, the North Ayrshire Monitor farm, in partnership with his mother and sister. They currently finish around 230 cattle all year round, some housed and others from grass. The Howie family established eight, two hectare paddocks using electric fencing where they rotate a group of finishing cattle every few days, aiming for a target rotation of 21 days.
Ms Frater will also touch on the value of feed budgeting and forecasting growth to help meet cattle and sheep needs through the season.
At the meeting on Wednesday 5 June, Mr Howie will give a farm update with a review on finished cattle performance and on the grass mixture trial at Girtridge.
“Following the changes made to the housing, adjustment of rations and grass allocation, the performance of the finishing cattle is being monitored to quantify the improvements and make any further changes to rationing,” said Mr Howie.
Keen to determine which grass seed mixtures work well at Girtridge, Mr Howie sowed six different mixtures and the group will have the opportunity to see which mixtures have worked best. Richard Bray from Agrovista will also lend a hand to review the barley crops to help determine the pros and cons of growing winter or spring barley.
Through improved grazing and grassland management, Mr Howie hopes to finish his stock quicker and reduce feed costs.
The North Ayrshire Monitor Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established across Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds, with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The meeting at Girtridge Farm on Wednesday 5 June will begin at 10.30am. The group will visit the grazing cattle and sheep followed by presentations with an aim to finish at 3:00pm. All are welcome and the event is free.
For catering purposes, those interested in coming along should confirm attendance by calling 01292 525252 or emailing FBSAyr@sac.co.uk by Monday 3 June.
How livestock farmers can best profit from a pasture-based system and the benefits technology can bring to rural businesses will be examined at the next Sutherland monitor farm meeting on Tuesday 4 June.
At the meeting, which is being held at Clynelish Farm in Brora, Trevor Cook, a respected vet and sheep and beef production consultant from New Zealand, will share his knowledge on all aspects of livestock production from grass-based systems.
Vic and Jason Ballantyne have seen the benefits of improving their grassland management at Clynelish. The rotational grazing system they have established is working well, and they can now easily identify fields that can be taken out of the system for silage production. This has lowered their feed costs in winter. The grazing season at Clynelish has been extended too; this year they turned out their cattle on 8 April, two weeks earlier than they have been able to do before.
The Ballantynes are looking forward to welcoming Trevor back to Clynelish on 4 June.
“Trevor has provided valuable support and guidance to us over the last few years and is a huge source of information,” said Jason Ballantyne.
“We really like the way he challenges us to think outside the box and motivates us to keep making improvements to our grassland management.”
As well as discussing how farmers can make the most from their grass, Mr Cook will share suggestions for those interested in growing and feeding fodder beet. This crop is something that Vic and Jason Ballantyne are keen to establish at Clynelish to help feed their ewes over the winter months. Along with other farmers from the Monitor Farm Scotland network, they have sown a series of trial plots on their farm. This project started this year to investigate and test methods of collecting and sharing knowledge and experience of managing fodder beet in Scotland.
Trevor Cook will also lead a session on the practical control of parasitic gut worms in grazing livestock and will explain how farmers can manage their grazing land and stock to minimise the development of anthelmintic (wormer) resistance.
As well as a farm tour, the Ballantynes will demonstrate some of the technology they have invested in recently through Monitor Farm innovation funding to help them improve the performance of their livestock, as well as save them time and money.
The first of these is a newly installed sheep weighing and handling system, that used in conjunction with EID technology will allow the Ballantynes to manage the performance of both their sheep and growing lambs.
Victoria Ballantyne will also demonstrate the drone that she used to monitor stock remotely during lambing and calving this year. The Ballantynes have also purchased a ‘’Vetmarker’’ lamb docking chute. This piece of equipment can be used to make routine tasks like ear tagging, castrating, tail docking and treating lambs quicker and easier. The Ballantynes are keen to share the benefit of this kit and it will be available free of charge to other sheep farmers in the area to use on their own farms.
Clynelish Farm is one of nine monitor farms established in Scotland as part of a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the monitor farm programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The meeting at Clynelish farm on Tuesday 4 June is free to attend and open to all. It will begin at 11am, with coffee and registration from 10.30am. Lunch is included.
For catering purposes, anyone interested in attending the meeting should confirm their attendance with the facilitators Willie Budge or Cat MacGregor by phoning SAC Thurso on 01847 892602 or emailing fbsthurso@sac.co.uk.
For more information about the monitor farm programme visit www.monitorfarms.co.uk