18 minute read
Profile: Overbury Enterprises
How strategy to put soil health first has improved estate performance
Farm manager Jake Freestone is reaping the rewards of a strategy to secure the long-term interests of his business.
Gloucestershire farmer Jake Freestone took over the management of Overbury Enterprises near Tewkesbury back in 2003. But he soon realised that a highly intensive approach wasn’t going to maintain incomes and profitability.
With yields plateauing and costs rising, the realisation that subsidies would reduce and greater emphasis would fall on environment and biodiversity issues, encouraged him to look for a way to maintain farm performance with a softer environmental touch.
The approach was to breathe new life into soils, partly shaped by a Nuffield Scholarship including a study tour of US and New Zealand farms. He noticed how soils on non-tillage farms retained better structure and were more bioactive. It opened his eyes.
Soil structure
With land resembling a building site with bricks and patio slabs interspersed with sand and gravel, the goal was to improve soil structure and resilience. What started as mintill trials has now turned into a notill cover crop strategy.
Mr Freestone now direct drills
Improving soil health has paid dividends, says Jake Freestone
all cereal crops using a 6m cross slot drill, pulled by a John Deere 9370. He acknowledges that a no-till approach has its problems during wet autumns. In such situations, he will revert to a spring crop.
“The margins might be lower but lower fixed costs means it evens out.”
Extended rotations include niche crops such as soya and linseed, encouraging beneficial pollinators, cover and companion crops, and livestock. And when you look at the figures, they are impressive.
Continued overleaf
Call 01508 473607
Mob 07748 500611 Fax 01508 471478 sales@ellisirrigation.co.uk
www.ellisirrigation.co.uk
Nationwide next day delivery on all irrigation related spares and fittings
£20,500*£22,000
*Portable pump unit: Bunded, full acoustic enclosure, engine protection, Capari 80/43a pump, suction/delivery/ electric prime. Able to run 3 irrigators
*A G5D 110/500 with computer/solar panel, offset trolley, hydraulic jack/staker legs/turntable, Komet 140 VA Gun, Inlet hose, floatation tyres, beacon
£20,500*£22,000
Sprayed Foam Insulation Specialists FOR A FREE QUOTE CALL: 01405 812682
Polyurethane sprayed foam insulation leaders
Crop stores, workshops, barns. Frost damage protection, insulation upgrades, condensation. info@webstersinsulation.com www.webstersinsulation.com
Continuedfrom previous page
Total winter wheat establishment costs via a plough and press system were £169/ha, a sizeable chunk of that being fuel. Moves to min-till and then a one-pass system reduced costs further, but the no-till approach for the 2020/21 season was just £46/ha.
Other benefits
There’s a host of ‘spin-off’ benefits too. Time input has also reduced dramatically, from 56 minutes ha to just 14, freeing up staff for other farm and estate duties. Capital expenditure for machinery has reduced by over £250,000.
In some seasons cover crops have produced the equivalent of £273 kg/N/ Ha – similar savings have been made in P & K. “Our costs of establishing a cover crop are typically in the £76/ha mark. It’s nothing to what we are saving in reduced fertiliser use.”
Mr Freestone likes to get cover crops established quickly after harvest – with bare earth leaving ground exposed to the elements and temperature and day length giving crops a good start.
But perhaps the more important isJake Freestone is one of several farmers evaluating Bayer’s Climate FieldView, as well as other digital and diagnostic technology.
Like others, Jake is still to fully immerse himself fully with software package but recognises its potential. “Hopefully, easy access to detailed field yield data will allow us to evaluate variable rate strategies in more detail and refine where necessary.”
Data is realtime. But most useful is the ability to select various field areas for comparison via various tools within the programme. The ability to select any field area regardless of shape or complexity is seen as a standout feature.
Biomass maps
Colour coded micro field data over different seasons clearly highlights problem areas, which can be further analysed by biomass maps in the Field Health Imagery suite. The level of insight is remarkable.”
FieldView isn’t an alternative to existing precision farming platforms, but something to supplement them. With FieldView, all data is in one place, and can be accessed at any time whether at the farm or off it,” says Bayer’s Mr Dafforn.
sue is the cover crop mix itself. Again diverse, some mixes can have up to sixteen different crops including buckwheat – many with varying root characteristics.
“There’s considerable difference between a big tap rooting crop like fodder radish and fibrous-rooted vetch. That is important in improving structure in top soil and depth. Mixture diversity also benefits a wider number of species, many of which are beneficial.”
As a result, it has seen organic matter levels double, regardless of brick, patio or sand and gravel. Winter wheat averages have improved by up 0.5t/ha. “These are small gains but when applied across the farm it is significant.”
Looking ahead
Oilseed rape performance was also impressive in 2020/21. Even with the challenge of cabbage stem flea beetle, yields hit the five-year average of 3.6t/ ha. More so is that no pesticides have been needed to manage the pest.
Cover crop shading and companion crop competition tempt pests elsewhere and meaning autumn weed control was a single autumn application Continued on p14
Digital tools offer further refinement
Thomas Scott Seating
Celebrating 96 years in business 1924-2020
Forklift seats and seat spares for all types.
KAB SCIOX tractor seats.
Truck seats from GRAMMER, KAB and ISRI. Full stock of GRAMMER seats and spare parts in stock.
Full range of economy tractor seats.
Seat repairs, covers and spare parts for all ranges.
www.agriculturalbuildingconstruction.co.uk Email: info@agriculturalbuildingconstruction.co.uk Tel: 07981 031613 / 01945 660231 | Wisbech, Cambs So why should you call us today? • Free quotation • Competitive rates • All work fully insured • Skilled, committed staff • Highly professional service Suppliers of Agricultural Buildings with • Plant hire available with operator associated groundworks and concrete flooring provided by our sister company SJ Stanberry & Sons Ltd
Agricultural Building Construction Ltd operate nationwide, providing steel framed buildings with associated groundworks. Our aim is to provide a high quality product at an affordable price combined with a customer service second to none. Buildings for housing livestock to storing grain in vermin-free and farm assured conditions. • Dairy housing • Beef housing • Sheep housing • Crop storage • Silage clamps • Grain stores • Workshops • General stores
Concrete Flooring Speciali •INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL •STEEL FIXING •BRUSH, TAMP OR POWER st
SJ STANBERRY&SONFLOATFINISHES SLTD •FOUNDATIONS Concrete Flooring SpecialistSee us at Agri Expo -March 7th• POULTRYUNITS AND STABLE YARDS
SJ STANBERRY&SONSLTD•INDUSTRIAL, AGRICULTURAL • MATERIAL ADVICE AND COSTING See us at Agri Expo -March 7th OR COMMERCIAL •INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL •SILO BASES •APRONS &SHED FLOORS •ANAEROBIC DIGESTION • INDUSTRIAL, AGRICULTURAL •INDUSTRIAL, AGRICULTURAL•STEEL FIXINGTANK BASES OR COMMERCIAL • INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL •BRUSH,•GRAIN, POTATO& MACHINERYSTORES OR COMMERCIALTAMP OR POWER • STEEL FIXING • BRUSH, TAMP OR POWER FLOAT FINISHES •INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL •STEEL FIXING FLOATFINISHES •FOUNDATIONS •PATHS, PATIOS AND DRIVEWAYS •GROUNDWORKS & •BRUSH, TAMP OR POWER FLOATFINISHES •FOUNDATIONS • POULTRYUNITS AND • POULTRYUNITS AND STABLE YARDS • MATERIAL ADVICE AND COSTING 01945 870076 •nationwide coverage •sales@sjstanberry.com•www.sjstanberry.com PREPARATION 01945 870 076 • nationwide coverage • www.sjstanberry.com • sales@sjstanberry.com STABLE•SILO YARDS BASES ••APMATERIAL ADVICE ANDRONS &SHED FLOORS •ANAEROBIC COSTING DIGESTION •SILOTANK BASES BASES •APRONS &SHED FLOORS•GRAIN, POTATO& •ANAEROBIC DIGESTIONMACHINERYSTORES •PAT TANK BASESHS, PATIOS AND •GRAIN, POTATO&DRIVEWAYS MACHINERYSTORES•GROUNDWORKS & •PATHS, PATIOS ANDPREPARATION DRIVEWAYS 01945 870076 •GROUNDWORKS & PREPARATION •nationwide coverage •sales@sjstanberry.com•www.sjstanberry.com
• FOUNDATIONS • POULTRY UNITS AND STABLE YARDS • MATERIAL ADVICE AND COSTING • SILO BASES
Concrete Flooring Specialist SJ STANBERRY&SONSLTD Concrete Flooring Specialist SJ STANBERRY&SONSLTD Concrete Flooring Specialist SJ STANBERRY&SONSLTDConcrete Flooring Specialist SJ STANBERRY&SONSLTD See us at Agri Expo -March 7thSee us at Agri Expo -March 7thSee us at Agri Expo -March 7th See us at Agri Expo -March 7th • APRONS & SHED FLOORS • ANAEROBIC DIGESTION TANK BASES • GRAIN, POTATO & MACHINERY STORES • PATHS, PATIOS, DRIVEWAYS • GROUNDWORKS & PREP •INDUSTRIAL, AGRICULTURAL OR COMMERCIAL •INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL •STEEL FIXING •BRUSH, TAMP OR POWER FLOATFINISHES •FOUNDATIONS • POULTRYUNITS AND STABLE YARDS • MATERIAL ADVICE AND COSTING •SILO BASES •INDUSTRIAL, AGRICULTURAL OR COMMERCIAL •INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL •STEEL FIXING •BRUSH, TAMP OR POWER FLOATFINISHES •FOUNDATIONS • POULTRYUNITS AND STABLE YARDS • MATERIAL ADVICE AND COSTING •SILO BASES •INDUSTRIAL, AGRICULTURAL OR COMMERCIAL •INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL •STEEL FIXING •BRUSH, TAMP OR POWER FLOATFINISHES •FOUNDATIONS • POULTRYUNITS AND STABLE YARDS • MATERIAL ADVICE AND COSTING •SILO BASES •INDUSTRIAL, AGRICULTURAL OR COMMERCIAL •INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL •STEEL FIXING •BRUSH, TAMP OR POWER FLOATFINISHES •FOUNDATIONS • POULTRYUNITS AND STABLE YARDS • MATERIAL ADVICE AND COSTING •SILO BASES See us at •APRONS &SHED FLOORS •ANAEROBIC DIGESTION TANK BASES •GRAIN, POTATO& MACHINERYSTORES •PATHS, PATIOS AND DRIVEWAYS •GROUNDWORKS & PREPARATION •APRONS &SHED FLOORS •ANAEROBIC DIGESTION TANK BASES •GRAIN, POTATO& MACHINERYSTORES •PATHS, PATIOS AND DRIVEWAYS •GROUNDWORKS & PREPARATION •APRONS &SHED FLOORS •ANAEROBIC DIGESTION TANK BASES •GRAIN, POTATO& MACHINERYSTORES •PATHS, PATIOS AND DRIVEWAYS •GROUNDWORKS & PREPARATION •APRONS &SHED FLOORS •ANAEROBIC DIGESTION TANK BASES •GRAIN, POTATO& MACHINERYSTORES •PATHS, PATIOS AND DRIVEWAYS •GROUNDWORKS & PREPARATION
hall 17, stand
01945 870076 •nationwide coverage •sales@sjstanberry.com•www.sjstanberry.com 01945 870076 •nationwide coverage •sales@sjstanberry.com•www.sjstanberry.com 01945 870076 •nationwide coverage •sales@sjstanberry.com•www.sjstanberry.com01945 870076 atio ide ales@sjstanb jstanb 17.420
Continued from p12 of AstroKerb (propyzamide + aminopyralid) for blackgrass and broadleaved weeds.
Despite hilly terrain over much of the farm soil erosion is practically nil, the reduced fuel from direct drilling equivalent to 60 tonnes of CO2, reduced farm inputs protecting water courses and now an of abundance wildlife.
The estate has been in the hands of the Martin family since 1723. They place great emphasis on the estate’s relationship with customers, staff and community. Mr Freestone and his team have taken this to great levels.
With local interest groups, they have set about creating habitat and nesting sites for Barn Owls and a British Trust For Ornithology bird ringing initiative. The West Midlands Ring Group had the delight of finding two rare and elusive Dotterel in early October.
“What we’ve set out to achieve is a strategy that goes beyond ‘public good’ but something for the true long-term. It will be good to believe farming will still be part of the Overbury life 300 years from now,” he concludes.
ads.qxp_Layout 1 16/05/2019 09:06 Page 16
A diverse mix of cropping means soil health has much improved
G.R. BOURNE & SON
DITCHING, DRAINAGE & GROUNDWORKS CONTRACTOR G.R. BOURNE DITCHING & DRAINAGE CONTRACTOR New Cut Ditching / Deepening and Re-Profiling Banks / Mudding 360 Excavators 8-20 tonne + 15m Long Reach Reed Cutting Buckets & Tree Shears Spilsby, Lincolnshire Tel: 07961538107 or 01754890683 Email glynnbourne@btinternet.com G.R. BOURNE DITCHING & DRAINAGE CONTRACTOR New Cut Ditching / Deepening and Re-Profiling Banks / Mudding 360 Excavators 8-20 tonne + 15m Long Reach Reed Cutting Buckets & Tree Shears Spilsby, Lincolnshire Tel: 07961538107 or 01754890683 Email glynnbourne@btinternet.com 360 excavators 8-20 tonne + 15m long reach New cut ditching • Deepening • Re-profiling banks • Mudding Reed cutting buckets and tree shears
T: 07961 538107 or 01754 890683 E: glynnbourne@btinternet.com Spilsby, Lincolnshire
Freephone: 0800 328 5492
The Dependable Choice in Drainage
In rural areas without a mains drainage system, and where septic tanks will no longer reach environmental standards, Allerton can provide the ideal solution. Trading since 1974, Allerton are leading specialists in efficient treatment systems. They pride themselves on their individual, problem solving approach to dealing with alternative means of treating and disposing of raw sewage.
The Allerton ConSept converts your existing Septic Tank or Cesspit into a fully functioning Sewage Treatment Plant.
The Diamond Sewage Treatment range is suitable for either individual homes or small population applications
When Gravity Drainage is not possible choose Allerton Pumping Stations for Sewage or Dirty Water Servicing & Maintenance on a wide range of Sewage Treatment Plant and Pump Stations by BRITISH WATER ACCREDITED ENGINEERS.
Plan nitrogen applications to get best valuer from fertiliser
High prices mean nitrogen applications must be carefully planned. Natalie Wood explains how.
The European gas market has been extremely volatile in recent months. Prices have soared with a knock-on effect on fertiliser production costs.
Why? Because natural gas is part of the manufacturing process. In one week alone, production costs rose by almost £200/t. It’s a staggering amount.
What does this mean for growers? Well, the price you bought at will impact upon the optimum nitrogen (N) rate you should apply in terms of economics.
If you bought nitrogen earlier on in the year – at £280 for example – your economic optimum won’t have changed.
You will still be ok to stick with, say, 220kg of N on winter wheat. But if you paid £700/t in recent weeks, you may find you need to adjust your rate.
Nitrogen response
Our own trial data illustrates this point. A response curve occurs as the rate of nitrogen increases and the yield follows accordingly. But at a certain point, the curve plateaus. At particularly high rates, the curve begins to decrease.
This perfectly demonstrates that there is a biologically optimum nitrogen rate. From there, we can calculate the optimum nitrogen rate in terms of cost, taking both crop and fertiliser prices into account.
Trials show that the first 100kg of nitrogen gives us the best response. This is therefore an excellent return on investment (ROI) – no matter how much the fertiliser costs. The next 60kg of nitrogen also gives us a good response and meets ROI.
When we get to the final 50-60kgN/ha we must be more careful. ROI can vary depending on pricing, crop potential, weather conditions and more. All of this needs to be considered to make an application economically viable.
In essence, this means growers who have had to buy at a high price may then need to reduce their fertiliser rates to establish a good ROI. For example, a rate of 160kgN/ha for wheat will deliver just that.
We can re-evaluate whether the last 5060kg of nitrogen is required when spring arrives. Pricing, crop potential, mineralisation and our use of effective tools will all help us make the call whether that’s the right thing to do for our farm in economic terms.
In a season where financial circumstances will play an even heavier role in farmer decisions, it is more important to ensure all aspects of crop nutrition – not just nitrogen – are robust and conducive to a good yield potential.
We often talk about Nitrogen Use Efficiency, but Nutrient Use Efficiency should be the focus. All nutrients work together within a plant for optimum growth. Sulphur, for example, increases the uptake efficiency of nitrogen – meaning you will not only benefit from the sulphur, but through the resulting utilisation of available nitrogen in the soil as well.
Fertiliser prices have rocketed – and could go higher before easing
We see it in Yara products and trials. Independent trial work over the years has shown an average yield increase of 0.85t/ha in wheat and 0.5t/ha in oilseed from sulphur.
If you are going at the 160kgN/ha rate for winter wheat, using an NS product to provide all the nitrogen is perfect for ensuring that sulphur is applied little and often too, thereby increasing the uptake efficiency.
Independent work
Applying sulphur little and often benefits yield due to reducing losses through potential leaching – so an NS product is certainly the better choice this season over straight nitrogen.
In a normal year, only 25% of nitrogen actually needs to be applied as straight for that final application.
If that’s not economically viable this year, you might be wasting money that you won’t see a return on. As always, we need to look at the whole picture.
Work out what’s best for your farm. Remove inputs that ultimately cost more than they’ll deliver in value. Put an effective nutrient management plan in place now and consider your position when next season arrives.
Natalie Wood is agronomy operations manager for fertiliser manufacturer Yara
Suppliers of: Suppliers of: Maize Maize
Maize Maize Grass Grass
Grass Grass Game Cover Game Cover
Game Cover Game Cover Roots & Green Covers Roots & Green Covers Call the team on Call the team on
Roots & Green Covers Roots & Green CoversBiotal additives Biotal additives Call the team on Call the team on 01531 822833 01531 822833
Biotal additives Biotal additives Green Farm Seeds are pleased to support John Watson and Son 01531 822833 01531 822833Equine Equine
WHY GROW WHY GROW
UK SOYA? UK SOYA?Suppliers of: Suppliers of: Green Farm Seeds are pleased to support John Watson and Son Landscape & Sports Landscape & Sports
Maize Grass Maize GrassNow suppliers of Silostop silage sheets Landscape & Sports Native Wild flowers Now suppliers of Silostop silage sheets Landscape & Sports Native Wild flowers Green Farm Seeds are pleased to support John Watson and Son Suppliers of: Suppliers of: Now suppliers of Silostop silage sheetsNative Wild flowers Now suppliers of Silostop silage sheetsNative Wild flowers GFS A6 Advert_01_19.indd 1 GFS A6 Advert_01_19.indd 1 Maize Grass Suppliers of: Maize Grass Suppliers of: Game Cover Equine Biotal additives Roots & Green Covers Call the team on 01531 822833 Game Cover Equine Biotal additives Roots & Green Covers Call the team on 01531 822833 • Collection or Prompt Delivery • FREE Catalogue & Advice E: info@greenfarmseeds.com www.greenfarmseeds.com 22/01/2019 13:21 • Collection or Prompt Delivery • FREE Catalogue & Advice E: info@greenfarmseeds.com www.greenfarmseeds.com 22/01/2019 13:21 Maize Grass Game Cover Maize Grass Game Cover • Collection or Prompt Delivery • FREE Catalogue & Advice E: info@greenfarmseeds.com www.greenfarmseeds.com GFS A6 Advert_01_19.indd 1 22/01/2019 13:21 • Collection or Prompt Delivery • FREE Catalogue & Advice E: info@greenfarmseeds.com www.greenfarmseeds.com GFS A6 Advert_01_19.indd 1 22/01/2019 13:21 Game Cover Game Cover
Nitrogen-fixing break crop Greatly reduced Blackgrass burden Improved soil structure Reduced slug populations No significant disease Now suppliers of Silostop silage sheets Landscape & Sports Native Wild flowers Now suppliers of Silostop silage sheets Landscape & Sports Native Wild flowers Roots & Green Covers Call the team on Roots & Green Covers Call the team on Roots & Green Covers No significant pests Rotationally compatible with peas/beans Easy harvesting in September • Collection or Prompt Delivery • FREE Catalogue & Advice E: info@greenfarmseeds.com www.greenfarmseeds.com GFS A6 Advert_01_19.indd 1 22/01/2019 13:21 • Collection or Prompt Delivery • FREE Catalogue & Advice E: info@greenfarmseeds.com www.greenfarmseeds.com GFS A6 Advert_01_19.indd 1 22/01/2019 13:21Equine Biotal additives 01531 822833 Equine Biotal additives 01531 822833 Equine Magniva additives Huge, high-value market for UK crop New UK adapted varieties No lodging Landscape & Sports Landscape & SportsLandscape & Sports Attractive gross margin
Roots & Green Covers Call the team on Call the team on Biotal additives 01531 822833 01531 822833 Equine Landscape & Sports
Now suppliers of Silostop silage sheetsNative Wild flowers Now suppliers of Silostop silage sheetsNative Wild flowers Now suppliers of Silostop silage sheetsNative Wild Flowers Now suppliers of Silostop silage sheetsNative Wild flowers
Soya UK Ltd, Longways House, Burnetts Lane, West End, Southampton, SO30 2HH.
www.soya-uk.com T: 02380 696922 email: enquiries@soya-uk.com Soya UK LtdSoyaUK • Collection or Prompt Delivery • FREE Catalogue & Advice E: info@greenfarmseeds.com www.greenfarmseeds.com • Collection or Prompt Delivery • FREE Catalogue & Advice E: info@greenfarmseeds.com www.greenfarmseeds.com • Collection or Prompt Delivery • FREE Catalogue & Advice E: info@greenfarmseeds.com www.greenfarmseeds.com • Collection or Prompt Delivery • FREE Catalogue & Advice E: info@greenfarmseeds.com www.greenfarmseeds.com @SoyaUKLtd
GFS A6 Advert_01_19.indd 1 GFS A6 Advert_01_19.indd 1 GFS A6 Advert_01_19.indd 1 GFS A6 Advert_01_19.indd 1
22/01/2019 13:21 22/01/2019 13:21
22/01/2019 13:21 22/01/2019 13:21
Offering a full range of quality agricultural equipment throughout the West
Midlands and South Wales. TAG - Your Local Machinery Specialists. Tallis Amos are proud to supply MW Farming
6R
SERIES GO SMART,
