Ayrshire Monitor Farm

Adopting a min-till approach for arable crops is one of the major changes at the South Ayrshire Monitor Farm, while a move to rotational grazing has been affected by this spring’s dry weather However, it has been a great season for the farm’s red clover swards, as visitors at a recent Monitor Farm meeting discovered Monitor Farmers John and Allison Andrew and their son David (above) farm 1770 acres in total, with 150 hill suckler cows and 1000 breeding ewes –550 hill and 450 lowground - with all progeny finished, as well as buying-in 200 store cattle They also grow 100 acres of crops; winter and spring barley, spring oats, wholecrop spring wheat, swedes and fodder beet

The Andrews, who are based at Rowanston near Maybole, are one of nine Monitor Farms across Scotland taking part in the programme run by Quality Meat Scotland and AHDB, and funded by Scottish Government This aims to help to farms reach full economic, social and environmental sustainability by optimising production Over the next four years, other farmers and experts will help the business assess farm performance, explore opportunities, and develop solutions to challenges they face

Among the work in progress, the family is waiting for the results of an Integrated Land Management Plan being done by SAC Consulting, while SoilEssentials has carried out soil sampling and analysis, including precision P and K samples for one of the fields destined for spring barley.

Visitors heard that the most significant change so far has been to

look at min-till as an option for establishing arable crops This followed the first Management Group meeting where local arable farmer Lord David Kennedy from Morriston Farm discussed the approach.

After borrowing some discs, the min-till approach has been tried alongside the farm’s conventional establishment methods for spring barley this year There was little difference between the two, with good germination

in both cases, said John Direct drilled swedes have also been trialled and have germinated well after a slow start due to dry conditions. Weed burdens are considerably less than in previous years when the farm has relied on ploughing and power harrowing, he added.

Savings in time, diesel and plough metal have been the other noticeable benefits of changing approach, inspiring others in the Management Group to give min-till a go

The dry spring affected plans for introducing rotational grazing for sheep A plan was drawn up by grazing specialist Rhidian Jones, but was put on hold until next year However, he explained that the Andrews should start planning for 2024 grazing now and get ahead of the curve, anticipating availability of rented grass and stock numbers and type

Attendees discovered that one crop on farm – red clover – had thrived in the dry conditions. The Andrews have been able to take one silage cut from it in May and a second in mid-July, while grass silage work had been postponed due to poor growth and having extra cattle on-farm after losing some rented grazing

Speaking at the event, seed specialist Paddy Jack of DLF-Trifolium said that red clover could also help reduce dependence on bought-on nitrogen

fertiliser and bagged feed “There is a real place for red clover in the West of Scotland that we are not taking the opportunity with

“Red clover brings in a lot of protein and a yield similar to perennial ryegrass, at 16t DM/ha, but when you combine that with a first cut of maybe 16% protein and a second cut a lot higher, maybe as high as 19-20% protein, we see that farms need less purchased feed The more you can grow at home, the less you have to write cheques for something, the better your farm business is going to be ”

Visitors also heard from The Sheep Game’s Cammy Wilson, who demonstrated the benefits of automated sheep handling facilities and digital technology from New Zealand company Te Pari He highlighted how investing in a handling system that was ‘right for you and your farm’ could reduce handling stress on sheep and people, as well as allowing more accurate flock dosing and treatment.

Speaking after the meeting, Monitor Farmer David Andrew said: “I think a lot of folk took away ideas, in particular the red clover and were thinking about what could work on their farms to meet the challenges that we are all facing ”

Monitor Farm regional adviser Christine Cuthbertson added: “It was fantastic to see almost a hundred folk discussing things at the meeting and afterwards with the BBQ and ice cream, which was sponsored by Dunbia and SoilEssentials, as well as with the team from RSABI

“There was great engagement today and that’s down to the Andrew family being so open and honest about their challenges and sharing in their solutions as the farming climate continues to change.”

For more information about future meetings and to join the South Ayrshire Monitor Farm Community Group, visit www monitorfarms co uk or contact regional adviser Christine Cuthbertson at ccuthbertson@qmscotland co uk tel 07769 366671