May 2017 Farming Monthly

INSIDE: Are you ready to attend the edie LIVE show? page 18

Farming

MONTHLY National

May 2017

Also in this issue...

Beef Expo

| Beef Expo 2017 page 46

Trees and sheep Also inside this month..

The science behind planting trees to improve sheep farming pages 10 & 11

Not just for winter... p51

Ausi built Seed Terminator p48 PLUS:

Silage effluent tanks p07

Security | Arable | Events| Sheep | Grassland | Energy | ATV | Motors

CONTENTS May 2017

FEATURES 09

12

12 Arable Pod protection to stop lavae losses, Six newcomers to the recommended list for sugar beet, Better barley is on the way

21

44 Sheep

42

46 Beef Expo

NSA Welsh Sheep 2017 talks Brexit

Supply chain to be showcased plus what seminars can you expect?

21 Grassland A more in-depth look at the Grassland & Muck 2017 event

30 Cereals The Cereals Event 2017 preview including what the show has to offer and who you might see there

REGULARS 06 News Government should delay digital plans

10 On Topic Embracing Agroforestry

48 Feature edie Live

50 ATV ATV news...covered.

41 Security Land Rover Defender high on the list of at risk property, Secure your perimeters

04 | Farming Monthly | May 2017

15 Energy Glamping

53 Motors Latest motors news

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

48

Agriculture. Covered.

EDITOR Andrew Poulton editor@farmingmonthly.com

Trees and sheep: Improving sheep farming

p12

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ISSN 2044-0190 (print) ISSN 2044-0200 (digital)

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 05

| News

Land Rover and The Prince’s Countryside Fund launch 2017 Bursary supporting young rural entrepreneurs Land Rover continues its partnership with The Prince’s Countryside Fund to launch the 2017 rural bursary for rural businesses of the future. and Rover has once again shown its support for the British countryside, announcing the launch of its fourth annual bursary in partnership with The Prince’s Countryside Fund.

The bursary will offer a year-long loan of a Land Rover Discovery Sport to the UK’s most enterprising and entrepreneurial young people working in rural Britain.

The applications for The Prince’s Countryside Fund (PCF) Land Rover bursary opened this past weekend at the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) Annual Convention. Designed to offer those who live and work in the countryside support in developing their careers, the bursary has proven to be a springboard for success for young rural workers for the last three years.

Five winners will be provided with a Discovery Sport, known for its capability over a wide variety of terrains and weather conditions, alongside Land Rover off-road and all terrain driver training.

Attending the announcement, a previous

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06 | Farming Monthly | May 2017

winner of the countryside bursary, Lewis Steer, met with this year’s potential applicants to offer advice, following his loan of a vehicle. Since winning the bursary Lewis’ wool businesses have gone from strength to strength. Lily Warne Wool (named after his great great grandmother) is one of the only in the country to carry out the entire wool making process ‘from farm to yarn’ focussing on reconnecting people with British Wool. Since successfully winning the bursary in 2016, Lewis has used his Land Rover Discovery Sport for day-to-day shepherding, moving sheep between rented land and to access other farms and buy wool and skins through the co-operative he has set up. He now supports other local farmers to gain more return from their stock.

Scott Dicken, Jaguar Land Rover UK Marketing Director said, “Our support of the Land Rover Bursary shares The Prince’s Countryside Fund’s vision to support future generations managing Britain’s rural communities. We share a passion for the countryside and we hope that the support of a new Land Rover Discovery Sport for a year will

make a difference, improving the prospects for young entrepreneurs at the early stages of a rural business.”

Claire Saunders, Director of The Prince’s Countryside Fund said “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Land Rover, once again, to provide young people embarking on a career in the countryside with vehicles that form the bedrock of everything they do. The past winners of the bursary have seen their businesses go from strength to strength over the year and we are excited to be doing it all over again. There is a real need for young people to be supported in every way possible and with so many keen to get into rural industries or develop their own businesses, we’re excited to see how these vehicles can help them achieve their dreams.”

Applications are open now at http://www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk/howwe-help/the-land-rover-bursary- and must be completed online by 31st May 2017. The Prince’s Countryside Fund Land Rover Bursary is open to UK residents aged between 21 to 35 living and working in a rural area.

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| News

Silage effluent tanks for the UK farming/agricultural sector Marsh Industries, the leading UK water and wastewater storage tank manufacturer, has announced a new range of silage effluent storage tanks, aptly named the Agri-Silage Tank range, which is specifically designed for the safe storage and handling of silage effluent (also known as silage run-off). he tanks are supplied with a chemically resistant gel-coat that protects the fibres in the laminates and provides excellent water and chemical resistance.

This inherent integrity allows Marsh to offer an unrivalled 50 year design life, backed by a 25 year structural guarantee.

Available in capacities up to 100,000 litres in Ø2.5m and Ø3m diameters, the tanks are manufactured using GRP (virgin unfilled resin - no ‘fillers’ such as chalk) providing consistent wall thickness ensuring superior structural strength and durability.

This also enables the tank to be significantly lighter for on-site

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handling/positioning and better suited to withstand greater hydrostatic pressures when in use.

With a designated Contract Department focused on making life simpler for the customer the hassle is really taken out of the job. Marsh is the only company to benefit from the in house computer design programme Gaia that provides each quote with three tanks with a varying diameter.

Marsh Industries also manufactures Sewage Treatment Plants, Septic Tanks, Flood Attenuation Tanks and many more products including Rainwater Harvesters, Pump Chambers, Grease Traps and a new Separator range called Hydroil from the head office based in Northamptonshire

and the recently opened factory in Somerset. Just like the Agri-Silage range, all of Marsh’s products are manufactured using 100% GRP. The company is at the forefront of redesigning water and wastewater products. The Marsh range benefits from many unique selling points including; lifting eyes, a keying in lip and feet on all our tanks. These help to create a safer and less complicated installation on site. For areas of the country that suffer from hard ground conditions or a high water table, Marsh Industries can provide a shallow version of the products. Variable inlet depths/orientations can be

specified to suit site conditions and high-level alarms are available.

As a company Marsh Industries prides itself on the friendly yet professional operation. Both before and after sales technical advice is offered where required and the Area Representatives, who cover the UK Mainland, would be more than happy to a conduct site visit where needed.

If you require any further information or for full specifications and pricing please contact Marsh Industries on 01933 654582 or visit www.marshindustries.co.uk

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 07

| News

New President takes up responsibilities at the AEA Mark Ormond, Managing Director of SAME Deutz-Fahr UK, takes over the annual presidency of the Agricultural Engineers Association. uring his speech at this year’s annual conference, Mark highlighted the importance the AEA will be to its members as we head on our path out of the EU. Mark was born into a farming family and has 20 years’ experience in the agricultural machinery industry at both dealer and manufacturer level. His early career was spent in the implement sector but Mark moved to SDF as MD in 2015. That role makes him responsible for all sales and aftersales issues for the company in the UK and ROI. “The BREXIT process will create unknown challenges and opportunities for our industry.

Although the weak pound has resulted in increases to the cost of imported machinery, farm profitability improved substantially in the 2016/17 year. That created a significant increase in demand for agricultural tractors and machinery”, explained Mark.

“March tractor registrations

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market to maintain / improve their business activities. Furthermore, strong connections to government institutions and to Brussels will ensure we can lobby for the best interests of our members during the Brexit negotiations.”

“The Board has worked hard, in recent years, to ensure the AEA

provides for its members’ needs.

That will now be more important than ever.” Mark looks forward to meeting members and nonmembers at regular AEA meetings and at industry events during the course of the year, and welcomes ideas to further improve the standard of service provided.

£8.5million fund for small dairy farmers Applications opened this week (April 24) for an £8.5 million funding scheme to support small dairy farmers in England. reached a record high.”

“As the UK continues on its path out of the EU, members will rely heavily on the AEA for economic information, market data, and standards information, all of which will change dramatically in the coming years.”

“The AEA is very well placed to provide its members with accurate and timely information to ensure they can react to the needs of the

08 | Farming Monthly | May 2017

he Small Dairy Farmers Scheme will provide a oneoff payment to active cows’ milk producers who produced up to 1,000,000 litres during the period April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016.

The scheme is for producers in England but cross-border farmer in Wales or Scotland can also apply if the majority of their land is based in England and they received their Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2016 payment from the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).

The rate of payment will be calculated once all applications are received and should be published on GOV.UK in mid-June.

Payments will be capped at 500,000 litres of cows’ milk production and paid into claimants’ bank accounts by the end of July. Farmers must be registered on Rural Payments before RPA can make a payment.

Farmers looking to apply should fill in a Small Dairy Farmers Scheme application form at GOV.UK and send it to the RPA

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along with the proof before midnight on May 31, 2017.

“The RPA will need proof showing your total cows’ milk deliveries to first purchasers during the period April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016,” explained Edward Tyler, a consultant with Berrys at Shrewsbury.

“Proof could be a copy of your annual production statement or individual monthly production statements. If you sold cows’ milk or milk products directly, you will be asked to provide proof of the total volume of cows’ milk produced during that period, either for sale directly to the public or used to make products for sale directly to the public.

“Direct sellers will also need to send a copy of their Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) levy invoice. Additional proof could be production records, sales invoice/sales records, milk/milk product stock records.

“You will also need proof that you were still active in cows’ milk production in April 2017,” he added.

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| News

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May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 09

| On Topic

Trees and sheep: planting trees and sheep farming image: WTPL Alan Southworth

image: Laurance Clark

image: Laurance Clark

Outdoor lambing has become increasingly popular as it reduces labour costs and offers reduced disease build-up compared to housed lambing.

Even in areas where outdoor lambing is impractical or indoor lambing is still preferred due to unpredictable weather, early turnout is increasingly common. ew research shows sheep are more likely to survive wet, windy and cold winters and scorching summer days if they are provided with shelter in the form of trees, shrubs and hedgerows.

As part of a study partially funded by the Woodland Trust, scientists at Bangor University have created robotic sheep fitted with sophisticated electronics that measure the energy it takes to maintain their body temperature in different conditions on farm. If we can better understand the influence of external factors such as cold, heat, rain or wind on the body of an animal we can seek to maximise yields through simple land management changes.

The benefits One simulation examined the risk of thermal stress in livestock in an upland field and revealed the probability of animals experiencing potentially fatal wind chill fell by more than 20% if they had shelter.

Early findings have also revealed that if

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The Woodland Trust is a registered Charity Nos 294344 and SC038885

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sheep can maintain a comfortable temperature then more of their energy can be allocated to producing meat and maintaining condition.

The research highlights a real value to creating shelter within the field system – hedges, shelterbelts and single trees can all add value.

Meet the sheep The electric ewes, Melyn and Glas, will be on display at the Woodland Trust stand at both the Welsh and North National Sheep Association’s trade shows.

They will be joined by their “shepherd”, PhD student Pip Jones. Pip has been recording the energy consumption of the sheep as she moves them around the fields at Bangor University’s research farm; comparing what happens in places where trees, hedgerows or shelter belts offer protection in locations where there is no shelter.

By measuring the power consumed by the robotic sheep to maintain their internal temperature in different conditions, researchers can work out how much energy

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| On Topic

The science behind hedges to improve

image: Laurance Clark

the sheep loses just trying to deal with the weather.

Reduced production costs?

So far the team has worked out that over the three months of winter, if it averaged a chilly 6 °C outside, this would increase the energy deficit by nearly 0.25 mega joules per sheep, per day.

This means that 100 sheep would need an extra 189kg of dry matter silage, just to produce the energy they need to keep warm, energy that is therefore not available for growth.

Advice from the experts Senior Farming Advisor Helen Chesshire said: “Studies have shown that in cold, wet and windy weather, lamb losses can be reduced by up to 30 per cent if good shelter is provided.

“Sheltered, well-drained fields provide the best physical conditions for lambing and good mothering. By creating the right conditions for ewes and young lambs, lamb mortality can actually be reduced compared to housed lambing.”

Tree shelter is invaluable in cold, wet and windy conditions, reducing the risk of hypothermia in new born lambs and the risk of mastitis in their mothers.

Cold, exposed and windy conditions can lead to an increased risk of ewes developing acute mastitis. This reduces the ability of the ewe to support her lambs, increasing the likelihood of lamb mortality or poor growth rates.

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Shelterbelts can also be designed to assist natural behaviours of ewes and provide opportunities for isolation during lambing.

Isolation increases the chances of early development of a strong bond between the ewe and her lambs, better suckling and colostrum intake, reduced disease risk and greater resistance to the cold. And of course, trees are great for providing summer shade, allowing the sheep to seek respite from the sun.

Trees can also improve soil quality, reducing waterlogged ground conditions associated with causing lameness and liver fluke.

Cumbrian farmers Paul and Nic Renison have been using a rotational grazing system (aka “Mob Grazing”) for the past three years.

New trees and hedges planted to support their mob grazing project are already increasing shelter for their flock and reducing lamb loss.

The farm is home to between 900 and 1000 ewes and in order to help make the farm profitable for themselves and their family, Paul and Nic have very clear objectives about their farm management.

Some 700m hedges are already in the ground, or planned, providing this exposed farm with much more shelter. Hedges here lead to better adjacent grass growth over a longer season, and lower lamb loss rates.

The rotational grazing utilises this grass growth well and improves sward diversity

with lower input costs. Increasing earthworms counts are a success measure for the farm as they improve soils by aeration and pulling in organic matter which is key in securing future soil productivity.

The Woodland Trust is working with a number of UK farmers to increase the number of trees and hedgerows on their land to protect their flock. The Trust’s Woodland Creation team have supported the planting of over 41km of new and restored hedgerows last winter alone.

Together with the Soil Association and Royal Forestry Society, the Woodland Trust is staging an agroforestry conference at Cranfield University on June 22 where farmers can discover the many benefits of planting trees on farms. The conference will showcase some of the UK’s leading agroforestry systems and look at the main steps and questions faced in getting them off the ground.

National and international speakers are included in the line-up, along with those currently practicing agroforestry techniques, and Charlotte Smith of BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today will chair the sessions. For more information and to book tickets search “Agroforestry 2017”.

Find out more about how the Woodland Trust can help you plant trees, visit woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 11

| Arable

Pod protection to stop larvae losses

Max Newbert

With most oilseed rape well through flowering, growers should now be on the lookout for Seed weevil activity. ome hard late April frosts across large parts of the country could result in some early pod abortion on flowering raceme, so protecting remaining pods will be essential for crops to make best use of this season’s high potential.

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“If you can prevent that initial pod damage it will also minimise the impact of Pod midge” Cabbage seed weevil make a hole in a pod to lay an egg, but which then allows the Pod midge to access the pod laying several eggs per pod and up to 60 eggs in

their lifetime. The resulting feeding larvae can be far more damaging, warned Syngenta Insecticide Field Technical Manager, Max Newbert.

Max pointed out that the Seed weevil itself causes relatively little damage, by laying just one egg per pod, that typically only destroy one or two seeds per pod.

However, the Pod midge uses the hole left by the weevil and its larvae will effectively destroy the entire pod’s yield by causing pod shatter.

He highlighted that the relatively cool April meant Seed weevil migration from overwintering sites in hedgerows and margins had been slow so far, but as soon as conditions warm up crop invasion will increase. The threshold for treatment is just one Seed weevil per plant for the main OSR

12 | Farming Monthly | May 2017

growing areas.

“Treatments must be timed to target the adult weevil,” he advised. “If you can prevent that initial pod damage it will also minimise the impact of Pod midge.” Max advocated Hallmark Zeon treatment at the full rate of 75 ml/ha would provide an instant hit on in-crop weevils and repellence activity to dissuade migration.

“In sunny conditions, the UV protection of Hallmark Zeon formulation can give extended activity and protection of the crop not seen with other lambda products,” he added. “That could prove essential where Seed weevil migration may go on for several weeks, and especially this season where there will be a potentially beneficial long post-flowering green crop area.”

The Seed weevil treatment timing would also give control of any Pod midge in the crop, although growers can make a separate Hallmark Zeon treatment for Pod midge before the end of flowering if required. The threshold assessment for treatment of Pod midge would depend on the extent of Seed weevil pod holes.

Pods that have already set on main raceme will be relatively safe from frost effects, but side shoots and later flowering plants may have been particularly effected, said Max. A series of warm days and cold nights appears to be especially stressful for crops and could result in poor pod set, he added.

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| Arable

Six newcomers make the recommended list 2018 for sugar beet Stringent field trials on real farms increases value of BBRO BSPB list to growers. ix new varieties of sugar beet have made it through stringent field trials to be accepted on the Recommended List 2018, managed by BBRO (British Beet Research Organisation) and BSPB (British Society of Plant Breeders).

To make the grade the varieties have to be significantly better performing not just for yield but also for resilience to disease and bolting risk.

Mike May, chair of the RL Board, explains that the selection process is tough: “To earn a place on the Recommended List the new varieties have to perform well over three years of field trials.

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“Having a strong list of varieties with background on how they perform year after year in the field will give growers the information they need to select the best varieties for their conditions” “We are testing the genetics which means the conditions need to be as uniform as possible across the plots for both the newcomers and the controls. The sites are on farms run by some of our best growers so we can see how the varieties perform under field conditions.”

Some varieties have been withdrawn from the list for 2018 and there are six new PR1 varieties: Bloodhound, BTS 3325, Daphna, Degas, Landon and Senada KWS. To be eligible for the RL the varieties must be on the National List, which is overseen by APHA, or the EU Common Catalogue by 1st March of the year before.

The Trials Technical Group (TTG) currently chaired by Daniel Godsmark of the BBRO,

oversees the technical aspects of the trials, and the results are analysed by NIAB before being presented to a multi-stakeholder Crop Committee to make the final decision.

The process is continually assessed this gives confidence to the breeders and grower base. This year all the data will be presented in a new format familiar to the industry to help interpretation of the results.

To be considered for the RL the new variety must bring distinct characteristics, be uniform and stable in performance and offer value for cultivation and use. If it has a special trait, such as partial resistance to AYPR rhizomania, then it might make the grade even if the yield is not significantly better.

Dr Simon Bowen, Knowledge Exchange and Crop Progression Lead of BBRO, is particularly interested in how the varieties perform in bolter trials. A cold period will bring on vernalisation (the production of flowers) which is undesirable, as the plant will produce seed instead of building sugar in the root.

Bowen explains: “A long growing season will improve the yield and sugar concentration, but an early sowing increases the risk of bolting.

The trials include a comparison between Early Sown Bolting (ESB) and Normal Sown Bolting (NSB) to see how a variety performs under severe conditions. The results mean that growers will be able to make an informed decision about the risk of bolting.”

Disease resistance is also important and some of the new varieties have claims by the breeder that they are tolerant to BCN. However, the mechanism behind this is not known.

Dr Mark Stevens, Scientific & Crop Stability Lead at BBRO, comments: “Disease resistance to rust and powdery mildew is given a score based on percentage leaf infection. We have recently started conducting powdery mildew trials under controlled conditions to provide a reliable assessment of the plant’s resistance

regardless of the disease risk for that season.

Colin MacEwan, Head of BBRO, (picture attached) says that improving the quality and consistency of the RL programme will continue to drive yield.

“Having a strong list of varieties with background on how they perform year after year in the field will give growers the information they need to select the best varieties for their conditions. It will also be possible for them to benchmark their yields against crops grown under best practice. I believe the attention to detail given by the RL Board will continue to pay dividends in the future.”

The Recommended List of varieties can be found at bbro.co.uk/varieties/recommended-list New varieties for 2018 Judged on percentage yield above the best three controls, bolting risk, tolerance to disease (where 9 is the highest resistance) and establishment before gapping to ~18 cm.

Bloodhound – entered with 100.8% above the control for adjusted yield, good on bolting and establishment. It has a disease score for rust of 3 and 4 for powdery mildew.

BTS 3325 - scored 103.0% adjusted yield above control, good pre-gap establishment, no problem with bolting. Scored 7 for rust and 5 for powdery mildew.

Daphna – adjusted yield 106.9% above control, suitable for early sowing, tolerant to BCN. Degas – 102.0% above control for adjusted yield, chance of bolting, slightly weaker on disease.

Landon – has an adjusted yield performance of 104.7%. This variety scored 7 for rust and 4 for powdery mildew.

Senada KWS – yield performance is 105.6% above control, lower pre-gap establishment so a higher seed rate may be required.

How neonicotinoids ban would affect your farm The NFU has urged farmers and growers to speak to their MP, prospective parliamentary candidates and MEP to make them aware of the devastating consequences a blanket ban of neonicotinoids on outdoor crops would have on their farm businesses. he call comes in response to European Commission proposals to widen current neonicotinoid restrictions to ban all uses on field-grown crops, extending its current restrictions to include non-flowering crops.

The NFU is calling on the Commission to reconsider this proposal to enable time for proper discussion with member states and the industry. It has written to the European Commission outlining its concerns and the consequences such a ban would have on farmers.

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NFU Vice President Guy Smith said: “A blanket ban of neonicotinoids on outdoor crops would be devastating for farms across the country. The numbers of pests are rising across the country1 and dealing with these pressures is costly2. Growing crops without these seed treatments could become very difficult.

“Neonicotinoid seed treatments form an incredibly important part of the integrated pest management approach which farmers adopt. I know it would make implementing this approach more difficult for farmers without these seed treatments.

“Nowhere else in the world are farmers under threat from losing neonicotinoid insecticides as they produce food under the threat from insects. By denying UK farmers these key crop production tools, our competitors who have access to these products are being gifted a market.

“We’re encouraging farmers and growers to speak to their MP, prospective parliamentary candidates and MEP to describe the impact a blanket ban would have on their farm. If politicians are made aware of the consequences of a ban, they may be persuaded to vote against one.

“The NFU fully supports an

evidence and risk-based approach to regulation and believes the Commission’s current proposal is poorly evidenced. There is concern that the proposals put the EU objective of safeguarding the competitiveness of European agriculture at serious risk.

“The proposals would not only impact major crops such as cereals but also sugar beet and vegetables as there are no effective alternatives to neonicotinoid seed treatments.”

Farmers can contact their MP and MEP on this issue, attend an MP surgery to make them aware or get involved by telling your story on social media.

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 13

| Arable

Better barley is on the way: crop genome unravelled A ten-nation scientific consortium has reported the first high-quality genome sequence of barley, a development which will assist crop breeders in developing more resilient barley varieties suited to the requirements of the brewing, distilling, food and feed industries. he UK team behind the research was led

by Professor Robbie Waugh, of Scotland’s James Hutton Institute and the Division of Plant Sciences at the University of Dundee, who worked over a decade with colleagues from the International Barley Genome Sequencing Consortium (IBSC), Earlham Institute and the European Bioinformatics Institute.

The genome sequence of a crop reveals detailed information on the location, structure and function of its genes, useful knowledge for the breeding needed to boost crop improvement. Featuring data on more than 39,000 genes, the barley genome is almost two times larger than the human genome, and 80 percent of it is composed of highly complex repeat structures. However, recent advances in sequencing and computational technology have finally enabled scientists to unravel the genome of barley.

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Professor Waugh said: “Access to the fully ordered genome sequence assembly will streamline efforts to improve barley production through breeding for varieties better able to withstand pests and disease and deal with adverse environmental conditions such as drought and heat stress.

“Armed with this information, breeders and scientists will be much better placed to deal with the challenge of effectively addressing the food security agenda under the constraints of a rapidly changing environment.

“The genome provides a better understanding of malting genes, as well as the processes of domestication, local adaptation and modern breeding that have been critical in shaping current varieties.”

Dr Matt Clark, Head of Technology Development at Earlham Institute, added: “The barley genome is much larger than the human one, and more complex. The tools and skills we developed while working on the challenging barley genome led to

this success, but they have also helped us on smaller genomes e.g. rice, and potatoes, and much larger ones such as bread wheat which is derived from the hybridisation of 3 barley-like genomes.”

Domesticated between 10,000 and 12,000 years ago in the Middle East, barley has since spread across all temperate regions to become the world’s fourth most important cereal crop, both regarding area of cultivation and in quantity of grain produced.

Barley grain yields have more than doubled over the past 50 years, with studies revealing more than 90% of this improvement can be

attributed to genetics.

Barley is the second most important crop in UK agriculture, and malting barley (some 30% of the total) underpins the beer and whisky sector, worth some £20 billion to the UK economy.

The IBSC was established in 2006 and includes scientists from Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Australia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.

The genome sequence and related resources are now accessible to the scientific community and private breeding companies for genetic analyses.

Shropshire potato grower joins AHDB Farm Excellence Platform Shropshire-based Heal Farms has become the latest addition to AHDB’s Strategic Potato (SPot) Farm family. he arable and poultry farm estate, which grows around 500 hectares of potatoes each year, will become the new home of SPot Farm West.

It will host a series of farm walks and open days, the first of which will be held on 6 June. There will also be a results day at the end of the year.

AHDB Strategic Farms harness the proven benefits of ‘farmer to farmer’ learning to accelerate the uptake of knowledge. They provide a platform for farmers to explore the potential for new technology and best practice to have an impact on their business, giving them the confidence to implement new ideas on their own farms.

Anne Stone, Knowledge

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Exchange Manager for AHDB Potatoes, who leads the SPot Farm West project, said: “Each farm has its own environment and challenges, so it is exciting to have an opportunity to see how effective the latest technology is when applied on Heal Farms’ Shropshire soils.”

Farms Director at Heal Farms, Matthew Wallace, said: “As a business, we are interested in improving productivity and the SPot Farm programme provides us with an opportunity to do that.

As well as working alongside researchers and experts, it will be interesting to hear about the approach taken by other growers in the West at the open days and farm walks.”

PCN control demonstrations There will be six technical demonstrations at the SPot Farm, all related to potato cyst nematode

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(PCN) control. PCN is the most important potato pest in Britain and has the potential to cause substantial yield losses. There will be a range of complementary measures demonstrated at Heal Farms, including resistant varieties, trap crops, biofumigation and nematicide regimes.

Speaking of a previous SPot farm event, Andy Goulding, Cheshire-based agronomist with Hutchinsons/CAS, said: “This event has been really insightful.

More growers should come along so they can challenge the research themselves but there’s certainly things I can take away from this and put in to practice for the benefit of my grower clients.”

Around 100 farms are part of AHDB’s wider Farm Excellence Platform, which inspires industry to improve performance and succeed through farmer to farmer

knowledge exchange. The programme includes the development of Strategic Farms and Monitor Farms across six agricultural sectors.

One of the host farmers from AHDB’s previous SPot Farm West, W B Daw and Sons, Sam Daw said of his time as a SPot farmer: “The experience was challenging, but ultimately rewarding. We had the opportunity to try new methods, using our own standard technology and with the support of expert scientists. We had two successful years.”

AHDB aims to inspire our farmers and growers to succeed in a rapidly changing world. One of our strategic priorities is accelerate innovation and productivity growth through coordinated research and knowledge exchange.

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| Energy

Farmers gearing up for UK AD & Biogas and World Biogas Expo 2017 On 5-6 July at the NEC in Birmingham, UK AD & Biogas and World Biogas Expo 2017 will bring the global biogas community together at the #1 global biogas trade show to explore how anaerobic digestion (AD) can support farmers in a post-CAP world through providing on-farm heat and power, green transport fuel, and organic biofertiliser. ncorporating AD into agriculture has the potential to deliver 15,000 regional jobs, £1bn in CO2 savings, and £0.11bn in avoided fertiliser imports. With agriculture currently accounting for 9% of UK emissions and farmers looking for ways to reduce their emissions while maintaining profitability, UK AD & Biogas and World Biogas Expo is the perfect event to find out what AD can do to support UK farmers.

Over 250 exhibitors throughout the combined event will be showcasing all the products and services required to commission, build and operate on-farm AD plants to recycle agricultural wastes, improve crop rotations, and provide electricity, heat, vehicle fuel and digestate biofertiliser for farm use, reducing input costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

AD operators will be able to discover the latest research and technological innovations emerging from the market, helping to maximise

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the efficiency and performance of your on-farm AD plant and ensuring you maintain a competitive advantage. The event will allow farmers and landowners from across the UK to benefit from the huge opportunities offered by this exciting industry and network with others to share knowledge and best practice.

The show will feature over 57 hours of content across a conference and two seminar rooms examining issues including: the role of AD in a post-CAP world; the impact of Brexit on farming; the benefits offered by AD for crop rotation and restoring the UK’s depleted soils; and how farmers can recycle their organic waste to produce on-site heat and electricity and green transport fuel for their farm vehicles.

Delegates will also have the opportunity to see an AD plant at first hand with our three site visits, which will take place on Tuesday 4 July.

The evening of Wednesday 5 July will see the sixth annual AD & Biogas Industry Awards, which will celebrate the best of the best in innovation and achievement across all sectors

of the AD and biogas industry, including awards for Best UK On-Farm AD Plant, Best International Agricultural Plant, and an award for Making The Most of Digestate.

We are delighted to announce our first keynote speaker for UK AD & Biogas and World Biogas Expo 2017 as Marc Sadler, Adviser on Risk and Markets in Agriculture at the World Bank. Marc, who regularly advises governments and supply-chain stakeholders on commodity markets, finance, logistics, trading, and risk management, will speak about how AD and biogas can help to support climate-smart farming worldwide.

Will all of the above to look forward to, this year's event promises to be bigger and better than ever and will be the biogas event to attend for the farming community this summer.

We look forward to seeing you there!

You can register to attend the event at adbioresources.org

HRS Heat Exchangers help Muntons close the loop HRS Heat Exchangers, Stand D501, UK AD & Biogas 2017. t UK AD & Biogas 2017, HRS Heat Exchangers will unveil how its pasteurisation technology with energy recovery is helping AD plant operator Muntons prevent almost 800 tonnes of CO2 emissions and save more than £2.5m in energy and disposal costs.

For prospective AD operators and developers, the showcase provides a unique opportunity to understand how Muntons and HRS have perfected a tried and tested closed-loop plant.

Visitors to the HRS stand will learn how the HRS 3 Tank Batch Sludge Pasteuriser System with Energy Recovery not only helps certify digestate (reassuring farmers of its quality), but importantly helps Muntons save up to 70% of the heat required for pasteurisation, by transferring energy from the hotter (pasteurised) sludge to the colder (unpasteurised) sludge.

Two years ago, Suffolk-based Muntons commissioned a £5.4m on-site anaerobic digestion (AD) plant, after analysis showed that 60% of the carbon footprint of its supply chain came from the artificial fertiliser used by its barley growers. The company understood that if a proportion of the liquid waste from the 180,000 tonnes of malt it produces every year was treated through AD, it could produce a high quality organic biofertiliser for its farmers to use instead: closing the loop from farm to fork & significantly reducing its carbon footprint.

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Now operating successfully for two years and cutting both costs and carbon, Muntons’ AD plant is also preventing 3,000 tanker movements per year and generating around 12% of the site’s electricity demand through the use of the HRS equipment.

Matt Hale, International Sales Manager at HRS comments: “Working with a company like Muntons to deliver a truly revolutionary waste treatment plant shows exactly what is possible in terms of implementing the circular economy.

Both in trials and in the fields, the biofertiliser is

demonstrating just what a valuable resource it is. We look forward to showing visitors to our stand how they can replicate the successful model being pioneered by Muntons.”

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 15

| Energy

AD operators see performance benefits with micronutrient technology As the Government pushes for more take up of Anaerobic Digesters to help achieve its 2020 carbon reduction targets, AD and biogas plant operators can ensure their own systems perform to maximum capacity with the help of OMEX. icensed operators are increasingly treating waste such as slurries and vegetable offcuts through AD for the production of both biological fertilisers and constantly generated renewable energy in the form of biogas, which can either be used on-site to reduce reliance on costly fossil fuels or sold as electricity under Government incentive initiatives like the Feed-In Tariff scheme.

It is rare for an AD plant to have the complete range of nutritional elements present for optimal bacterial growth and shortages of specific micronutrients, which are critical components of enzyme systems in the bacteria, often occur. This can mean that the digester plant and connected system do not run at full efficiency with a consequential loss of

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performance and output.

OMEX offer a complete nutritional package to prevent these deficiencies with their product range including bioavailable liquid trace element solutions, enzymes, micronutrient powder additives and active iron solutions all used in the anaerobic process to boost the availability of essential trace elements, help to improve bacterial performance and increase the methane content of biogas production. This helps commercial operators to run their Plants at optimum levels, maximising their revenue streams and return on investment through increased profits.

OMEXs’ support service includes a nutrient profiling service in their fully-equipped laboratory with analysis of plant influent, effluent and biomass, through which a nutrient solution will be recommended. Dependant on a

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plants’ individual requirements and operations, a tailor made micronutrient solution can be produced. OMEXs’ support service also includes onsite visits, constant aftercare and complete crop nutrition packages for onfarm ADs. As well as specialising in trace

element additives, OMEX Environmental Ltd also manufacture and supply a complete range of wastewater treatment solutions for anaerobic and aerobic systems as well as deicers and concrete ad-mixtures.

Visit www.omex.co.uk or email environmental@omex.co.uk

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| Energy

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May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 17

| Energy

You are invited to the UK’s destination event for sustainable business Back bigger and better for 2017 edie Live has introduced brand new topics, features and potential partners to make May 23-24 red letter days in your calendar. ddressing key issues head on, edie Live is the only event in the show calendar specifically engineered for energy, resource efficiency and sustainability

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decision makers, delivering a dynamic mix of content, support, sourcing and networking.

So, join thousands of sustainability, energy and resource professionals who are all there with one aim in mind - doing business better.

“From onsite generation, demand response and energy storage to the circular economy, electric vehicles, and the water retail market, sessions in the edie Live seminar theatres will showcase operational excellence, outlining not just the ‘what’ but the ‘how’.

Meanwhile, the Strategy and Innovation Conference programme is divided into four game-changing topics. From the policy landscape post-Brexit, to the power of partnerships, a tour of the future to the global megatrends, we’ll explore what a low-carbon world might look like and what that means for what business does here and now.”

Will Parsons, Content director, edie.net

Get your free pass at www.edie.events/farmingmonthly With industry-leading speakers across four theatres, world-class technology and solutions providers, thousands of sustainability and energy professionals from businesses in all sectors and two days in which to see it all, picking a top three from this year’s show is almost impossible. With so much to see over two days, here are the edie team's tips for helping you plan your visit and maximise your time at the show.

View the full agenda, exhibitor

list, advice clinics plus more at www.edie.events/farmingmonthly • 100 + suppliers • Discover innovative solutions and services to make your budgets work smarter • 35 + free seminars • Navigate your way through the latest industry jargon, topics and trends • 16 free advice clinics • Meet our experts and pinpoint your future strategy • 2,800 visitors • Network with thousands of peers, share experiences and benchmark your performance

Visit edie LIVE 23-24 May 2017 at NEC Birmingham

“One of the best features of the show is the huge variety of potential partners and suppliers you meet on the show floor, from the top names to the cutting edge, with advice and support on everything from legislative compliance to emerging technologies.

Plus, one-to-one advice clinics, business leadership, procurement support and hundreds of technology and service providers on the show floor who can help you hit your targets and transform your operations.”

David Griffiths, Business development director, edie.net

“At edie Live, you’ll find unrivalled networking opportunities with thousands of energy and sustainability professionals and the welcome reassurance that you’re not alone on your journey to driving smarter sustainability for your business.

Meet with the UK’s leading brands, including Nestlé, Vodafone, Gatwick Airport, Uber, plus many more.”

Hannah Styles, Brand marketing exec, edie Live

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| Energy

Are you ready for the summer heat before it gets here….?

Protect your livestock from overheating by investing in an affordable evaporative cooler or ventilator. Animals need protecting from solar heat and need to keep hydrated to be comfortable and healthy. ans - Traditional circulation fans are often installed to enhance air velocity when livestock are indoors, however these fans are not necessarily the most effective option. They work to increase air speed using old recycled air which is already available within the space, which ultimately spreads germs and bacteria at a much faster rate and doesn’t actually cool the animal as the temperature of the air has not been lowered just recirculated. This could be incredibly damaging to stock during a bird flu or foot and mouth outbreak by increasing the spread of infected air particles.

Evaporative Cooling - Switching to evaporative cooling can provide great benefits, not only does it lower the temperature of the air (by pushing it over saturated CELDek pads) to keep animals cool and hydrated, it also uses clean fresh air from outside and actively removes the old exhaust air, minimizing the possibility for cross contamination. Excessive heat exasperation can lead to a decrease in productivity for many animals; research confirms that cows produce the most milk when they are kept in a cool and comfortable

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climate, similarly chickens lay more eggs when they are kept cool and hydrated.

Ventilation – For those months which aren’t scorching many farmers are turning to ventilation, similarly to the evaporative cooler, the ventilator works by bringing in fresh outdoor air and extracts old exhaust air. This is a much more effective approach in comparison to traditional recirculation fans and also minimizes the possibility of disease. For unpredictable times when birds are at risk of avian influenza and poultry is required to stay inside an effective evaporative cooler or ventilator should be installed, to mirror their usual outdoor environment to ensure productivity. These require minimum maintenance.

Energy Efficiency - Fresh Air Cooling with EcoCooling can provide a 3m3/s or cool a 30kW load from 1kW of power at a cost of under 14p per hour and temperatures will never exceed 23°C on the hottest of days.

The in-house R&D department works to incorporate the latest energy efficient technologies into all product ranges ensuring our clients have some of the most innovative ventilation and cooling systems in the world.

This focus on innovation has also resulted in EcoCooling holding a number of patents for fresh air technologies.

Our complimentary in-house design consultancy service capitalises on our vast industry experience to work closely with consultants and clients to design the most efficient systems possible.

For more information on our cooling options please contact sales@ecocooling.org or call 01284 810 586 See us at Edie Live Stand No: N25 Webite: www.ecocooling.org

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 19

| Grassland

Pirtek Cambridge Tel: 01223 835222 Pirtek Derby Tel: 01332 205000 Pirtek Harlow Tel: 01279 427300 20 | Farming Monthly | May 2017

Pirtek Luton Pirtek Penrith Pirtek Preston

Tel: 01582 597050 Tel: 01768 210055 Tel: 01772 620111 www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Grassland

Innovation abounds at Grassland & Muck New machinery, equipment and innovative products are always a big draw at the Grassland & Muck Event, and this year promises plenty of exclusive new launches. ith more than £20m of machinery and equipment on display and in working demonstrations, there will be something to delight every visitor, from new tractors and muck spreaders to grass measuring equipment and forage harvesters.

Visitors will also be able to compare new grass varieties growing side-by-side, examine time-saving silage sheeting and check out near infra-red forage analysis technology.

In the working machinery area John Deere will be making its UK public working demonstration debut with three new launches: The 6250R tractor with its awardwinning CommandPRO joystick, the premium C441R wrapping baler and the innovative Manure Sensing system.

The light, powerful 6250R tractor features an AutoPowr transmission and develops up to 300hp with Intelligent Power Management. It will be equipped with a triple mower conditioner, with the new high capacity baler in action later in the day.

Developed to meet the requirements of contractors and larger livestock farms, the new C441R baler boasts improved performance in both heavy, wet grass crops and dry straw, so is now a true all-rounder with a 15% faster wrapping arm.

Completing the trio will be the new Manure Sensing system, fitted to a Joskin slurry tanker in the muck demonstration area. It is designed to adjust slurry application rates to match field conditions, increasing crop yields while minimising input costs.

Complementing this drive to help farmers make the most of

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their organic manures and nutrients is the revised RB209 – now called the Nutrient Management Guide. The new guide features updated recommendations on nutrient supply and demand, and will include digestate for the first time this year. “Having led the Livestock Technical Working Group through the revision process I can say that everyone can be really confident about using the recommendations,” says Gloucestershire farmer Paul Westaway. “RB209 is now much more straightforward to use.”

Back in the working demonstrations, Pottinger’s new IMPRESS round balers will be making their UK debut. With a new design of both fixed and variable chamber balers, they boast a chopping unit with up to 32 knives, fed by the unique LIFTUP rotor technology to ensure consistent chop length.

When it comes to transporting crops, Continental Soil Technology’s Krampe Bandit trailer can be seen for the first time, with its belt floor offering true grain proof handling and horizontal unloading of produce that is both fast and gentle on crops.

Quicke’s new Q-Series front loader – which is set to revolutionise and digitalise tractor loader handling – will also be in action for the first time, offering 30% better operator vision. In addition, the Q-Companion will be on display, comprising two position and two pressure sensors, says the firm’s Graham Gould. “Loader status monitoring allows you to keep track of the position, angle and remaining lifting capacity,” he explains. “It can also calculate the weight lifted, so you can weigh the amount of feed or a bale that you’re

carrying.”

In the growing grass plots, Germinal will be showing off the benefits of high protein forage crops and launching the latest Aber high sugar grass varieties to be included on the Recommended Grass and Clover List, which will also be unveiled at the event.

“Opportunities to increase homegrown protein production exist on a large majority of livestock farms,” says Germinal’s Ben Wixey. “There are many crops that can exceed 20% crude protein, so the headline advantage is to cut feeding costs by reducing reliance on expensive bought-in sources such as soya.”

Energy costs are also under the spotlight, with Graham Heath Construction and the Mikhno Group unveiling their steel framed

Adult Student RASE member

eco-buildings with integral rooftop photovoltaic solar panels to reduce electricity bills by up to 60%.

“Whether you’re looking for new livestock handling facilities, feeding equipment or nutritional advice, you are sure to find it at Grassland & Muck 2017,” says event organiser Alice Bell. “With more than 250 exhibitors covering the full range of technical advice, inputs and machinery; from seed to feed, it could be the most valuable day in your calendar.”

To find out about more product launches at Grassland & Muck visit the website www.grasslandevent.co.uk/whatsnew

Advance £19 £18 £9.5

On the day £23 £23 £11.50

Opening times: Wednesday 24th May 8.30am – 5pm (muck area opens at 9am) Thursday 25th May 8.30am – 4pm (muck area opens at 9am) Directions: Grassland & Muck is located on the edge of Stoneleigh Park, Adjacent to the A46 with easy access to the motorway network.

Please follow all directional traffic signs to the car park on B4115.

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Nutrient management reviewed Visitors to Grassland & Muck 2017 will be the first to get access to the AHDB Nutrient Management Guide (RB209). The publication that is being launched at the event will be available at the AHDB stand (323).

98,000 project to review the current Fertiliser Manual RB209 was overseen by the AHDB-led UK Partnership for Crop Nutrient Management and delivered by an ADAS-led consortium of experts from across the UK research community. It was supported by £200,000-worth of in-kind funding by industry.

The 2016 review, which took account of the latest research developments since 2009, was split into six distinct themed work packages: principles of crop nutrient management; organic materials; grass and forage; cereals and oilseeds; potatoes and horticulture.

Farmers, growers, agronomists, breeders, researchers, fertiliser companies and other industry experts were among those consulted on how existing RB209 recommendations could be improved to incorporate the latest scientific advances.

Paul Westaway, who chairs the livestock technical working group, said: “We are particular proud of the changes to the nitrogen recommendations for grass as we have made them simpler to use and focused on what yield farmers need to produce to maximise home grown grass and forage in diets.

“For farmers and growers producing and using organic materials, the updated figures in the organic materials section will be very useful when calculating their nutrient and financial values.”

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New format RB209 offers best practice guidance in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on application of mineral fertilisers, manures and slurries to crops and grassland. The most recent edition was published by Defra in 2010.

The updated edition will be split into seven colour-coded sections, so users can cherry-pick relevant information and individual sections can be updated more easily to reflect the latest research.

Key changes for farmers growing grass and forage crops • Nutrient recommendations for grass and forage crops are now presented in Section 3 with the inclusion of guidance on how to use the field assessment method to calculate Soil Nitrogen Supply • Grassland nitrogen recommendations have been revised to focus on target yield of grass production without linking to particular animal production systems (dairy, beef or sheep), milk yield, stocking rate or concentrate use.

• The number of tables have been significantly reduced and simpler to use • Whole season nitrogen requirements and nitrogen application sequences are provided separately for cutting and grazing situations • total nitrogen recommendations can be adjusted according to Soil Nitrogen Supply (SNS), Grass Growth Class (GGC) and seasonal rainfall • No changes have been made to phosphate and potash recommendations for grazing, silage

or hay systems • The recommendations for nitrogen use in autumn grass establishment has been increased • Minimum changes have been made to nutrient recommendations for maize and wholecrop silages • The nutrient recommendations for swedes, turnips, rape and kale have been altered to reflect more grazing in-situ, so fewer nutrients are being removed off the field • The nutrient recommendations for fodder beet have been increased as higher yields are being targeted Key changes for farmers using organic materials • Nutrient values for organic materials are now presented in Section 2 • Nutrient content figures have been added for goat farmyard manure and farm-sourced and food-based anaerobic digestate, while digested liquid biosolids have been removed • Nutrient content figures have been updated for horse, cattle, sheep and duck farmyard manure, cattle and pig slurry, biosolids and compost • Sulphur availability from organic materials have been updated • Nutrient content of poultry manure is presented according to dry matter content • These changes mean that calculations for organic materials are becoming more accurate For the latest information on RB209, visit ahdb.org.uk/rb209

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| Grassland

You know it’s the best here’s how Secure Covers reduce waste Secure Covers have been specifically designed as protective silage covers. he knitted interlocked construction not only protects silage sheets from bird damage but also holds silage sheets in place, reducing surface spoilage. They work because of their flexibility and wind diffusing effect.

Secure Covers are more flexible than woven covers, closely following the contours of the silage clamp, keeping the silage sheet in place and preventing aerobic

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spoilage.

These covers have a greater wind diffusing effect than woven covers resulting in a greater resistance to ‘wind lift’, keeping the silage sheet in place even on windy days. This is due to a combination of:• The 3-dimensional structure of knitted Secure Covers is much more complex than a woven silage cover.

• They are rougher than woven covers.

• They have a greater Void

Volume (the free space within the cover).

Don’t just take our word for how effective Secure Covers are. Stuart Harvey of Drum Farm, Dumfries has taken top spot in the NMR Annual Production Report for the second successive year. Stuart considers that “Secure Covers help us get the best out of our silage. We have tried others but Secure Covers are easier to put on, do not slip and will not lift in the wind.”

These covers can be used to cover and protect silage clamps, big bale stacks and forage bags.

They are designed to give years of

use and come with a 10 year UV guarantee. This is a FULL money back guarantee and does not decrease with time.

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 23

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Grassland survey shows science pays Farmers are taking a more measured and scientific approach to their grassland, leading to reduced fertiliser usage, but there is still plenty more that they can do, according to new survey results. rganised by the Grassland & Muck Event, the survey reveals that more farmers are analysing their soil and manure than ever before, with

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an increasing proportion also taking professional advice on variety choice. However, there is still a huge opportunity for farmers to make more of their grassland, with only 14% regularly measuring grass growth and 29% still not

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producing a nutrient or manure management plan.

“The last time we conducted this survey was in 2011, and it’s encouraging to see how farmers’ attitudes have changed,” says Alice Bell, head of technical events and organiser of Grassland & Muck. “Of particular note is a more scientific approach to manure and slurry usage: 14% of respondents now use laboratory analysis against 9% in 2011 and the proportion basing nutrient content on personal assumption has dropped 37% to 20%.”

As a result, 29% of respondents have reduced nitrogen fertiliser usage, 24% are using less phosphate and 21% have cut potash applications. “The cost savings from making better use of manure are considerable,” says Ms Bell. “But it’s also interesting to note that between 15% and 19% of farmers have increased fertiliser use, based on soil analysis, to improve grass quality and yield.”

Even so, there’s plenty more that farmers can do to exploit the true potential of their grassland, warns Nigel Hester, area manager at Yara. “Many are still not soil testing frequently enough, measuring grass yields or investing in the best grass varieties where an effective balanced crop nutrition programme will help achieve high yields of nutritious forage.”

Some 70% of respondents admitted to never measuring their grass, and 14% said they never tested their soils. However, on the plus side, 62% said they do test their soils every five years or less, with the majority reseeding leys every six years or less. “The top

reasons for reseeding are poor silage crop or low yield (49%), rotation (37%) and weeds (33%),” says Ms Bell.

“Many are still not soil testing frequently enough, measuring grass yields or investing in the best grass varieties where an effective balanced crop nutrition programme will help achieve high yields of nutritious forage.”

The number of producers using the Recommended List when selecting grass and clover varieties has increased slightly to 46%, with those taking agronomist’s advice up from 31% to 36%. “This suggests that farmers are paying more attention to variety selection – in fact, the proportion who simply choose the variety they grew before has halved, to just over 6%.”

Interestingly, considerably more farmers than before are spreading slurry and manure on arable land – 49% compared to 34% in 2011.

“Arable producers are increasingly turning to more traditional methods to combat rising input costs and falling soil organic matter,” explains John Williams, principal soil scientist at ADAS. “Many are now opting to return grass and livestock to the enterprise mix, which is something that we will be exploring in more detail at this year’s Grassland & Muck Event.”

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| Grassland

Spotlight on soils at Grassland & Muck Compaction is a serious problem in many grassland soils, but attempting to cure it could be hazardous if the underlying drainage is failing, experts have warned. round 70% of UK pasture is suffering from degradation, with 10% severely compacted, leading to poor grass yields and limiting access to land following rainfall. However, farmers who are considering alleviating such compaction should check the field drains are working first, or they could be wasting their time.

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“The most common problem with drainage systems is when the outfalls aren’t kept clear – so dig out your ditches and check for running water from the outfalls after rainfall”

According to ADAS experts who will be running the soil and nutrient advice clinic at this year’s Grassland & Muck Event, productive soils need to be both well drained and well structured; the two are closely interlinked. “I

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go to many sites where people have enough or even more drainage than they really need, but the soil is too compacted for water to pass through to reach the drains,” says Kirk Hill, drainage specialist at ADAS. “On the other hand, there is no point subsoiling if the drainage isn’t working; you could cause more damage than you relieve.”

The key is to identify where there may be soil or drainage problems, and then take the correct action to alleviate them.

Signs of compaction or inadequate drainage can include standing water, weeds and poor yields, so farmers should dig a soil pit in these areas, says soil specialist Dr Paul Newell-Price.

The pit should be at least 60cm deep, and farmers should then look at the soil structure and colour as well as root depth and presence of earth worms.

To learn more about such telltale signs, visitors to the Grassland & Muck Event will be able to get below ground level in the soil pit, to examine the soil profile and identify problem areas. “Half of the

soil pit will have been compacted, and visitors can also see a sward lifter, aerator and drum-type loosening equipment in situ, to find out at what depth they work best,” says Dr Newell-Price.

In addition, visitors can bring a photo of their own soil profile and a soil sample to discuss with ADAS experts (stand 906), as well as recent soil and manure analysis results.

Around 6.4m ha of agricultural land in England and Wales has been drained with pipe systems in the past, but many have not been maintained and about 60% of soils would benefit from repairing or replacing the drainage, says Mr Hill. Many farmers will hold historic drainage plans, or may be able to access them through the local drainage contractor, but where they are not available the best option is to look at aerial photos, walk the field, and clear drainage ditches to look for outfalls.

“The most common problem with drainage systems is when the outfalls aren’t kept clear – so dig out your ditches and check for running water from the outfalls

after rainfall,” he explains. “It may be that you only need to replace the final metre or two where the outfalls have silted up or collapsed.”

Different soils have different drainage needs – which will also depend on the average rainfall in the area, says Mr Hill. “However, changing weather patterns have put the spotlight back on drainage.

We’re getting more intensive storms, leading to increased risk of soil erosion and loss of soil organic matter. Better soil management and drainage will reduce these losses and result in less soil drought, waterlogging and nutrient loss.”

The value of well drained, wellstructured soils is considerable, adds Dr Newell-Price. “Healthy soils will be more resilient to adverse weather, produce higher yields, and have a longer grazing season. You’ll also have better uptake of nutrients and more timely field operations. Everything starts below ground – if you don’t get your soil right your seeds and other inputs will be wasted.”

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 25

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Major tanker aids in Plan grazing to make the promoting grass growth most from grass To ensure compliance with environmental regulations and get the most from his slurry, Powys farmer Gary Orrells purchased a Major 2300 Alpine tanker with a 6.4m trailing shoe system from local dealer Teme Valley Tractors Ltd.

he Major tanker is part of our approach to providing nutrition to the grass while being more in touch with the environment,” he says. In just a few months of use, the 2,300-gallon tanker and trailing shoe system has confirmed to Mr Orrells the benefits of this method of placing slurry. “The accuracy of spread is excellent,” he says, “the grass receives the nutrient right where it needs it and does not coat the leaves, preventing grass growth. We can do the 2nd and 3rd cut of silage with no problems of grass contamination.”

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The tanker and trailing shoe system are good for suppressing odours from fields, allowing a wider application window to get slurry down when the grass needs it. “We really like the dropped axle on the Alpine tanker,” says Mr Orrells, “as it allows us to access areas of our farm that we wouldn’t dream of bringing any other slurry tanker.”

Mr Orrells believes his investment in the Major tanker and trailing shoe is a long term sound investment for his farm’s sustainable future. For more information visit www.majorequipment.com

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Beef producers could learn a lot from their dairy counterparts by making better use of grass, and substantially improve profitability as a result. Grazed grass costs just £57/t of dry matter, according to AHDB figures, compared with up to £140/t for a 16% protein cattle ration – and visitors to the Grassland & Muck Event can find out how to make the most of this low cost feed. peakers in the popular forum programme include Matt House – who has switched the beef herd to rotational grazing at Bowden Farms, Templecombe, Somerset. “Dairy farmers have been utilising grass to the maximum for years, but the beef industry has been slower to take this up,” he says. “There are low returns in the beef sector, so we need to do something different to cut our costs.”

Mr House is taking part in AHDB Beef & Lamb’s ‘beef from grass’ project, which has involved soil sampling and setting up a nutrient management plan on the farm. He has switched to yearround rotational grazing, moving

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the cows every 24-48 hours. He monitors grass growth on a weekly basis, using the data to generate a growth and demand profile.

“This allows us to make the best use of the grass, whether for grazing or conservation,” he says.

“Moving to a year-round grazing system has been a steep learning curve but has saved on feed, fuel and labour and is the best thing I could have done.”

Of course, it’s not just beef producers who can make more of their grass: There is plenty of room for dairy farmers to boost efficiencies too. Kingshay data highlights that the top 25% of dairy producers achieve 2,530 litres per cow more from forage than the bottom quartile.

Either way, the same grass management principles apply,

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| Grassland

says Sarah Pick, scientific officer at AHDB Beef & Lamb. The first step is to plan the grazing season: Calculate how much grass is available, set up a rotation and keep a close eye on grass growth rates. “Identify which fields are producing the most grass and coincide your rotation with that.

Good infrastructure will ease management.”

It is also important to calculate how many cattle the grazing platform can support. While mid-

pregnancy cows need to be allocated 1.5% of their body weight in dry matter intake per day, late lactation cows should eat 2% of their body weight. Early to mid-lactation cows need 2.5% and growing cattle should have 3% per day. An average weight, number of stock in the group and area available need to be used as part of the calculation to plan stocking.

The ideal time to turn stock out is when pasture reaches 2,500kg/ha of dry matter; around

ankle height, says Miss Pick.

“When grass grows past this, utilisation and feed quality drops rapidly.” Ideally, farmers should then take this pasture out of the rotation and shut it up for silage.

Cows should graze down to about 1,500kg DM/ha (around 4 cm), and be moved to fresh pasture at regular intervals. If there is too little grass, cattle will be forced to eat lower, which will prevent regrowth, so farmers should consider supplementary

feeding where grass growth is insufficient.

Nutrition is key both to grass growth and quality, and the revised RB209 nutrient guide is being released at Grassland & Muck to help farmers get the most out of farmyard manure and slurries, says Miss Pick. “As a guide, the maximum usage of nitrogen for grass silage is 2.5kg/day of active growth, so 50 days between application and cutting would require 125kg/ha of N.”

Prize-winning grass varieties boost productivity and reduce environmental impact of agriculture IBERS develops new grass varieties that require less fertiliser, improve production per animal, and improve the efficiency with which ruminant animals utilise the nitrogen in their diets.

mproving the sugar content in grasses results in improved efficiency of plant protein conversion, providing an economic benefit to farmers through improved feed conversion and an environmental benefit through reduced nitrogen pollution.

More than ten high sugar perennial ryegrass varieties have been produced by IBERS, including AberGreen, AberZeus, AberBite, AberChoice, AberSweet, AberMagic, AberStar, AberDart, AberAvon and AberZest and a hybrid ryegrass AberEcho, all of which have been successfully added to recommended lists in UK and elsewhere in the world.

In 2015 AberGreen was the winner of the NIAB Variety Cup. In

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addition, five further varieties have been entered into UK national list trials. A partnership between IBERS and Germinal Holdings, the UK owned forage and grass seed production and wholesale marketing and distribution company, has enabled these varieties to be made widely available to all UK farmers.

The impact of high sugar grasses on the livestock sector has been significant. High sugar ryegrass varieties bred at IBERS have been shown to increase milk production by up to 6% more milk per cow over grazing season, and for beef, contribute to a 18-35% higher daily live weight gain. In the lamb sector, high sugar grasses have led to a 10-15% higher daily live weight gains with a 20% higher carrying capacity of swards containing the HSG varieties.

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| Events

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| Grassland

New front mounted tank option at Grassland At this year’s Grassland & Muck event, PFC will be launching a new front carrier system for its recently introduced 300 Series Automatic Applicator and Electronic Manual High Output applicator systems. he new fully galvanised front carrier is manufactured in the UK and designed to carry either a 410 or a 420 litre preservative tank. This has the benefit that for round and small square balers, which would normally have 100, 200 or 210 capacity tanks, this enables a far larger capacity tank to be used, resulting in more time baling and less time lost due to refilling.

The new carrier also reduces the weight load on the baler and its convenient position and the ability to lower the frame to the ground, means that accessing the tank for refilling is far easier, safer and quicker.

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The traditional limit for untreated hay is 15% moisture The new front carrier is ideal for use in conjunction with the new Electronic Manual High Output applicator, which is suitable for use both with silage additives and inoculants, as well as the Baler’s Choice buffered hay and straw preservative. In addition to the tank, the frame also carries the pump and pump controller meaning that the only component mounted on the baler is the spray bar above the baler intake, which can be quickly swapped

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between balers or trailed foragers.

Where the front frame is used with the new 300 Series Automatic Applicator system, again the tank and pump system are carried on the frame. However the ECU that controls the whole automatic system, taking in readings from the moisture sensors located in the bale chamber, is mounted on the baler, from where it also transmits data to the iPad based control terminal in the cab using Bluetooth.

The PFC complete range of automatic and manual electronic applicators lead the way in applying preservative and inoculants products to baled crops. The premium buffered preservative enables hay and straw to be baled at crop moisture contents of up to a maximum of 30%, but without dust and moulds developing. The traditional limit for untreated hay is 15% moisture.

The new Electronic Manual High Output applicator is ideal for use with fixed and variable chamber round balers, and high capacity big square balers. The Electronic Manual system is used to apply a constant rate as set by the operator and is capable of not only applying high volume rates of silage and haylage additives and inoculants, but an upgrade also enables it to be used to apply premium buffered propionic acid to hay and straw, so ensuring all-year round use and optimum return on investment.

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 29

| Cereals

Tickets on sale for Cereals Event 2017 Tickets are now on sale for this year’s Cereals Event (14-15 June) with visitors able to save by booking in advance. s this is the event’s 40th anniversary, it promises to be a celebration of all things arable, bringing together nearly 500 exhibitors to showcase the latest machinery, crop and business developments.

“Arable farmers use Cereals as a one-stop shop to inform their decision making yearround,” says event director Jon Day. “Last year half of Cereals visitors were farm owners or managers, with more than 20% of those responsible for over 1,000 hectares. We’re proud to say visitors come back year after year, whether it’s for the latest technical information, to review and compare machinery or simply for networking – Cereals delivers. ” Spanning over 64ha on a working farm and attracting over 24,000 visitors every year, Cereals is a hotspot for arable innovation.

Visitors can expect everything from advice on how to boost returns with specialist crops, and working demonstrations of cultivation equipment to the latest cutting edge technology in Syngenta’s Sprays and Sprayers

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Area and the Drone Zone.

“Visitors have access to some really unique exhibits at Cereals,” says Mr Day. “The Soil Pit is just one example, where farmers get to go ‘underground’ to look at crops below the soil surface and seek advice on a variety of issues from compaction to crop nutrition.”

With so much to see, it can be hard for visitors to plan their day, so this year the event is introducing Knowledge Trails, making it easier to pinpoint exhibitors covering hot topics like blackgrass, oilseed rape and precision farming.

For those wanting to keep up with the latest industry news, the Arable Conference will be featuring a series of debates and seminars with themes ranging from farming without glyphosate to Brexit.

Crowds will also be drawn to Syngenta’s Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year (FSOOTY) final, featuring a Question Time session with the finalists headed up by application specialist, James Thomas.

“FSOOTY is an opportunity to share knowledge and learn from the experiences of

other entrants,” says Mr Thomas. “The session will give visitors the chance to quiz the country’s top sprayer operators for their topical tips and best practice advice to get the best results from every application.”

Jono Dixon, Yorkshire farmer and #clubhectare founder, is a regular visitor to Cereals and says it’s an event well worth attending. “From financial advice to looking at the crop demonstration site; the abundance of new machines and the sprayer demo area - it is very useful for gleaning almost any information you require,” he says.

“The arable conferences are well worth attending and it’s a good idea to keep an eye on pre-show advertising to see what is being discussed, as most conferences are popular and you won't get a seat. The final of FSOOTY is also a real crowd puller.”

Tickets are now on sale via the website www.cerealsevent.co.uk/tickets and visitors can use the promocode CEREALS17TOS to save over 15% on tickets.

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| Events

Farmstar Limited Marr, Doncaster DN5 7AU T: 01302 786786

Market Weighton,York YO43 3GA T: 01430 875900 Brigg, North Lincs DN2 8NF T: 01652 654944 www.farmstar.co.uk

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Robert D Webster Ltd Owstwick, Hull HU12 0LH T: 01964 670251

Goole, N. Humberside DN14 7DZ T: 01430 430624 Driffield, E. Yorkshire YO25 4RF T: 01262 420226 www.robertdwebster.co.uk

Andrew Symons South Moulton, Devon EX36 3LZ T: 01769 574455 Holsworthy, Devon EX22 6HL T: 01409 254040 www.andrewsymons.co.uk

Sharnford Tractors Ltd Lutterworth, Leicestershire LE17 5EH T: 01455 209300 www.manitou.co.uk

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| Cereals

Compact Solitair 9 Trailed Drill from LEMKEN LEMKEN has put its wealth of experience in pneumatic drill technology into the development of the CompactSolitair drill range. ith a tank capacity of 4,500 litres on the hydraulic folding models and 3500 on the rigid machines the Compact-Solitair provides extremely high capability in the field.

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Working parameters such as working depth, rotor speed, tine position and forward travel speed can be individually adjusted The double disc and press wheel technology with the choice of OptiDisc or OptiDisc ‘M’ double disc coulter, with depth guide roller, applies up to 70 kilograms of coulter pressure to each coulter unit.

This system offers distinct advantages to seed placement in the soil. The choice of discs or

power harrow cultivation section ensures Compact-Solitair can be tailored precisely to the growers needs.

Min Till drilling capability The Heliodor compact disc harrow used in the Compact Solitair ‘H’ consists of two rows of wear-resistant, notched concave discs. With 465 mm diameter discs they are individually attached to ensure perfect matching to the soil profile. The angle of the discs, in relation to direction of travel and the vertical serves to ensure both an excellent and uniform mixing process. For intensive cultivation at high drilling speed, the Heliodor concave discs are mounted in two rows offset to each other with a line spacing of 125 mm.

Whether seedbeds are to be prepared rapidly or intensively the Compact Solitair machine with the Zirkon 12 power harrow can be adjusted in terms of intensity to suit the soil requirements. Working parameters such as working depth, rotor speed, tine position

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and forward travel speed can be individually adjusted to ensure optimum soil cultivation.

The tyre packer roller with offset wheels of 1,064 mm diameter supports the full working width via the roller helping to ensure excellent reconsolidation of the soil while also significantly reducing the draft requirement of the machine.

The option of a trapeze packer roller, located directly behind the tyre packer, firms the soil directly in line with the seed rows.

The versatile range of applications of the CompactSolitair provides for high profitability of this drill combination. The standardised three-point linkage connecting the coulter bar to the machine ensures that the switch from a coulter bar

to a precision drill can be performed quickly and easily. The seed hopper can then serve as a fertiliser tank.

LEMKEN Solitronic in cab controls provides comfort and convenience to the operator, with the integrated headland management system reducing operator workload at the headland. Combine this with ISOBUS compatibility allowing the drill to be operated through an ISOBUS enabled tractor brings added comfort to the operator.

The LEMKEN Compact-Solitair product range includes both rigid versions with three and four metre working widths, as well as folding drill combinations with a six metre working width. For more info visit www.lemken.com or contact uksales@lemken.com

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| Cereals

This year sees the 70th anniversary of Perry of Oakley Ltd They are proud to be the UK’s most experienced manufacturer of materials handling & drying equipment, winners of the Solids Handling and Processing Association (SHAPA) Exporter of the Year award and also be recognised as one of the top 100 SMEs in the country. o why have Perry achieved these accolades? Their specialist team of engineers and sales staff work alongside local grain handling dealers, to design, install & maintain everything from full turn-key solutions through to one-off pieces of machinery for farms, commercial grain stores, seed plants, flaking & feed mills, biomass handling & drying systems and much more.

Perry value their customers and ensure they respond quickly to their needs. They boast over 90% customer retention, over 95% of on time deliveries, offer a market leading money back guarantee and have the largest spares inventory in the country.

Perry of Oakley Ltd have released a new & improved continuous mixed flow grain drier, the Savannah Series. It has the same great performance as the M series, but with big

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improvements in energy efficiency & practicality. It is an industrial specification drier, at affordable prices. Our handling equipment is capable of capacities from 8tph (agricultural specification) to 1000tph (industrial specification) and includes elevators, chain and flight conveyors, augers/screw conveyors,

aspirator pre-cleaners & much more. As well as the Savannah Series drier Perry manufacture a belt drier which is suitable for drying Biomass and any non-granular product. All equipment is designed and manufactured in our purposebuilt factory in the South West of England.

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 33

| Cereals

Cereals helps farmers to Brexit-proof their business The whole country is aware of Brexit, but there is precious little knowledge as to what it actually means for farm businesses. However, with Article 50 officially triggered, 2020 looming and Teresa May’s recent call for an election adding another level of uncertainty, ensuring farm businesses are as resilient and Brexit-proof as possible has never been so important - and this year’s Cereals Event will show you how. rom concerns over trade deals to questions over available chemical treatments, there’s no doubt that Brexit will have a huge impact.

While the future is uncertain, what is guaranteed is that there is a unique opportunity ahead.

Knowing the best way to manage change – while being prepared for both the best and worst case scenarios - can be difficult. Helping farmers get to the core of the issue, this year’s Cereals Event (14-15 June) is introducing a ‘Brexit-proof your Business’ Knowledge Trail, flagging up the most relevant exhibitors and seminars to visit.

“We’re proud of the fact there’s so much to do at Cereals, but visitors often say it’s hard to see everything they want to in just one day,” says event organiser Jon Day. “This year we’ve introduced Knowledge Trails, to flag up exhibitors relating to a specific theme and show them on a map –

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allowing visitors to make the most of their Cereals experience.”

As political leaders negotiate the next steps Lloyds Bank will feature on this year’s Knowledge Trail, offering advice to farmers on how to prepare for what is ahead.

“Our number one tip is don’t put your head in the sand; think now how Brexit might affect your business,” explains the firm’s Ben Makowiecki. “Particularly look at aspects like commodity prices, subsidy payments, labour and finance costs.”

From a practical perspective, farmers need to budget for the worst-case scenario then consider what steps need to be taken to improve the situation, he adds.

“We advise to really think about existing finances: What happens if the base rate increases? It’s also worth considering what debt farmers may need to expand or change their business post-2020.”

The Arable Conference – in association with De Lacy Executive - at this year’s event will play host to two Brexit themed debates.

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Starting proceedings on the Wednesday (14 June) is a panel session on ‘Brexit, what does the future hold?’ Speakers are set to include the Secretary of State and NFU president Meurig Raymond as well as representatives from the Agricultural Industries Confederation (David Caffall) and Agricultural Engineers Association.

Wednesday will also see a practical session at the Arable Conference, looking at how evidence-based production could play a critical role as UK farming builds for a more sustainable future.

The discussions don’t stop there - AHDB will be hosting a series of debates to explore the threats and opportunities facing the arable sector. Among these will be a ‘Are you ready for 2020?’ discussion (12:30, both days), headed up by AHDB lead analyst Jack Watts. He will look at some key resilience-building steps that businesses can take ahead of the UK leaving the EU. The debate will feature alongside a ‘Brexit bucket

list’ exhibit to raise awareness of key questions to be considered by farming businesses ahead of Brexit.

“EU market access, import competition in the domestic market, and post-Brexit farm support policy are all key themes for the UK arable industry,” explains Mr Watts. “Given all the uncertainty, businesses may be tempted to take a ‘wait and see’ approach. But there are proactive steps businesses can take to put them on the front foot and in a stronger position to cope with, and even capitalise on, change.”

Other exhibitors featuring on the Knowledge Trail include: • CLA - looking at the impacts of Brexit and putting support measures in place that landowners, farmers or those working in rural businesses need to manage and protect interests.

• Brown & Co – offering its ‘Fit for the Future’ strategic property and business review service, helping farm businesses adapt to change.

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| Cereals

18 CPD points up for grabs at Cereals Farming is an incredibly technical industry, demanding excellent business skills alongside extensive practical knowledge and scientific understanding. As professional demands increase, both new entrants and established farmers need to keep up to date – and they can do exactly that at this year’s Cereals Event. hether accruing points for a spraying certificate, learning about full-time university courses or seeking out prospective employers, there is something for everyone at the event - with the biggest names in the industry on hand and 29 organisations offering BASIS and NRoSO points.

“There are a lot of invaluable opportunities to meet and speak to the right people at Cereals,” says Katie Hardy from Newcastle University.

“We always have other companies coming to our stand looking for graduates to fill job roles and so we definitely recommend that students bring their CV to the event – you never know who you may get talking to.”

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“Once again, the NRoSO team are delighted to support members to capture evidence of their ongoing CPD and commitment to responsible pesticide use” Agriculture is enjoying a resurgence in interest among the younger generation, drawn by the variety of careers on offer, from cuttingedge computer science and mechanical engineering to agronomy and farm business

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management. “Agriculture employs over 475,000 people and contributes around £24 billion of revenues to the UK economy,” says Jon Day, Cereals’ event director. “It is an increasingly professional industry and it’s only right that we reflect that.”

With education being such an integral part of the event, Cereals is delighted to announce that Harper Adams University is the official education partner. With both organisations being dedicated to the future of agriculture, the partnership is a natural fit, says the University’s Simon Pride. “Cereals is a key event in the agricultural calendar,” he explains. “It’s a great platform to share Harper’s research in agri-tech through exciting projects such as the ‘HandsFree Hectare’ and the latest in drone technology.”

For those already well-established in the industry, there are plenty of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points up for grabs. Qualified agronomists will be able to earn six BASIS points per day at the event, and Stephen Jacob, CEO at BASIS, expects plenty of demand given that last year was the busiest yet. “We had almost 1,800 agronomists signing up for general attendance CPD points – a 12% increase on 2015,” he says.

Since the introduction of certificates of competence for pesticide application alongside the abolition of Grandfather Rights in

2015 - all spray operators must now be accredited under the National Register of Sprayer Operators (NRoSO). Visitors to the event will be able to earn a maximum of six NRoSO points: Two for registering at the Sprays and Sprayers arena and four from exhibitors on the CPD trail.

“Agriculture employs over 475,000 people and contributes around £24 billion of revenues to the UK economy” “Once again, the NRoSO team are delighted to support members to capture evidence of their ongoing CPD and commitment to responsible pesticide use,” says Dr Robin Jackson, land based manager at City & Guilds.

Cereals will again be offering the opportunity to gather further points after the show through a series of online modules. After last year’s success, with over 500 members taking part in the online modules, Syngenta are confirmed to be among the exhibitors involved this year’s offering, with users able to earn two BASIS or NRoSO points per module.

To find out which exhibitors are offering BASIS and NRoSO points at Cereals event visit the website www.cerealsevent.co.uk/CPD.

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 35

| Cereals

Andrew Hoy seals new deal with Kubota sponsorship Kubota UK, the market-leading supplier of agricultural, groundcare and construction machinery solutions, has renewed its partnership with brand ambassador and four-time Olympic medal winner Andrew Hoy for a further two years. he sponsorship will see Andrew Hoy and his team utilise a Kubota M7060 70HP agricultural tractor to help maintain his 23-acre Somberby Stables site in Leicestershire. The deal will also see Hoy kitted out with the latest Kubota branded horse equipment including customised competition and training gear.

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Hoy’s Somberby Stables site is complete with 32 Monarch Stables, where they have been based since December 2013.

Alongside indoor and outdoor arenas, the Somerby Stables includes a grass track for hill work, tack rooms, wash bays and tacking-up areas, a Monarch Horse Walker and substantial turnout facilities.

Hoy commented: “In 2015, the choice to work with Kubota UK

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was made due to the brand sharing many similar values to the team that we have built here over the years. The emphasis on quality and reliability translates through the products and service they offer, making them one of the market leaders in the agricultural industry.

“Kubota has been brilliant to work with over the past two year’s and it’s a pleasure to represent the company when I perform in competitions. It’s really exciting to know that this partnership continues to go from strength to strength and we are able to evolve over our joint activities. I am proud to be a Kubota Ambassador and very excited to continue working with the Kubota team, the past two years have been a huge pleasure and I am looking forward to the future and the exciting projects to

come.”

Dave Roberts, Managing Director of Kubota UK, said, “Andrew has been Kubota’s brand ambassador for two years now and the partnership has been widely regarded ever since, which is why we did not hesitate to renew the sponsorship for a further two years.

“Hoy’s career is truly remarkable. His success at international level, and most notably the Olympic games, has been celebrated for a number of years, making this partnership all the more beneficial to the Kubota brand as well as Andrew.”

For more information on Kubota and its service solutions for the construction groundcare and agriculture sectors visit www.kubota.co.uk or call 01844 268000.

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| Cereals

A wide range of courses Agriculture students on offer at Moulton hope to lead WUC to College virtual victory Preserving and managing the Great British countryside is no easy job – particularly with an increased push on ensuring the sustainability of our land. oulton College have been training the next generation since 1921. Students learn on the commercially farmed 550 hectare estate where a wide range of crops are farmed and a beef enterprise has been established.

All of this alongside the specialist workshops, mean that students enjoy the very best resources at Moulton College.

It isn’t just agriculture either, with courses in arboriculture and countryside management; if you enjoy the great outdoors you are sure to find the perfect course at Moulton. Whether you’re just finishing school, looking to change career or just develop new skills, Moulton College have hands-on further education, degree level

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A team of four agriculture degree students at Writtle University College are competing against seven other Universities and Colleges from across England in a virtual crop growing challenge.

courses, part-time courses and apprenticeships to help you take the next step.

Students enjoy the very best resources at Moulton College Moulton College offers a wide range of part-time courses for those working in the arable sector including FACTS, BASIS and a range of pesticide courses. With an experienced team, great links to the industry and groundbreaking research, Moulton will help you to succeed and prepare you for a career in your chosen area.

For more information visit Moulton College at Cereals on stand 419, alternatively call 01604 491131 or email enquiries@moulton.ac.uk ow in its eighth year, the Cereals Challenge is an annual competition organised by crop production specialists, Hutchinsons, and farm business management company, Velcourt, and aims to encourage a new generation of agronomists and farmers into the industry. For the first time in the competition’s history, teams won’t have a real plot to manage but will compete to grow the best virtual plot of spring barley.

WUC Team Captain Oliver Martin, a third year Agricultural Business Management (Crop Production) student explained the team’s choice to grow a malting barley on light sands: “By growing a malting crop in Suffolk, we are close to malsters. We have opted for Octavia which is approved for brewing and malt distilling. At least we know that we can manage the weed control, as we don’t have black-grass to worry about on the region’s lighter soils.”

Each team will be asked to present fertiliser and herbicide management plans, a PGR and pest management plan as well as a disease management plan and, most importantly, will be asked to evaluate their appropriateness and timeliness for each recommendation, input cost management, estimated crop yield

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and quality.

Speaking about the competition, Oliver added: “The Cereals Challenge is a great opportunity for us as a team to pool our individual knowledge and expertise, and to put into practice some of what we have learnt over the past three years.”

Supporting Oliver and the team which is made up of Henry Hawkins, Harry Coppin and George Padfield, is WUC Senior Lecturer in Agriculture, Henry Matthews who said: “This is a great opportunity for students to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in an applied way, as they will have to in the roles they are likely to take up in the industry.

As on previous occasions, including when we won the competition, I am confident that the students are equipped to acquit themselves without any major input from me” The winning team will be announced at the Cereals Event on 14th June as part of the Guild of Agricultural Journalists Cereals Awards ceremony.

Writtle University College offers a range of agricultural qualifications, ranging from short course programmes and apprenticeships, to college and university courses. For more information visit www.writtle.ac.uk/courses

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 37

| Cereals

Weed control made simple at Cereals Grass weeds and disease can decimate crops – and with chemical resistance on the rise it’s more important than ever to choose the most efficient control methods. hether it’s cutting edge new chemistry, or scientificallybacked advice, visitors to the Cereals Event (14-15 June) will be able to gather every tool in the armoury. And this year, it will be even easier to pinpoint the most relevant stands with the introduction of the Blackgrass Knowledge Trail and the Weeds, Disease and Nutrition Knowledge Trail.

Amid the current glyphosate battle, growers are increasingly turning to more holistic management practices to tackle blackgrass.

One of the most detrimental weeds to arable farmers, blackgrass affects approximately 54% of cereal crops and in severe cases causes a 50% yield reduction. Yara is therefore looking at all methods of control, in particular, emphasising the role crop nutrition can play.

“While it is widely accepted that cultural controls - ploughing, rotation, and drilling date are essential components of the blackgrass strategy, it is rare to see crop nutrition mentioned in the debate,” says Mark Tucker, head of agronomy at Yara UK. “Delaying drilling can help control blackgrass by 30% but this does leave crops coping with wetter soils that are less aerated, reducing nutrient availability.

“Late autumn or spring nutrition (including foliar applications) can recover some of the

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crop biomass that has been lost due to the poor conditions and provide plants with the necessary competitiveness to keep blackgrass in check.”

In the ever-popular Bayer black-grass area, visitors will be able to talk through all aspects of control programmes from cultural management, such as spring cropping and delayed drilling to new chemical options, including Hamlet (iodosulfuron + mesosulfuron + diflufenican), Monolith (mesosulfuron + propoxycarbazone) and a new pre-emergence black-grass herbicide.

“This year we are bringing our weed-screen to Cereals, which will allow growers to see herbicide performance from new and current options across a range of grassweeds, including different resistant strains of blackgrass,” Ben Coombs, Bayer’s Campaign Manager for Cereal Herbicides, says.

Certis will also be featuring on the Blackgrass Knowledge Trail and offering top tips on how farmers should conduct a ‘blackgrass audit’ and assess their approach ahead of the autumn. “June is a perfect time to take samples to understand the resistance status on your farm, while thinking of mapping your fields to determine areas that might benefit from spraying off to reduce seed return,” says Certis technical manager, Adrian Sisson.

Management of other weeds and diseases is similarly multi-faceted, and with so many pesticides and herbicides on the market its often easy to lose track of the best available products.

One of the exhibitors to be showcasing a cutting edge new product this year is Syngenta.

Its new SDHI fungicide, ELATUS™ ERA, was 15 years in the making and provides control against a broad spectrum of diseases, including brown rust, ramularia and fusarium.

“Registered for use on wheat, barley and rye at a maximum rate of 1l/ha ELATUS™ ERA is able to consistently deliver increased yields due to its ability to enhance green leaf area,” says Jason Tatnell, technical indication expert at Syngenta. “It also offers excellent activity on Septoria tritici which is really encouraging for prospective users.”

Dow AgroSciences will be exhibiting its brand-new cereal herbicide - Zypar. Promising robust control of broad-leaved weeds in both the autumn and spring, Zypar works well in cold and variable conditions, says Dow’s cereal herbicide product manager, Alex Nichols.

“Efficiency is king in modern day agriculture,” he adds. “Many farms don’t have the time or the money to take several passes to control broad-leaved weeds – they want something that will do everything at once.”

Griffith Elder demonstrating at Cereals 2017 At this year’s Cereals event (Stand 1056) Griffith Elder the ‘Weighing specialists’ will have on show a wide range of their Farm weighing equipment from multi axle and portable weighbridges to ‘on board’ weighing and spreading control for manure and fertilizer spreaders. ew for this year will be a dedicated demonstration area adjacent to the Griffith Elder stand which will provide visitors with the opportunity to see at ‘first hand’ working demonstrations of the new generation of portable weigh beams.

Designed to be fully portable around the Farm and manufactured from welded steel for rugged farm use, these ‘easy to use’ weigh beams can be used for loads of up to 60 tons

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and are offered in two sizes 2.8 or 4.2 meters.

The beams are ‘Factory calibrated’ so no special on site set up is needed, and together with a FOB system provide a quick ,automatic ‘single driver’ operation for both small and large vehicles. Optional equipment includes a Traffic light system and a large LED indicator display to tell the driver when to move ‘on and off’ the weighbridge.

A removable USB stick allows each record to be output to a spreadsheet, with excel compatibility, providing accurate data for

calculating crop yields and what is being stored, all of which, provides vital economic benefits for today’s cost conscious Farmer.

Griffith Elder weighing products have over the last three decades, earned a first class reputation for accurate performance and life time reliability with many satisfied customers both in the UK and overseas.

So make a note a note in your diary visit the Griffith Elder stand and ‘weigh up your options’!

Visit www.griffith-elder.com

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| Buildings

Contact your nearest dealer: Central Cropsprayers Limited Unit J Sandford Industrial Park Whitchurch Shropshire SY13 2AN 01948 840187 www.centralcropsprayers.co.uk

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Agratech NW Ltd Unit 8 Dale Mill Burnley Road East Lancashire BB4 9HU 01706 211399 www.agratech.co.uk

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 39

| Cereals

New Holland tractors on 5000 mile Blue Force Coastline Tractor Challenge Two members of tractor enthusiast club Blue Force are celebrating 100 years of blue tractor production in 2017 by undertaking a 5000 mile, 51 day Coastline Tractor Challenge, not previously attempted on tractors. The pair set off from New Holland’s Basildon factory on Thursday 13th April in two new T6 tractors supplied by the manufacturer. lue Force club members have a passion for preserving and running vintage and modern Fordson, Ford and New Holland marque tractors. Phil Gibson, chairman of Blue Force, and Peter Plehov, club treasurer, will drive a route around the coast of mainland UK & Ireland, stopping at several points on route including Bournemouth, Galway and Edinburgh.

On Thursday 13th April, Phil and Peter set off from the gates of New Holland’s Basildon factory on new T6.145 and T6.180 tractors, which have been donated by New Holland. Each tractor will tow a

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shepherd’s hut, built by Phil and Peter. One hut for sleeping accommodation and the other for fuel, oil and supplies.

Phil and Peter’s Coastline Tractor Challenge will culminate at Tractor Fest on the 10th & 11th of June at Newby Hall, Ripon, North Yorkshire.

Andrew Watson, Business Director, New Holland UK and Ireland, said: “We have always had a close relationship with the Blue Force Club so we were delighted to assist Peter and Phil when we heard about their challenge. We look forward to following their progress and wish them luck on their journey.”

Phil Gibson said: “I have been overwhelmed by the tremendous

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support from New Holland, without them we would not be doing any of this.”

The trip is almost entirely funded by donations that have come from club members and generous sponsors. New Holland dealer Robertsons of Orkney have funded the pair’s ferry crossings to the Orkney Islands to guarantee

the islands’ blue tractor fans can be part of the celebrations. Other New Holland dealers along the 5000-mile route are hosting events to celebrate 100 years of blue tractors and support Phil and Peter on their Coastline Challenge.

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| Security

NFU Mutual warns of high tech crime threats to countryside Rural crime has remained broadly static in 2015 as farmers and police adopted high-tech security measures to tackle increasingly sophisticated thieves who are turning to computers rather than bolt cutters reports leading rural insurer, NFU Mutual. ts annual Rural Crime Report reveals that the cost of rural crime to the UK economy has now reached £42.5 million a year.

But despite little change overall, regionally, there were still winners and losers in the war on rural crime. The worst affected regions remain the North East and East of England, costing £7.9 and £6.9 million.

Whereas the Midlands and Northern Ireland saw the biggest rises, on 2014, with costs increasing by ten and 13 per cent.

Scotland and the South East however saw reductions of six and nine per cent. Scotland also has the lowest cost of rural crime, £1.7 million, closely followed by Wales, costing £2 million.

The cost of thefts from rural homes has followed a similar trend for the past couple of years, seeing a slight overall decrease to the cost in 2015, £6.2m down from £7.1m in 2014; however, the average claim was still significant at over £2,400.

“We have seen a shift in the items being targeted at rural homes though; in the latest survey of NFU Mutual’s Agency network, the theft of garden equipment was sited as the biggest growing trend along with 4x4’s.” said Tim Price, NFU Mutual Rural Affairs Specialist.

In the survey of NFU Mutual Agents, the majority (65 per cent) also reported that thieves in their area are becoming more sophisticated in the way that they operate and cyber crime is also a growing concern amongst their communities.

"Their tactics now include cloning tractor identities, advertising non-existent machinery in agricultural publications and stealing the GPS computer systems which are a key part of modern farming.

"Farmers are having to regularly update security measures at considerable cost to keep high-tech criminals at bay. They are using

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Tracker devices on tractors, video and infra-red surveillance in their farm yards and even DNA markers to protect sheep from rustlers,” said Tim. Tractors proved particularly vulnerable in the East and North East of England where a spate of high value thefts occurred and accounted for almost half of the total cost (£5.4million) across the UK. Livestock rustling remains a huge problem with costs stubbornly high in Northern Ireland and the North East and South West of England.

At a total cost to the UK of £2.9 million, 70 per cent came from these three regions alone.

However, successes have been seen. The costs of quad bike (ATV) theft saw a five per cent reduction, with Scotland seeing an impressive 37 per cent following a large scale initiative to provide specialist training to affected police forces.

Equine tack and equipment thefts have reduced by 41per cent – a huge reduction seen across almost every region.

Tim Added: "As the insurer of three quarters of the UK's farmers and many rural homes and businesses we are taking a leading role in the fight against rural crime. The success of our joint schemes with police – almost halving the cost of tractor theft since its peak in 2010 and bringing livestock thieves to justice - is strong evidence that by working together and evolving with modern technology rural thieves can be beaten."

Social media is now the main resource for sharing information about crime in rural communities and can be a valuable tool – not only for the prevention of rural crime but also catching criminals and returning stolen goods.

People living and working in the countryside should regularly evaluate their security measures – making improvements where necessary, remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the local police but also community watch schemes.

Top five targeted items nationally: 1 2 3 4 5

ATV / Quad Bikes Machinery Farm and commercial tools Garden equipment Livestock

Land Rover Defender thefts increase as vehicles acquire iconic classic status The rural insurer is also urging owners of Land Rover Defenders to increase security measures and be vigilant to thieves to reduce the risk of their vehicles, or parts of their vehicles, being stolen.

Latest figures from the insurer reveal that claims costs for theft of Defender vehicles rose to £2.1 million in 2016, an increase of 17% since 2015.

The region with the highest cost of Land Rover Defender thefts last year was the North East, followed by the South East, the Midlands and the South West.

The worst affected counties were West Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Kent, Somerset and Lancashire.

This comes as the last of the Land Rover Defenders rolled off the production line in January last year.

Clive Harris, Agricultural Vehicle Specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “The Defender is no longer in production which has prompted a greater demand, making them a bigger target for thieves.

“I urge Land Rover Defender owners to be vigilant and be on their guard. Owners should ensure they have adequate security measures in place and consider fitting an after-market approved immobiliser and a tracking device if possible.

“When not in use Defenders should be parked in a garage or a secure area which is well lit if possible. Never leave keys in the ignition and keep keys out of sight at home and when out in public areas; it’s essential that easy opportunities are taken away from thieves.”

For more information and advice on how to beat rural crime in your area visit www.nfumutual.co.uk/ruralcrime

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 41

| Security

Secure your perimeters Secure Site UK provide CCTV systems for many of the UK’s largest house builders and construction site companies‌. ecure Site UK supplies and fits a wide range of fencing and perimeter protection options, from a next-day temporary hire basis to permanent installations. Drawing from fencing stocks at depots nationally, we can meet urgent requirements for site protection with short or long runs of panels secured together in a matter of hours for an immediate physical barrier.

Alternatively, our wide range of permanent fencing options includes medium security crimped mesh systems to low security weld

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mesh or chain link fencing or aesthetic but effective deer fencing to protect both wildlife and installations.

Most of our new enquiries are through recommendations and we have earned a reputation for being a 'safe pair of hands' for property and asset protection.

As a SSAIB (Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board) certified company, Secure Site demonstrates technical competence and ethical conduct when it comes to providing alarms, access control or CCTV for your farmland. In order to mitigate risks, insurers increasingly stipulate that systems are

designed, installed and maintained by SSAIB certified companies whose teams will have been properly security screened and the company complying with all relevant British & European Standards and codes of practice.

Successful security is measured by the ability to efficiently manage risks. So in addition to reducing the risks at sites nationwide we also reduce the risk in choosing Secure Site UK in the first place by promoting our guarantee that 'If we don't meet your expectation - we don't expect you to pay- and we'll put it right at no charge".

Nina Skorupska

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| Security

Select your security wisely to combat rural crime In an exclusive interview for Farming Monthly, Leon Window, managing director of Select Security Specialists, details his thoughts on rural crime, and the considerations every farmer should make. : What prompted you to launch Select Security?

I founded Select in 2010 in response to a gap in the market for rural and agricultural security systems.

Rural crime figures grew sharply following the recession in 2008, with an increase in vehicle, fuel, and livestock theft to name a few.

2: How did you find the first few years in business?

Farming is a community. If you do a good job, people will recommend you to others, and that is exactly what happened with us.

3: What are the top five pieces of equipment that every farm should consider?

If I had to pick a top five, I would suggest the following, but obviously, every farm has different needs, so this list may change dependent on the customer: 3.1: HD CCTV with number plate recognition: We are often approached by clients looking to upgrade their CCTV as it has captured a theft,

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but the footage is so grainy that it is of little use. Our HD CCTV images are of the highest standard, and our number plate recognition technology has helped to solve many thefts over the years.

3.2: Motion detection: Farmyards are busy places, which can be tricky for motionactivated systems. Thankfully, our systems allow you to select areas of the screen to ignore (i.e. busy walkways) and set a minimum size of target, which means that it will ignore anything smaller than say, a cat.

3.3: Tracking devices: These clever little devices can be fixed to high value items such as farm vehicles, and in the event of a theft, can be used to recover the item very quickly.

3.4: Fuel alarms: Fuel theft is a huge issue. The cost of repairs can often eclipse the cost of the stolen fuel, so an alarm can pay for itself very quickly.

3.5: Wireless cameras: Remote locations can present challenges such as access to

mains power. Thankfully, our wireless cameras can be placed virtually anywhere, and transmit a signal back to a central receiver.

A number of our customers also use our cameras to monitor lambing and calving.

4: Do you have any general tips that every farm should implement?

Farmers are busy people, which is why security is often not at the forefront of their minds.

Our advice would be to focus on the weak-points and protect your valuable assets. Thieves are after quick wins, so don’t make it easy for them.

5: What is the future of security within the agricultural industry?

Technology will continue to advance. For example, we have a number of clients who monitor their farm security and livestock, by viewing footage on their mobile phones. This is internet based, so would allow them to monitor the footage from virtually anywhere in the world.

We could not have said that ten years ago, so who knows where we will be in ten years time. I look forward to finding out!

6: Any final thoughts you would like to share?

Select offers an NFU member discount of 5%, which has proved to be very popular.

“Technology will continue to advance. For example, we have a number of clients who monitor their farm security and livestock, by viewing footage on their mobile phones. This is internet based, so would allow them to monitor the footage from virtually anywhere in the world.”

If you would like to discuss your farm or rural property security arrangements, or to arrange a free security survey, please contact Select Security directly on 01873 811443 / 881196, or email: info@sservices.co.uk

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 43

| Sheep

NSA Welsh Sheep 2017 The challenges and opportunities that Brexit will bring means it is more important than ever for flockmasters to update and keep ahead in rapidly changing times. It means that, this year especially, NSA Welsh Sheep 2017 is a not to be missed opportunity. here is free admission for members of the National Sheep Association and the £12 admission cost to non members will soon be recouped in terms of better understanding of the sheep industry and business development. The events and seminars offer an insight into the politics that shape the sheep industry, as well as into industry developments, technology and veterinary advances and the day also provides welcome post lambing relaxation and enjoyment.

The event will be opened by Brecon Beacons National Park Authority Chair, Melanie Doel. She is also a former BBC Wales journalist, all of which gives her a unique insight into the demands upon those farmers living and working in some of the UK’s most precious landscapes.

It’s also fitting that one of the three seminars will concentrate on Future Models for Public Money towards Farming. Speakers will include

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NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker and Chris Short of the Foundation for Common Land, who will discuss Options for Payment for Public Goods.

Brexit will be the focus of one of the other seminars. Speakers will include NSA Chairman Sam Wharry, Hybu Cig Cymru - Head of Operations, Prys Morgan, and Andrew Slade from the Welsh Government.

Looking for answers to the problem of antibiotic resistance will be the topic of the third seminar. Speaking to the theme, Antibiotic Resistance, Rising to the Challenge will be independent sheep specialist Kate Hovers, Farming Connect’s Gethin Davies and the subject of a farmer case study, Anglesey’s Arwyn Jones.

Workshop topics include Planning for a Healthy Flock, with tips on how to prevent problems as well as focusing on proactive healthcare planning. Another concentrates on information from the Woodland Trust on how woodland and trees can provide real benefits, and a particular insight into ancient woodlands.

Flockmasters will also have the opportunity to test their wits and skills in the various competitions and to see the industry’s best in action. Included are the Next Generation Shepherd Competition, British Wool’s Guess the Breed of Sheep from its Wool and Hybu Cig Cymru’s red meat themed challenges.

The sheepdog trials will comprise three sessions with 80 dogs and has been organised by internationally renowned Kevin Evans. The huge variety of trade stands, demonstrations and entertainment mean it will be a day to remember.

And of course, the backdrop to the event is the host farm. The opportunity to take a tour of Llwyn Bedw is not to be missed, affording an insight into a traditional tenanted farm and taking in views of one of South Wales’s largest reservoirs.

Hosts Stephen and Lisa Williams, their son Luke, and Stephen’s father, Godfrey, are keen to welcome visitors to Welsh Sheep 2017.

The NSA Welsh Sheep Event will showcase a traditional, tenanted, farm in the heart of the

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| Sheep

Brecon Beacons, with spectacular views and grazing stretching towards Pen y Fan. It is the home of Stephen and Lisa Williams and their son, Luke, who at 21 is the fifth generation of the family to farm at Llwyn Bedw, Talybont-onUsk, Brecon, now rented from Dwr Cymru.

Stephen’s father, Godfrey, is also heavily involved with the running of the closed flock of 3,500 sheep, 3,000 hefted Talybont type breeding ewes (Welsh x Cheviot) and a downland flock of Charollais x Talybont type ewes, as well as a herd of 70 suckler cows.

Godfrey, who established a successful contracting business before returning home to farm in 1981, was born the year that Talybonton-Usk was flooded to supply Newport with water.

His grandfather, John Williams, was allocated what remained of the farms in the valley after losing his own to the reservoir, one of the largest in South Wales. The farm comprises 1000 acres under fence, and the family enjoy hill rights on 900 hectares (3000 acres) of Buckland Common, stretching from Aber village to Torpantau.

Stephen says: “We introduced the Charollais to have an earlier selling lamb – we start

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lambing in the first week of February and finish on 1 May. We lamb them in different batches, beginning with the Charollais lambing indoors.

They will have been put to a Texel ram.

“Then we lamb the broken mouth ewes, in lamb to a Charollais. We lamb those with twins indoors and the singles out. The 2,000 hill ewes begin on 1 March and all lamb out, but off the hill.”

The family are passionate supporters of the livestock trade, with the Charollais x lambs selling at Talyont–on-Usk or Brecon Market from the end of July at 30/32 kilos liveweight and the hill lambs following from the end of August until late November. Any slower finishing lambs are sold at Christmas in Penderyn.

The closed flock system involves the family breeding all their own rams, keeping sixty or so each year. The Talybonts are a hefted flock, kept separate and put to a Charollais ram. Their ewe lambs are kept as replacement Charollais x ewes, which then go to a Texel to produce for the early market.

They take pride in keeping the farm tidy and enjoy sharing their experiences with visitors.

Stephen is keen to demonstrate to the general

public the part that farmers play in creating and conserving the National Park, saying there are too many misconceptions.

He says: “The perception people tend to have of this area in the Brecon Beacons National Park is that the National Park does a lot environmentally, but it’s we who are the custodians of this valley. We look after the rights of way, the gates and a great deal more.

“We deal with people on daily basis. The countryside looks the way it does because of farmers. The sheep are the best conservation tool you can have and we really want the public to see how we operate”.

Godfrey remains confident. He says Brexit will bring changes, but feels UK lambs are the best in the world and he hopes that the Government will recognise and value the work farmers do for the countryside and for the balance of payments.

His grandson, Luke, is settled back at the farm, after spending a year on a sheep station near Melbourne. He enjoys working as part of the team with his father, grandfather and mother Lisa, who Godfrey says is ‘the best shepherdess in the area’.

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 45

| Beef Expo

Fully integrated Beef supply chain showcased at NBA Beef Expo farm tours John Bell, owner of Berrystock Feeds and Berryfields Farm is preparing to welcome 250 farmers to his farm as part of this year’s National Beef Association’s Beef Expo farm tours. he farm and feed plant located near Daventry is one of three farm visits planned for the prestigious NBA Beef Expo farm tours held on Wednesday 17th May and will be showcasing the benefits of a fully integrated beef supply chain. John is a great advocate of co-operation and has been a key player in founding several integrated supply chains over his 35 years within the beef industry. The farm tour will allow visitors to follow through the complete supply chain from the initial calf sourcing, feeding, to finally selling directly to the processor and the feedback system that runs throughout the chain.

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“It is fantastic to be able to take beef farmers to view such an innovative and vast beef enterprise” Berryfields Farm’s impressive AFU finishes approximately 2000 head of dairy bred cattle per year to supply into Dunbia, which feeds into the Co-op and Lidl. Dairy bred calves are supplied on contract through Meadow Quality and enter the unit at 16 weeks weighing between 120-140kg. John rears the calves using specifically formulated Berrystock feeds to finish the animals at of 600kg LW. The system relies on quality calves and efficient feeds to maximise FCR and profits.

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Berrystock Feeds have been manufacturing quality cattle and sheep feeds for over 30 years and currently produce over 45,000 – 50,000 tonnes a year, 50% of which is used for Johns own cattle enterprises. All feeds are UFAS accredited, using ruminant kind ingredients and are developed through on-farm feeding trials which monitor feed efficiency and the results of which are used to constantly improve the rations. Recently Berryfields has incorporated Agriking enzymes into their rations to help further enhance digestibility and nutrient metabolism. The business puts a large emphasis on its use of homegrown grain, obtained from Berryfield Farm and other local farmers, and runs a successful barley/wheat bank system to help reduce risk. Meadow Quality will be presenting on the tour day alongside John Bell to explain the benefits of an integrated supply chain for all parties involved, and to highlight how this system is suited to new entrants wishing to become involved within the beef sector.

Speaking about the integrated system, John said “Farmers are always wary of cooperation, yet through working together in schemes such as this we are giving more power to the producer. The business system also champions consistency, buying in uniform calves, feeding high quality accredited feed to produce uniform carcases with high meat quality, which is required to ensure consumer satisfaction. The UK is not yet self-sufficient in beef and I feel that there is great potential to expand beef output to

supply our strong and growing home market.

This feeding system is a model that I feel can be used to fulfil this gap in the market, using efficient feeds to produce uniform quality carcasses and produce and maintain a satisfactory margin for the producer. I am pleased to welcome this year’s NBA Beef Expo farm tour visitors to view our system at Berryfield and hope to inspire them with the benefits our efficient feeds and business model has to offer to their own farming enterprise.”

Commenting on the farm tour, Chris Mallon, Chief Executive of the NBA, stated “It is fantastic to be able to take beef farmers to view such an innovative and vast beef enterprise.

John’ business is a fantastic example of how the beef supply chain can be united, producing cattle to the highest standards of production and welfare to meet the consumers’ needs for quality, quantity and continuity of supply. A continually developing beef unit which champions efficiency and producing beef for the masses.” Tickets for the farm tours are priced at £30 per person and includes three farm visits, transport to and from the NAEC, Stoneleigh and hot beef lunch. A combined ticket for the Farm Tours and 2017 NBA Beef Expo for NBA members is £35, and for non NBA members is £40. Bookings can be made online, under the visitor section, or by contacting the NBA Head Office on 01434 601005.

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| Beef Expo

Specialist Seminars at NBA Beef Expo 2017 NBA Beef Expo 2017 seminars provide NBA with a huge opportunity to further raise its profile and positioning by helping visitors to improve their enterprise’s profitability and sustainability by careful selection of topics. They offer advice, information and thought provoking ideas, the majority of which can be taken home and implemented the following day. And they’re all free of charge.

9.30am ORGANICS Four short talks highlighting the benefits of adopting an organic system on farm. The session will be chaired by Peter Jones of the Organic Livestock Marketing Co-operative and will conclude with a Q&A session.

- Liz Bowles, Head of Farming, The Soil Association Topic: The Benefits of Beef Production on Organic Arable Farms - Matt Johnson, Organic Beef & Sheep Farmer and Butcher Topic: Producing Organic Beef and Running a Butchers Shop - Tim Leigh, OLMC Finished Stock Marketing Manager Topic: Marketing Cattle to Maximise Returns - Wayne Copp, Organic Producer Topic: Farming North Devon Cattle 11.00am HEALTH Three topical health seminars, highlighting key health issues within the industry; BVD, Cryptosporidium and Chronic Liver Fluke, and the latest research available to help overcome such issues on a herd basis and as an industry.

- Boehringer Ingelheim Topic: Why tag dead calves? Insights from the National BVD Survey 2017 - Dr Frank Katzer, Senior Scientist at Moredun Foundation Topic: Cryptosporidium in Cattle - Steve Sheridan, Merial Vets, speaking on Liver Fluke

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12.30pm FINISHER FORUM An exciting forum encompassing all aspects of finisher production from policy to production efficiencies.

- Dr.Jamie-Leigh Douglas, Technical Support manager, AB Vista Nutrition Topic: Improving efficiencies to Champion Profitability - Bill Harper, Trustee Director of the NBA Topic: Policy changes for Finisher Units - Adam Quinney, AHDB, speaking on future beef supply 14.00pm BREEDING SEMINAR A forward thinking seminar looking into the future of cattle breeding.

- Mark Smith, Genus Beef Genetics - Alison Glasgow, Limousin Cattle Society Topic: Limousin Breeding Improvement Adding Value for Commercial Producers 15.15pm INTEGRATED BEEF SUPPLY Three industry leading speakers presenting the benefits of an integrated beef system followed by a Q&A session.

- Matt Nightingale, CEO of Meadow Quality - John Bell, CEO of Berryfields Farm and Berrystock Feeds - Dr Amiee Hafla, Beef Nutritionist, AGRI-KING Ltd.

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 47

| Feature

Seed Terminator says hasta la vista to weeds A machine that pulverises weed seeds as grain crops are harvested has begun commercial manufacture in Australia. nvented in South Australia, the Seed Terminator can be retrofitted to new and used John Deere, CASE IH and New Holland Class 7, 8 and 9 harvesters and will retail for under AU$100,000.

The Seed Terminator uses a multi-stage hammer mill to kill weed seeds, spreading the sawdust-like debris behind the header.

Nine prototypes were built and tested across nine different geographies in South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria with different crop types, soil types and moisture contents during the recent 2016/17 harvest.

Tests by the University of Adelaide’s Weed Science Research Group from last year showed a greater than 90 per cent kill of rye grass seeds using the machine at 2700 RPM. Seed Terminator inventor and Kangaroo Island farmer Nick Berry and his business partner Mark Ashenden are also developing prototypes for the North American market that they hope to test in the 2017 northern hemisphere harvest.

The team is working with a company in South Australia’s capital Adelaide to manufacture the mill while the drive system is being built in Western Australia.

They have received more than 90 expressions of interest to buy one of the 2017 limited release Seed Terminators in time for the next Australian harvest. The machines will be available from September.

Ashenden, the company’s commercial director, said the Seed Terminator was a “colour-blind solution” that could be fitted to major header brands including John Deere

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(green), CASE (red) and New Holland (yellow).

He said the key to cost saving was the development of their patent pending mechanical drive paving the way for commercialisation.

“The design of the mill to effectively kill the seeds is the critical piece – it requires a purpose built mill and a purpose built drive to match whatever colour machine you want to put it on,” Ashenden said.

“We’ve already attracted interest from Canada, the United States and Europe … wherever grain is grown, this could be part of the answer.”

Farmers involved in the prototype testing were given the option to purchase their machine and all were sold.

The 2016/17 prototype trials were conducted on John Deere (STS9760, 2xS680), CASE IH (7120, 8010, 8120, and 9240) and New Holland (CR8090) headers. The 2017 harvest program will also include a prototype fitted to Claas Lexion harvester to increase farmers’ options.

“It worked everywhere across the country and while there were drive system challenges that were overcome critically the multi stage hammer mills didn’t miss a beat,” Ashenden said.

Domestic manufacturing targets north of 100 machines have been set for 2018, depending on demand.

Ashenden said there were about 15 key grain-growing regions in Australia and he hoped to have at least one Seed Terminator operating in each area during the 2017/18 harvest.

“Australia is about 3 per cent of world grain supply so in this sort of space there are tens of thousands of units per annum in North America

that this technology could be fitted to,” he said.

“We’d like to think we could build it and prove it here and manufacture it for export. “ Berry and Ashenden have been awarded a $300,000 Accelerating Commercialisation Grant from the Australian Government to fast-track production.

Ashenden said the “one-pass solution” pulverised seeds and spread the nutrient rich debris 10-12 metres either side behind the harvester to act as a fine mulch for soil improvement.

He said it would likely result in increased yields because there would be significantly fewer weeds to compete with crops for nutrients.

“It should reduce fertiliser costs, could reduce chemical costs but will significantly reduce your time because you don’t have to go around collecting it to burn,” he said.

“The Seed Terminator ticks all the environmental boxes – it can’t be a bad thing to reduce chemicals, reduce burning and reduce costs for a farmer.

“It’s not the Holy Grail but it’s a pretty strong part of the solution.”

The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) estimated in 2016 that weeds cost Australian grain growers about $3.3 billion annually, with yield losses of 2.76 million tonnes. The GRDC also estimated herbicide resistance costs farmers $187 million a year for herbicide treatment and other weed management practices.

For more information email mark@seedterminator.com.au or visit www.seedterminator.com.au/

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| Buildings

Spaldings Limited Lincoln, Lincolnshire T: 01522 507500 www.spaldings.co.uk

World of Power Buxton, Derbyshire T: 01298 213101 www.worldofpower.co.uk

Lakedale Power Tools Croydon, Dartford & London T: 020 8683 0550 www.lakedalepowertools.co.uk

Ermin Plant (Hire & Services) Ltd Gloucester, Gloucestershire T: 01452 526616 www.erminplant.co.uk

Charles H Hill Ltd Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire T: 01526 388281 www.charleshhill.co.uk

Mawsley Machinery Brixworth, Northampton T: 01604 880621 https://mawsley.stihl-dealer.co.uk

DM Chainsaws Arundel, West Sussex T: 01243 554065 www.dmchainsaws.co.uk

Davenport Western Yeovil, Somerset T: 01935 425311 www.davenportsaws.co.uk

www.stalhameng.co.uk

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May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 49

| ATV

Suzuki ATV

welcomes new ATV Dealers to national network

Suzuki GB is pleased to have recently welcomed two new official ATV dealerships into its national network.

Richardson Ltd of Norwich and The Tractor Shop of Lincolnshire, are the latest two Dealers to join the Suzuki ATV family, bring even better geographical coverage to the network.

N Richardson Ltd are an agricultural machinery dealer based in Norfolk. They have been a dealer of agricultural machinery including tractors, trailers and groundcare vehicles for many years, and are now pleased to be offering their customers the full

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range of Suzuki ATVs which will be available to test ride and purchase.

The Tractor Shop is a family run business situated in Louth, supplying a wide range of agricultural and garden machinery including lawnmowers and ATVs, as well as accessories and attachments.

George Cheeseman, Head of ATV for Suzuki GB, says, “We are excited to have appointed such great new Dealers, both in busy areas. Suzuki is dedicated to establishing strong relationships with its UK-wide dealer network as ultimately they are representing

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our brand and look after our customers. We are pleased to be working with such well-established and knowledgeable dealerships, and excited that more dealerships are wanting to sell Suzuki.”

Suzuki ATV has some 80 dealers in the UK selling the manufacturer’s range of utility and sports ATVs – all offering customers the fantastic benefits that come with choosing Suzuki.

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| ATV

Honda ATV Not just for winter work

As spring arrives and stock are moved out to the fields, a Honda ATV or UTV can replace a tractor for many tasks, saving valuable time and reducing ground damage while also being much cheaper to own and run. t this busy time of year having machinery capable of carrying out required tasks safely, efficiently and reliably is essential and the best-selling Honda range includes models for every situation. All Honda ATVs come with rugged front and rear load racks, allowing feed and other materials to be carried around with ease while for larger loads the new Pioneer UTV can carry up to 386kg on its tipping load bed. Towing capacity up to 600kg on the largest Foreman ATVs and up to 680kg for the Pioneer make the machines ideal for towing stock or generalpurpose trailers.

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At this time of year an ATV’s popularity isn’t just down to its ability to provide efficient farm transport Large flotation tyres create less ground pressure than a person walking, allowing access to wet grassland without rutting. Superb grip, generous ground clearance and long travel suspension mean the machines will operate in areas inaccessible to almost any other vehicle.

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Fourtrax 420 models tend to be very popular with livestock farmers and the range includes versions with 2wd, or selectable 2- and 4wd. Purpose-designed 420cc 4stroke petrol engines are quiet with plenty of power and capability for most livestock tasks. Fourtrax models are light and highly maneuverable, making them suitable for operation in confined yards as well as over undulating ground and their ability to carry a shepherd and equipment almost anywhere makes these a firm favourite.

Where heavier loads are carried or towed the larger Foreman 500 models offer more torque for greater lugging capability. All have selectable 2 or 4wd and, like the Fourtrax 420, the range includes versions with manual or automatic transmission and power steering.

The Pioneer, launched earlier this year, is available in two versions; with two seats and a standard load bed or with two extra seats at the rear, available by easily reconfiguring the forward section of the load bed, to carry up to four people and a smaller load.

Although Honda’s UTV is new to the UK the company has manufactured and supplied similar machines elsewhere for many years and since its UK debut, demand from current Honda ATV

users as well as those new to the brand has been considerable. It’s a great option for those who regularly move loads behind a conventional ATV by trailer as well as for efficiently transporting people wherever needed. Its powerful 675cc petrol engine has quickly impressed users who prefer its smooth and quiet operation to less refined dieselengine powered alternatives.

Driving through a highly efficient mechanical torque converter transmission, it offers superb pulling ability and is as miserly with its fuel use as Honda’s conventional ATVs. At this time of year an ATV’s popularity isn’t just down to its ability to provide efficient farm transport. For sheep feeding, several manufacturers offer trailed automatic feeders which drop a measured amount of feed in piles at regular intervals, offering a very attractive alternative for those used to lugging sacks of feed to field troughs while being barged by hungry sheep. Having tried one of

these time-saving machines few farmers would want to return to manual feeding and with the feeder on flotation tyres similar to the ATV, stock can be fed in field or hill areas not accessible to larger farm 4x4 vehicles or tractors.

Spring is a busy time on most farms. For those with livestock to look after an ATV or UTV carries out routine tasks quickly and efficiently allowing users to make the most of their working day. For arable farms the ability to travel easily to wherever needed, including across young growing crops without creating ruts, makes field walking quick and easy and allows field edge and farm woodland maintenance to be carried out in ground conditions too soft for a tractor.

Whatever your situation your local Honda main dealer will be delighted to help you identify the most suitable model for your needs to maximize your productivity during this busy season.

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 51

| ATV

Kawasaki MULE choice of Wolf Watch UK

The Kawasaki MULE Pro-DXT is the machine of choice for Wolf Watch UK founder Tony Haighway when it comes to caring for the seven wolves on site and maintaining around 100 acres of remote wooded valley in Shropshire. t is the second MULE that Tony has owned, the first of which was with him for nine years.

“I sold my first MULE to a friend of mine who now uses it regularly on a Pheasant Shoot.

It was extremely reliable and never broke down once. It’s now giving good services to its new owner.”

Established in 1993 by Tony, Wolf Watch UK is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the rescue, welfare and conservation of displaced wolves from captive situations. Examples of which include: dominance fights, zoo closures or excess breeding – without the help of Wolf Watch UK it is likely many of the magnificent animals would have been euthanised.

Set in a wooded valley in Shropshire and staffed by a team of dedicated volunteers, as well as the wolves, the woodland plays host to raptors, ravens and woodpeckers as well as badgers, foxes, polecats and a herd of Red Deer – and now a Kawasaki MULE.

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“Having access to a good dealer is essential – not just for the purchasing of the MULE but for the back-up service and parts” The Pro-DXT machine joined the team earlier this year and has been an invaluable help. It features a large cargo bed, which comes in handy when an adult Gray wolf can stand up to 38 inches at the shoulder with a head and body length of up to 58 inches and a weight from 20175 pounds.

“We use the MULE for many things – whether that be transporting the wolves in the large cargo bed, aiding us to maintain the fences and land and moving food around – it’s extremely helpful. I don’t know how we’d

manage without it now!”

The Trans Cab system of the Pro-DXT means that the machine can be transformed from fourperson to two-person mode in less than one minute. The sliding cargo wall is integrated with the cargo bed, making it possible for a single person to execute the change.

“This is one of the other benefits – this enables us to move visitors around too when required. Our wolves have been used in the making of many educational TV documentaries – including some shows presented by the BBC.” “We like to keep the habitat as close to what the wolves would encounter in the wild which can be challenging – but the Electronic Power Steering and selectable 4-wheel drive allow us to tackle all terrains,” said Tony Haighway.

“Some of our work is done in the early morning or late at night, so the bright headlamps are fantastic for allowing us to see where we’re going.”

Bought from their local dealer, Richard Jones ATV in Kington, Tony appreciates the importance of good dealer service.

“Having access to a good dealer is essential – not just for the purchasing of the MULE but for the back-up service and parts and any advice we may need along the way with choice of parts and accessories. The team at Richard Jones ATV have been extremely helpful.”

The Kawasaki MULE Pro-DXT is powered by a high-torque powerful 993 cm³ four-stroke diesel engine to deliver excellent performance and allow on-site fuel compatibility. It produces 17.8kW (24PS) of power and 52.1Nm of torque and a fuel capacity of 30 litres.

For more information on the Kawasaki range, visit www.kawasaki.co.uk and for further details on Wolf Watch UK and their work, visit: www.wolfwatch.uk

For more information, or to view the whole utility range from Kawasaki, visit: www.kawasaki.co.uk For more information Southam Agri. Services Southam, Warwickshire CV47 2DH 01926 813426 http://southamagri.co.uk

Day & Coles Ltd Newton Close, Park Farm Ind. Est. Wellingborough NN8 6UW 01933 673900

Contact your nearest dealer

52 | Farming Monthly | May 2017

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| Motors

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| Motors

‘Tough Mudder For Jeep’ created to launch limited edition Renegade

Mitsubishi Motors in the UK has announced a series of revisions to the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Juro – the high specification version of the nation’s best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle.

o celebrate Jeep’s fourth year sponsoring the UK Tough Mudder series, it has released just 100 of the special limited edition vehicles – which go on sale today (27 April) in the UK – just two days ahead of the 2017 UK season kickoff at London West on April 29th.

The limited edition Renegade successfully waded through a course designed by Tough Mudder, tackling rough terrain, dirty water and signature Tough Mudder obstacles, including ‘Mud Mile’ and ‘Quagmire.’ The Renegade also tackled the steep slopes and inclines of ‘Killa Gorilla’ and the treacherous Cliff Hanger obstacle.

Costing £27,795 OTR, the limited edition Renegade embodies the spirit, fun, adventure and innovation of Tough Mudder with Jeep’s legendary off-road credentials ensuring drivers can tackle any challenge while Mudders push themselves into the unknown on the continually evolving obstacle course.

Will Dean, Tough Mudder CEO and Co-founder commented on the new Tough Mudder Renegade: “We are proud to partner with Jeep for the fourth consecutive year and enhance the onsite experience for participants, as Mudders from all over the UK get the opportunity to check out Jeep’s iconic fleet of vehicles. We are thrilled to partner

T

in launching the limited edition Renegade Tough Mudders. I look forward to getting behind the wheel of the Renegade myself.”

The first ever ‘Tough Mudder for Jeep’ took place at Silverstone Circuit’s off-road course, Northamptonshire.

About the limited edition Tough Mudder Renegade The Tough Mudder version is a 4x4 Auto 2.0 Multijet 140hp – available in orange and black – and uses the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk’s front bumper to provide a more rugged appearance combined with exclusive features and anodized orange interior. Customers will be able to know the specific number of the limited edition model that they have bought, as there is an exterior decal highlighting this, for example ‘55/100’.

Standard features include: • 2.0 Diesel Multijet II (140hp) • 9 speed automatic transmission • 4x4 Active Low • 17” black alloy off road wheels – with 215/60/ R17 Mud & Snow tyres • Tough Mudder exclusive bonnet decal • Limited edition numbered stickers on upper rear three quarter panel • Tough Mudder tailgate badge • Off road style front bumper • Specific interior look – orange and black – with anodised orange interior bezels

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• Fabric – heated front seats • (DAB) Digital Audio Broadcast • Uconnect 5” touchscreen with Bluetooth, Sat Nav and live services • All weather floor mats • Tough Mudder Merchandise Pack to include water bottle, cap, hand towel, lanyard and wrist band in a drawstring bag About Tough Mudder and Jeep 2017 marks the fourth year that Jeep UK partners with Tough Mudder, the leading active lifestyle brand and media company, which hosts a series of endurance and mud run events all over the world.

The famed ‘Mud Mile’ obstacle will return to the 10-12-mile Tough Mudder Full and 5-mile Tough Mudder Half events throughout the season where thousands of Mudders will tackle the cobranded Jeep obstacle at the event. Once again, the Renegade converted into a DJ booth will be providing extra motivation for Mudders on that section of the course.

Jeep will be present at six Tough Mudder events this year,

providing a fleet of Jeep Renegade, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee vehicles and displaying the new Renegade Tough Mudder limited edition. The Jeep Fest Service Station will return for a second time, enhancing the participant experience by featuring a face-marking station for participants to use pre-event.

As Mudders finish the events, the Jeep Fest Service Station will also be giving away car seat covers to keep their vehicle interiors clean.

The first UK Tough Mudder events of the season took place recently (29 April) at Tough Mudder and Tough Mudder Half London West at Culden Faw. Find out more about the limited edition visit here: http://www.jeep.co.uk/reneg ade-tough-mudder/ To learn more about Tough Mudder or to register for a 2017 event, visit https://toughmudder.co.uk/.

To find out more about Jeep visit: www.jeep.co.uk

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| Motors

MTC Subaru

Cambridge Subaru

Cambridgeshire 01733 822 943 www.mtc-subaru.co.uk

Cambridgeshire Tel. 01223 841 616 www.cambridge-subaru.co.uk

Perkins

Maple GarageLtd

Essex 01371 483 379 www.perkins-subaru.co.uk

East Riding of Yorkshire 01964 782 295 www.maplegarage-subaru.co.uk

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| Motors

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| Motors

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| Motors

New Hyundai Santa Fe Endurance Hyundai Motor UK announces the launch of a highly-equipped SUV perfect for those who consider every drive an expedition – the Sante Fe Endurance Edition. itting at the top of Hyundai’s range, it celebrates a recent history-making drive by Patrick Bergel, the Great Grandson of legendary polar explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton.

In December 2016, Bergel completed a 30-day expedition in a near-standard 2.2-litre diesel Santa Fe, driving across Antarctica from Union Camp to McMurdo and back again, commemorating the centenary of Shackleton’s heroic Trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914-16.

This was the first time a passenger vehicle had ever traversed the Antarctic continent and the standard 2.2-litre Santa Fe used by Bergel featured only a handful of modifications to counter the tough Antarctic conditions, such as the fitment of large, low-pressure tyres, a 250-litre fuel tank and a pre-heater for the cold.

To commemorate this incredible achievement, Hyundai Motor UK will make just 500 Endurance

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Edition models available.

Each car is based on the 2.2 diesel 7 seat 4WD Automatic Sante Fe in Premium SE trim with Convenience Pack, which boasts Smart Electric Tailgate, Panoramic Sunroof, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Smart Cruise Control and Around View Monitor. In addition, the Santa Fe Endurance will also feature additional special equipment.

Customers can choose from five limited colours: solid Creamy White, pearl White Crystal, metallic Titanium Silver, pearl Phantom Black and metallic Mineral Blue - the same colour as that of Bergel’s expedition car.

Endurance Editions are further marked out by 19-inch alloy wheels – wrapped in 235/55 R19 tyres – Side Bar Sport running steps. The final touch is a special Endurance logo, which can be found on the B-pillar and interior floor mats. The eye-catching logo commemorates Shackleton’s Endurance expedition and features the

Shackleton Family Motto and a 28-point compass representing the 28 crew that survived.

The Santa Fe Endurance will be priced at £38,995, representing a saving of £2,400 over a standard Premium SE with Convenience Pack and Automatic transmission and can be ordered from 18 May 2017.

Tony Whitehorn, President and CEO of Hyundai UK said: “This new Endurance Edition offers customers an incredibly well-equipped Santa Fe, one that will be able to tackle everything family life throws at it….and more. As Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Great Grandson, Patrick Bergel proved just a few months ago, with just a few choice modifications, you could even traverse Antartica!”

Watch the epic film of the Antarctic adventure at Shackletonsreturn.hyundai.com or on https://youtu.be/J01mqggN0h8

ARCHIE MOSS Leicestershire 01530 553 785 www.archiemoss-isuzu.co.uk

DUCKWORTH ISUZU Lincolnshire (South) 01205 722 110 www.duckworthisuzu.co.uk

YORK VAN CENTRE North Yorkshire 01904 275 211 www.yorkvancentre-isuzu.co.uk

BOB GERARD Leicestershire 0116 259 2224 www.bobgerard.co.uk

GARLAND MOTORS Hampshire 01252 884 026 www.garland-isuzu.co.uk

MARK WEATHERHEAD LTD Cambridgeshire 01954 574 562 www.markweatherhead-isuzu.co.uk

BURRELLS MOTOR GROUP South Yorkshire 01302 515 763 www.burrellsmotorgroup-isuzu.co.uk

JEFFRIES OF BACTON Suffolk 01449 424 758 www.jeffriesofbacton-isuzu.co.uk

HOLDCROFT ISUZU Staffordshire 01782 484 954 www.holdcroft-isuzu.co.uk

DUCKWORTH ISUZU Lincolnshire (North) 01673 842 101 www.duckworthisuzu.co.uk

SOLENT ISUZU Hampshire 01962 866331 www.solent-isuzu.co.uk

BULLDOG TWYFORD Berkshire 0118 932 0922 www.bulldogtwyford.com

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| Motors

The first new Volvo XC60 rolls off the production line in Torslanda, Sweden Production of Volvo Cars’ new XC60 mid-size SUV started recently at the company’s Torslanda plant in Sweden. The first customer-bound car, a T5 AWD Inscription in Crystal White, rolled off the production line just before lunch time on the opening day. he new car replaces Volvo’s highly successful original XC60, which in the nine years since its launch became the best-selling premium mid-sized SUV in Europe, with nearly a million units sold globally. The XC60 today represents around 30 per cent of Volvo’s total global sales.

“This is a proud day for everyone at the plant,” said Magnus Nilsson, vice president of the Torslanda plant. “We have worked hard in recent weeks and months to prepare Torslanda for this latest new Volvo model, and now we are ready to start delivering new XC60s to customers.”

The XC60 is the fourth model based on Volvo’s in-house-developed SPA vehicle architecture, following the introduction of the top-of-the-line 90 series in recent years. The SPA-related investments in Sweden have had positive effects on employment at the company,

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with thousands of new jobs added in production, research and development, and other areas.

New comfort and safety technology The new XC60, one of the safest cars ever made, is loaded with new technology. Steer Assist has been added to the ground-breaking City Safety system. A new safety system called Oncoming Lane Mitigation uses Steer Assist to help mitigate head-on collisions, while Volvo’s Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) now uses Steer Assist functionality to reduce the risk of lane-changing collisions.

Pilot Assist, Volvo’s advanced semiautonomous driver-assistance system, which takes care of the steering, acceleration and braking on well-marked roads up to 130 km/h, is available in the new XC60 as an option.

The new XC60 offers Volvo’s award-winning T8 Twin Engine petrol plug-in hybrid at the top of the powertrain range, delivering 407 hp and

acceleration from 0-100 km/h in just 5.3 seconds.

But it is not just under the bonnet that the new XC60 delivers healthy performance. The new CleanZone four-zone climate control system removes harmful pollutants and particles from outside the cabin to deliver Scandinavian-fresh air on the inside.

Volvo Cars’ driver infotainment and connected services offer, Sensus, and the Volvo On Call app both receive a graphical update with improved usability. As in the 90 series cars, smartphone integration with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is also available.

With the new XC60 now on the market and gradually becoming available to order in markets across the globe, Volvo is set for another record year of sales in 2017.

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 59

| Motors

ALL-NEW DISCOVERY

BECAUSE ONLY 0.021347% OF THE WORLD’S SURFACE IS TARMAC

The ingenious All-New Discovery is equipped for just about any driving situation. Activate the Terrain Response 2® system and it’ll reconfigure the transmission, suspension and traction settings accordingly, providing optimum performance whatever the surface conditions.

Perfect for exploring those parts of the world that aren’t tarmac.

Contact your local dealer for a test drive.

Official Fuel Consumption Figures for the All-New Discovery range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 19.9-36.2 (14.2-7.8); Extra Urban 30.4-48.7 (9.3-5.8); Combined 26.0-43.5 (10.9-6.5). CO2 Emissions 254-171 g/km.

Official EU Test Figures. For comparison purposes only. Real world figures may differ. Drive responsibly on and off road. *Terrain Response 2 system comes as standard on All-New Discovery HSE Luxury and First Edition.

60 | Farming Monthly | May 2017

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| Motors

Kentdale Kendal

Duckworth Land Rover, Market Rasen

01539 814444, www.kentdale.kendal.landrover.co.uk

01673 842101, www.duckworthlandrover.co.uk

Rybrook Huddersfield Land Rover

Conwy Land Rover

01484 516016, www.rybrook.huddersfield.landrover.co.uk

01492 580000, www.conwy.landrover.co.uk

Rybrook Copley Land Rover

Stafford Land Rover

01422 363340, www.rybrook.halifax.landrover.co.uk

01785 214140, www.stafford.landrover.co.uk

Lloyds Kelso 01573 224345, www.lloyd.kelso.landrover.co.uk

Guy Salmon Knutsford 01565 632525, www.guysalmon.knutsford.landrover.co.uk

Duckworth Land Rover, Boston 01205 722110, www.duckworthlandrover.co.uk

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

May 2017 | Farming Monthly | 61

| Motors

Vauxhaul reveals all-new GRANDLAND X SUV Vauxhall has today released the first images of the all-new Grandland X SUV, the third member of its ‘X’ family, which receives its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September. ith a sporty design and off-road looks, the Grandland X has elevated seating for five people, generous luggage space, good all-round visibility and a raft of safety technologies. At 4.48 metres long, it will be the largest SUV in Vauxhall’s range, offering even more cabin space than the 20 centimetre-shorter Mokka X and Crossland X. LIGHTING, COMFORT AND DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS The Grandland X offers a selection of ultramodern assistance and comfort features.

Adaptive Cruise Control with pedestrian detection and Automatic Emergency Braking, Driver Drowsiness Alert, and Advanced Park Assist are just some highlights.

AGR-certified premium ergonomic front seats, heated steering wheel, heated front and rear seats and smart tailgate, that opens with a kick, all ensure driver and passenger comfort.

Grandland X drivers and passengers can enjoy outstanding connectivity that is now typical across the Vauxhall range, with the latest generation of IntelliLink systems and the personal connectivity and service assistant Vauxhall OnStar, which now includes new services such as hotel booking and parking space search. Smartphones can easily be integrated to the infotainment system and charged wirelessly via inductive charging on handsets with this function.

Vauxhall continues to deliver on its

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commitment to lead in lighting technology, equipping the Grandland X with the innovative Adaptive Forward Lighting LED headlamps.

Functions such as cornering light, high beam assist and auto levelling guarantee optimal illumination of the road ahead.

The Grandland X offers safe driving fun on every surface, thanks to the optional electronic Grip Control that ensures traction in diverse driving situations. The driver has a choice of five driving modes, for each one the system adapts the torque distribution to the front wheels, allows wheel-spin if necessary, and, with the automatic transmission, adjusts shift points as well as throttle response. This ensures traction and stable handling regardless of the road surface.

DESIGN At 4,477mm long, 1,844mm wide and 1,636mm high, the new Vauxhall Grandland X is a robust SUV from every perspective. Above the front skid plate, the bold grille proudly displays the Vauxhall Griffin.

The chrome winglets embrace the brand logo and flow outwards to the slim, doublewing LED headlamps, visually widening the front and giving the Grandland X a powerful, solid stance. The bonnet features the signature Vauxhall crease – an expression of the Vauxhall design philosophy of sculptural artistry and technical precision.

The side profile echoes the attractive combination of rugged SUV charm and elegant lines. Muscular, sculpted wheel arches and

protective cladding on the lower body give the Grandland X real off-road appeal. In contrast, clear lines and the refined blade on the lower doors identify the new Grandland X as a member of the Vauxhall family. The optional two-tone finish, with the roof in contrasting black, adds an extra touch of personalisation.

The smooth flow into the rest of the body is emphasised by the “breakthrough” C-pillar, which creates a dynamic bond to the rear. The rear view of the Grandland X shows what real SUV design means, with a wide stance, silver underside protection with integrated tailpipes on the left and right, protective cladding, and slim LED taillights, underlining the newcomer’s sporty, muscular character.

The Grandland X has the same quality on the inside: the instrument panel and centre console with touchscreen are clearly laid out and horizontally aligned to the driver. The centre stack has three horizontal rows of controls for fast and intuitive access to infotainment, climate control and chassis functions.

Drivers and passengers benefit from the elevated seating position typical of an SUV, which ensures good visibility in all situations. Its long wheelbase of 2,675mm means the compact class SUV has plenty of space for up to five people, while the luggage compartment (with a load volume from 514 litres to a maximum of 1,652 litres) offers generous room for luggage and sport equipment.

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