Friday March 21, 2014

Day 63..

Plant Science & Crop Production... We started off by discussing ESS - environmental stewardship schemes and how there are different levels according to land farmed - els (entry level stewardship), hls (high level stewardship), oels (organic entry level stewardship) and uels (upland entry level stewardship). Land owners receive a certain amount of money per hectare, along with a number of points, upon commitment to maintaining certain criteria for an agreed number of years on their land.
Then Another assignment was given out! So we were given some input with regards to some of the tasks relating to field walks / observations required around brack! I was a little lost with all the information here, from record taking, fertiliser recommendations and some sources as i couldn't relate all of it to the assignment brief, but let's see how it goes...

Grassland Management... Analysing silage, why it is important, when to do it and how to do it!

It is important to analyse your grass silage in order to assess the actual feed value of the roughage during the winter months when you have to calculate winter feeding programs.It will also enable you to see if there are any nutritional deficiencies that could have an impact on animal health and production during winter months when they are housed and / or being fed silage.

Sampling should take place at least six weeks after harvesting, as this will have allowed the fermentation process to take place.

To ensure that the sample is a true representation of what is going to be fed to the livestock, it is essential to take the sample directly from the farm. From a silage clamp it is recommended that three ‘core’ samples are taken from the top of the clamp in a diagonal direction. Additional samples are then taken from 15-20cm behind the face of the silage – to avoid damaged and mouldy areas, in a ‘W’ pattern, taking a variety of horizontal and vertical samples. All of the sample are then mixed thoroughly providing a true sample. Where possible send the sample off at the beginning of a week!