Know How / Environment Must reads Practical adviceSee all PIGSBenefits of grass leys for outdoor pig unitsGrass mixes can establish well and withstand grazing by outdoor pigs, helping protect soils and watercourses, a three-year trial has shown. The trial took place in north Norfolk on 16ha… BARLEYWhy spring barley can help growers cut their carbon footprintSpring barley can help growers drive down their carbon footprint by using better varietal genetics and using the benefits of cover crops. Spring crops, in general, are seen as better… FARM POLICYTips to survive and thrive amid falling BPS paymentsThe UK agricultural sector is undergoing the biggest policy shake-up in 60 years, and government support for farmers is facing a radical overhaul. Defra has started its new Environmental Land… AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONHarvesting rainwater: Benefits and how to do it on your farmOn paper, collecting rainwater would seem to make sense – water is essential for farming, can be scarce as last summer highlighted, and there’s a cost attached to taking it… POULTRYHow to plant trees to reduce poultry emissions and carbonWith trees featuring widely in new government farm support schemes, and with pressure on the poultry industry to reduce emissions, tree planting has become more important than ever for producers.… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTGuide to soil biology and how to protect itMany farms are closer to being “regenerative” than they might think, says a leading soil scientist. Ian Bell of Northern Soil Regen told delegates at Carbon Calling in Cumbria last… Case studiesSee all CROP MANAGEMENTHow Wold Top Brewery barley grower lowered carbon footprintThe Yorkshire farming family behind the successful Wold Top Brewery and Yorkshire’s first single-malt whisky distillery is using the latest precision mapping technology in its drive towards a low-carbon, sustainable… SHEEPVideo: How a lowland farm is preparing for low-methane sheepResults from the first UK farm to test methane emissions in sheep using portable accumulation chambers have shown they were producing on average about 20g/day of methane and 1.2kg/day of… LIVESTOCKFeed and slurry key to pig producers' emissions reductionLivestock are often seen as key contributors to greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) – including methane from ruminants and the carbon footprint of animal feed based on imported products such as… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTHow an upland farm is adapting to unpredictable seasonsFlexible grazing, stores of good-quality silage and better ewe body condition are among measures used to mitigate against increasingly unseasonal weather at a research farm in the Grampian foothills. Glensaugh… SOILSCarbon audit highlights priorities for net-zero successA 10-year sustainability plan put in place just over a year ago at Squerryes Estate in Westerham, Kent, has provided a framework for the business as it navigates its way… MAIZEBenefits of undersowing maize for soil, water and grazingTom Kimber has been growing maize at Higher Stavordale Farm near Wincanton in Somerset for at least 10 years, but it is only recently that he has turned his focus… InsightsSee all ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMESHow a Scottish farmer transformed farm biodiversity with treesA Scottish farmer with a passion for nature has created a 100-acre “wildlife corridor” by transforming his land, with new, native broadleaf trees, with preserving farm biodiversity core to his… AIR AND WATERWhat next for Natural England’s protected landscapes plans?Farmers on the Land’s End peninsula, West Penwith, have managed the land without outside interference for millennia. But that is all about to change after the Defra body Natural England… ARABLETips on establishing perennial wildflower strips for beesEstablishing perennial wildflower strips is one way to attract bees into fields, but sometimes it can prove frustrating, with some species failing to establish, limiting the value to pollinators. Bees… COVER CROPSResearch quantifies role of cover crops in carbon captureFive years of trial work in Northamptonshire have shown that cover crops in a direct drilling system removed 27t/ha of carbon dioxide equivalents, highlighting their role in reducing a farm’s… SOILSWhy one landowner is opting for a biodiversity net gain schemeAn Essex landowner is likely to take up to 17% of his 400ha of arable out of production in favour of a biodiversity net gain scheme, while potentially producing and… LIVESTOCKWhy diverse forage mixtures could improve outwinteringFindings from a recent trial in Devon have concluded that outwintering cattle on a diverse mix of forages can help improve both animal and soil health, while also benefiting the… CARBONClimate adaptation and resilience within the farm businessOn Thursday 27 April 2023, Farmers Weekly hosted its webinar on climate adaptation and resilience within the farm business with the Woodland Trust. Integrating trees into farming systems provides opportunities… MACHINERYHow alternative fuels are helping to reduce farm emissionsDiesel-powered transport and machinery have been under scrutiny globally for some time now due to their large environmental impact in the form of hefty CO2 emissions. Recent years have seen… Latest environment newsSee all AWARDSFarmers Weekly Awards 2023: Environmental Champion finalistsThe winner of this award, chosen from the finalists in the other Awards categories, is the farmer judged to have made the most positive impact on the wider environment and… BIODIVERSITYFarming in Protected Landscapes gets £10m boostThe Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme has been extended by Defra until March 2025 with an additional £10m in funding due to be provided each year. The move is… AIR AND WATERIrish farmers angered by change to slurry spreading rulesFarmers affiliated to the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) have picketed a meeting organised by agriculture minister Charlie McConalogue, in response to tougher rules on slurry spreading and delays to subsidy… ENVIRONMENTRelaxed planning for onshore wind welcomed by farming sectorPlanning requirements for onshore wind farms have been relaxed by government ministers, which should help streamline the construction process. The changes should help create faster planning applications and would allow… ENVIRONMENTTesco to expand its low-carbon fertiliser trial tenfoldTesco has announced plans to increase its trials of low-carbon fertiliser products from 1,300ha this year to 13,000ha in 2024. The UK’s largest retailer has also confirmed it will also… FARM POLICYGreen policies to the fore in Scot's government work agendaScotland’s first minister Humza Yousaf has set out his “programme for government” for 2023-24, including a long list of priorities for farming and the rural economy, with a particular emphasis… ENVIRONMENTAttempts to ban heather burning criticised by scientistsPolicymakers have been accused of ignoring the scientific evidence when it comes to moorland burning, and of pandering to special interest groups “which regularly ignore or distort evidence in order… AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONFarmers to lose out as housebuilders ‘let off’ on pollutionFarmers in England are set to lose access to a fledgling private nutrient offset market, potentially worth millions of pounds to participants, after the government scrapped water pollution restrictions for… AIR AND WATERPenwith Moors farmers sell up following SSSI designationFarmers and landowners in West Penwith have started to dispose of their holdings following the designation of the area as a protected site. Natural England (NE) designated more than 3,000ha… ENVIRONMENTFarmers react to EA's ground cover rules breach claimsThe Environment Agency (EA) has been accused of incompetence after a number of arable farmers received letters falsely accusing them of breaking the Farming Rules for Water. The basis of… ENVIRONMENTWildlife Trusts launches £6m rewilding and wild animal fundA step change in the area of British countryside to be rewilded and a boost to the number of wild species to be introduced is being planned by the Wildlife… NEWSClimate change in Mediterranean set to hit UK food supplyClimate change in the Mediterranean is set to threaten the UK’s supply of fresh fruit and vegetables, according to a new report from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).… VideoSee all SHEEPVideo: How a lowland farm is preparing for low-methane sheepResults from the first UK farm to test methane emissions in sheep using portable accumulation chambers have shown they were producing on average about 20g/day of methane and 1.2kg/day of… CARBONClimate adaptation and resilience within the farm businessOn Thursday 27 April 2023, Farmers Weekly hosted its webinar on climate adaptation and resilience within the farm business with the Woodland Trust. Integrating trees into farming systems provides opportunities… NUTRITION AND FERTILISERNew slurry treatment fixes N from air to create enriched fertA novel slurry treatment unit that boosts the nitrogen content of liquid manures, using only air and electricity, aims to help farmers reduce reliance on artificial fertiliser, improve crop performance… FARM POLICYVideo: Farmer demands clarity on autumn muckspreading banA Surrey farmer is demanding clarity from the Environment Agency (EA) on behalf of all farmers over its effective ban on most manure applications to arable land in the autumn.…
