Weather conditions such as these can disrupt the natural availability of key trace elements, with serious implications for lamb growth and immunity before and after weaning.

Sarah Gallimore, technical associate at livestock health and husbandry specialist Nettex, said:

“Cobalt and selenium play vital roles in post-weaning lamb health. Low levels can impact immune function and growth at a time when lambs are already under stress from weaning and potentially facing parasite challenges. 

“Identifying the issue and finding a suitable drench or bolus can help prevent disease and improve post weaning weight.”

Deficiencies on farm

Research from Teagasc reinforces this concern:

• 73% of surveyed sheep farms had cobalt-deficient herbage
• Only 11% had herbage with sufficient levels of selenium.

The same research showed cobalt supplementation significantly boosted lamb performance post-weaning, resulting in higher carcass weights.

Selenium is key to supporting immunity and preventing white muscle disease, while cobalt is vital for vitamin B12 synthesis in the rumen, which is a crucial factor in energy metabolism and liveweight gain. 

As cobalt cannot be stored in the body, a steady supply throughout the grazing season is essential.

What are the signs?

Sarah said: “Deficiencies often go unnoticed until lamb performance starts to decline. Weaning is a vulnerable period, and any nutritional shortfall can cause a growth check or increased susceptibility to disease.”

Typical signs of cobalt deficiency include poor growth, dull fleece, loss of appetite, runny eyes, and increased worm burdens due to reduced immunity.

Top tips

Sarah recommends forage analysis as a first step. “Testing forage gives farmers clarity on what’s lacking and allows them to supplement effectively – whether via drenches, boluses, free access or in-feed options. 

“It’s about ensuring lambs continue to thrive, not just survive, after weaning.

“When choosing a supplementation product, it’s also important to consider how long those animals are on the farm for and what is in the products.”

She suggests lambs that are leaving the farm, but need supplementation, can benefit from a Nettex’s Cobalt, Selenium and B12 drench. 

Alternatively, a micro-bolus such as Cob-I-sel 60 can be used to deliver iodine, selenium and multi-vitamins over 60 days.  

“With rapidly changing grass quality and increasing demands on youngstock, it’s important farmers understand the trace element situation on their farm and act now to safeguard lamb health and performance,” she said.

Read more sheep news.

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James Waight runs a seventh-generation family farm in Wiltshire, managing 450 breeding Aberdeen Angus cattle on an 8,000-acre estate.

The land, located on Salisbury Plain, isn’t just farmland, it’s also a Ministry of Defence (MOD) training area, a protected conservation site, and home to some of the rarest grassland habitats in Europe.

Balancing livestock management, military operations, and environmental stewardship has always been a challenge. But together with Nofence, James found a way to make it work.

Grazing without boundaries

Grazing cattle on a live-firing range presents risks that few farmers ever have to consider.

Temporary electric fences were the only viable option in the past, but they were far from reliable.

Wires were often broken by deer, leading to costly escapes and safety concerns.

Moving cattle around the training schedule was a logistical headache, and setting up fences across the rugged chalk grassland took up valuable time and labour.

“Nofence has completely changed how we operate. Historically, we spent hours putting up and repairing electric fences. Now, I can adjust grazing areas remotely,” he adds. 

Since adopting Nofence five years ago, James has been able to manage his herd with far greater precision, keeping cattle safe while ensuring the land is grazed at the right times.

The ability to track the herd in real-time has also been a game-changer for livestock health and welfare.

More time, less labour

With fewer fences to install and patrol, James has drastically reduced the time spent on infrastructure maintenance. “We’ve saved half a labour unit because we no longer spend time setting up and patrolling fences.”

Instead of constantly chasing fence repairs, James says he and his team can now focus on herd planning, conservation efforts, and family life.

The reduced need for vehicle patrols has also cut wear and tear on farm equipment, further driving down costs.

Conservation and fire prevention

Salisbury Plain is a haven for rare wildlife, including the marsh fritillary butterfly, which depends on carefully grazed grasslands to thrive.

With Nofence, James can fine-tune his grazing strategy to support conservation efforts, creating corridors that allow delicate plant species to flourish without being smothered by dominant grasses.

“It’s so much more flexible now. Before, there were areas we simply couldn’t graze because getting a fence up was too tricky. Now, we can adapt on the go.”

Grazing also plays a crucial role in wildfire prevention. Dry grass is a major fire risk, especially in areas where live ammunition is used.

By strategically rotating cattle, James is actively reducing the fuel load, lowering the risk of uncontrolled fires while maintaining the health of the landscape.

Decision paid off

James says he didn’t start using Nofence just for the novelty, he chose it because it truly solved a challenge he was facing.

It eliminated the frustration of unreliable fencing, improved livestock safety, and gave him greater control over his land. Looking back, he feels confident it was the right choice for him.

“The best thing we ever did. Our operation is more efficient, our cattle are safer, and we have more control than ever before.”

For James, virtual fencing isn’t just about making life easier, it’s about making farming more efficient.

And on Salisbury Plain, where every decision impacts both the military and the environment, that’s exactly what’s needed.

For more information, visit the Nofence website.

Read more livestock news.

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Many Welsh farms are missing out on grass yield potential because they fall short on pH and key macronutrients (P, K, Mg), the report shows.

More than 3,000 soil samples were collected by Farming Connect from grassland fields on livestock farms across Wales in the 12 months to March 2024.

Analysis of these has highlighted the opportunity for many farms to correct soil pH and indices needed for optimal grass production and environmental benefits.

Soil pH 

Less than 50% were at pH 6.0–7.0, the optimum range for grassland, with the majority (53%) of soil samples below the optimum pH range. 

Soil pH is integral to forage productivity as inadequate levels can negatively influence nutrient availability in soils and, as a consequence, forage performance. 

Soils within an optimum pH range, will benefit livestock performance and farm economics as well as delivering environmental benefits through maximising resource efficiency as a Sustainable Land Management Outcome.       

Reviewing lime and fertiliser applications may therefore be needed as a first step to ensuring pH does not negatively affect fertiliser utilisation while also reducing the risk of nutrient losses via run-off which will improve water quality.

P, K and Mg 

It was a similar picture for phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), again with fewer than half of soil samples at the optimum indexes for these nutrients. 

In fact, a large proportion of soil samples were categorised as being below the optimum P and K indexes.

For P and K, altering the indices is no quick fix as industry advice is to build up depleted levels, and to run down concentrations of nutrients that are higher than they should be.

A large percentage were higher than the optimum index for magnesium (Mg), which can cause soils to become difficult to work. 

Mg concentrations at index 0 were also reported and circumstances in which livestock risk hypomagnesaemia (grass staggers) are principal reasons for correcting levels of this nutrient. 

Importance of soil testing 

Siwan Howatson, head of technical at Farming Connect, said: 

“These results indicate the importance of regular soil testing and targeted nutrient management on farms. 

“Get in touch with your local Development Officer today to learn more about how Farming Connect can support you to improve your soil health which in turn will also achieve the Sustainable Land Management Outcomes; mitigating flood and drought risk as well as maximising carbon sequestration and storage.’’

Farming Connect soil clinics provided the opportunity for registered businesses to have soils analysed. 

Sampling and analysis were also carried out on the Farming Connect Our Farms Network Farms. 

The samples were compared to accepted industry standards, as set out in the AHDB Nutrient Management Guide RB209, last updated in June 2023. 

They were categorised by region – North East, North West, Powys, South East and the South West, and this showed that region did have an influence on the level of some nutrients, notably Mg. 

Read more soil health news.

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The Kverneland Group will be bringing some of its latest innovations to LAMMA, including a new butterfly mower complete with automatic side-shift; and Sync – an implement gateway for all Kverneland Isobus-equipped implements to improve data exchange between implement and farm office.

Kverneland Sync is a telematics system geared towards improving operational efficiency, and it operates with an ‘always connected’ protocol through Isobus and mobile network connectivity. Doing so enables Sync to seamlessly transfer data from the implement to IsoMatch FarmCentre, Kverneland’s integrated farm management platform.

Sync also enables real-time tracking of operational behaviour and diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). Users can also benefit from remote support functionality through the Kverneland ServiceCentre, allowing technicians to analyse data and resolve issues promptly and remotely.

Added functionality includes synchronisation with Kverneland implement apps, for example to establish precise machine location and tracking, improving security of implements stored at remote locations. And the integration of a bluetooth module currently enables Geospread fertiliser spreader models to accept spreading chart settings directly from the mobile phone app, bypassing the terminal.

Butterfly mower with automated tractor steering response

The 55100MT Vario is a new generation of butterfly mower that heads-up the range and boasts a 9.8–10.2m working width. The outfit can be retro-fitted with BX swath groupers which, thanks to quick release couplings, can be fitted and removed in minutes.

Replacing the 53100MT Vario, the 55100 model is an Isobus-equipped butterfly unit that now comes equipped with Curve Pilot.

Curve Pilot automatically controls the side-shift on both rear mowing units by up to 400mm in response to tractor steering. This innovative feature does not need any GPS input or auto-steering integration to operate, instead utilising a gyroscope to sense turning movements to control side-shift on the rear mowing units.

As a result, this feature minimises stripes that can occur between the front and rear mower units when following curves. It also enables the operator to make full use of the working width, rather than having to accept a generous overlap on headlands for example, which can restrict the working width.

Retaining the proven QuattroLink bed suspension system for contour following, the 55100MT Vario uses a pair of nine-disc cutting beds, with conditioning achieved using a semi-swing steel tine conditioner.

The conditioning hoods offer dual adjustment at both the front and rear of the hood, to vary the intensity of conditioning to suit crop volume. In addition, the rear part of the hood allows rapid change-over from swathing to spreading.

Kverneland are attending LAMMA 2025

Visit Kverneland at LAMMA 2025 on 15th-16th January – Stand number: Hall 12, Stand 530.

Alternatively, view our LAMMA 2025 event guide.

Read more LAMMA 2025 news

Read more machinery news

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Farm foreman Robert Hale said the weather conditions have been “almost perfect” this year for growing grass seed and yield appears to be good so far. 

“It’s our third year of growing grass seed and this is by far the best season we’ve had so far. Perfect,” he told Farmers Guide, as he began harvesting a 53ha field yesterday (30^th July). 

The farm, near Mickfield in Suffolk, is growing AberGain ryegrass for Germinal.

Starting harvest about the same time as usual, Rob, who is foreman at RH Forrest & Co, added: “The quality is definitely up there. The yield is good or it certainly appears to be good at the moment. Harvest moisture is 30% and the crop is fit to cut.”

As well as arable crops, the farm also keeps a herd of red poll cattle, which became part of the business 14 years ago. 

Whilst a small area of grass is sometimes cut for hay, the majority goes to a straw contractor.

READ MORE: ‘Have a happy harvest’ campaign launches to mark Farm Safety Week

Stripper header works well 

For the past two years, Robert has been using a 28ft CSD stripper header from Shelbourne Reynolds. 

Demonstrating its capabilities to Farmers Guide, he explained that the header combs the grass and strips the seed from it, leaving the plant behind. 

“All we’re interested in is just taking a small amount of seed into the harvester rather than all the crop residue,” he added.

The header is uniquely designed for combines, featuring a rotating stripper rotor with eight rows of stripping fingers that strip the seed, or grain, from the crop and leave the plant stem standing and attached to the ground.

Growing UK market 

Harry Garrett, a mechanical design engineer for Shelbourne Reynolds, was also visiting the farm to see how Robert is getting on with the header.

“We’re hoping to see as many stripper headers in these conditions in the UK as possible to get a grasp of the different conditions,” he commented.

The UK and European markets are currently smaller than the export market for Shelbourne Reynolds, with a lot of its headers, especially for harvest machines, going to the US, Australia and the rest of the world.

However, the UK market is building up. “We’re trying to grasp a knowledge base and help customer feedback, here in the UK [to see] how they’re getting on with the machines,” Harry added.

It was positive feedback from Robert yesterday, Harry confirmed. “He’s had this header for two years now. He’s got to grips with how it functions and the usability of it, so he’s getting on well.”

READ MORE: Watch the New Holland CR11 combine launch into harvest 2024

READ MORE: Sunny spell progresses harvest 2024

Heavy duty machine needed 

Grass is heavy and power-hungry to harvest compared to wheat, barley and other cereal crops, so the stripper header is heavy duty, Harry noted.

“It’s ideal for these conditions, especially with the UK weather – if you get a damp, green crop you really need a more hefty sort of machine to be able to cope with the power needed.”

The CVS and CSD ranges are available from 12–32ft and all models are suitable for harvesting a wide range of cereal crops including wheat, barley, oats and grass seed.

The rotor drive options are variable speed belt (CVS) or high torque drive system (CSD).

According to Shelbourne Reynolds, the stripper header increases harvesting efficiency by up to 50%. And because the combine no longer has to process so much foreign material, the seed recovery rates generally improve.

Harry said the 28ft model that Robert has is ideal for his set up, particularly with his high-powered, high-capacity Claas Lexion 8900 combine. 

Read more harvest news.

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A recent podcast saw experts discuss the impact of exceptionally wet weather on mineral levels. With land sitting underwater for prolonged periods, key issues include oxygen levels, uptake of minerals by the plant and compaction. Dr Alison Bond, technical services manager for Rumenco and Nettex, said there could also be an increase in the uptake of some heavy metals, including molybdenum and iron, which affect the availability of major minerals such as magnesium, calcium and phosphorus.

Very wet soil also means potential for poaching and soil contamination, added Lisa Hambly, head of grassland and forage agronomy at Mole Valley Farmers. Dairy farmers will also have had problems with large amounts of slurry accumulating, with later application resulting in increased contamination risk. Testing that grass is vital, though it provides only a snapshot, she added. If you know your soils have a problem with over or undersupply these conditions are going to highlight that.

Rapid grass growth triggered by warm sunny days later in spring and early summer, could also have a dilution effect for minerals such as cobalt and magnesium, Dr Bond continued, and this affects lamb growth rates, and puts animals at higher risk of grass staggers. Additionally, low dry matter means the grass is moving through the animal more quickly, so not all available magnesium will be absorbed. High nitrogen and potash levels compound the issue, and a supplement is recommended in these cases. Animals don’t store magnesium very well so they need a daily top up, particularly in the risk period at spring turnout – and potentially again in the autumn.

What tests are available?

Ms Hambly advised carrying out slurry testing, and looking at five yearly soil tests, preferably broad spectrum, or if not, animal health soil tests, which offer the added benefit of measuring selenium and cobalt. Grass tissue analysis gives you an idea of how the soil profile is being taken up within the crop, while fresh grass tests are like an MOT and provide a snapshot on that particular day.

Dr Bond advised taking lots of samples – perhaps in a W or an X shape – and pooling them all together. Don’t take them all from areas you expect to be contaminated, or from areas where cows don’t eat. Such tests can help to build up a picture over a number of years as to what’s going on in the fields. Blood testing cattle also has a place, but tends to demonstrate the short-term rather than the long-term picture.

Signs of mineral deficiency tend to be low level – poor fertility, not hitting targets in terms of getting back in calf, or generally being ‘unthrifty’. Sometimes extreme copper deficiency may result in darker coloured animals, rings round eyes, and pigmentation issues. Extreme selenium deficiency is likely to manifest as white muscle disease, animals struggling, muscle aches, nervousness, twitchiness.

Supplementation options

Magnesium has a bitter taste, so if it’s given in water, it’s important to ensure animals can’t access any other water sources. Aside from adding to compound feed, options for magnesium supplementation include offering it with free access molasses, which also takes care of the palatability issue. Or, it can be given in buckets and blocks which are a good insurance policy in risky periods, and many are molasses-based, Dr Bond said.

Calcium, and the balance with magnesium, is absolutely critical, Ms Hambly added. One of the easiest ways to improve calcium levels in the crop is getting the pH right – if pH is low, add lime to the crop.

Looking at supplementation more generally, boluses offer a long-lasting supply of trace elements, orally administered so you know every animal has received it – and some last 4-6 months. However, the animal handling required will not suit all farms and boluses often only contain the trace elements, so if you’re concerned about magnesium or calcium, they may not be the ideal supplement. However, they work very well for extensive grazing systems, she added.

Blocks and buckets often include a good complement of the minor and major elements and are easy to administer, but with so many options on the market, it can be a minefield. Loose minerals are also common, and can be free access, top dressed or mixed through a ration, allowing more bespoke minerals.

When choosing what to supplement, Dr Bond advised looking at every different input on your farm, e.g. through forage mineral analysis, speaking to your cake supplier to find out if any minerals are included, and considering any drenches and boluses given. Consider what you’re supplying and what the animal requires and balance the two – because oversupply can be just as problematic as undersupply. A lot of animals cannot store these minerals, and phos is a prime example – it’s an expensive element that becomes an expensive pollutant if it’s oversupplied. Overall, it’s about considering what will work for you in terms of labour and your animals’ requirements.

On choosing from the myriad of different products, she recommended having a really good look at the label. Understand what’s in the supplement, what it will supply, and if you’re looking at boluses and drenches, what is the daily supply and how long will it last. Don’t be frightened to ask your rep for the information you need.

Read more livestock news

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New grass and clover varieties on the RL offer improved yields and disease resistance, and could help livestock farmers to maximise forage use on farm.

There are 11 new varieties on the 2024/2025 RGCL for England and Wales, including: two Italian ryegrass, six perennial ryegrass, two lucerne and one festulolium.

With production costs a key concern for livestock farmers, maximising forage use can help reduce feed costs and improve efficiency. 

Missed opportunity

Katie Evans, senior engagement manager (Beef & Lamb) at AHDB, said: “While farmers readily embrace advancements in livestock genetics, reliance on outdated grassland varieties persists.”

Farmers who fail to adopt modern varieties are missing an opportunity to capitalise on superior attributes such as yield, digestibility and seasonal growth, she added. 

“The priority to minimise production costs per unit of output remains a key concern for livestock producers. 

“Increasing forage production on farm presents a viable strategy to reduce reliance on external feed sources. 

“Grassland farms in England and Wales hold substantial potential to increase both the quantity and quality of grass and clover produced and consumed.”

Better sward performance

Ellie Sweetman is a forage crop specialist at NIAB and the RGCL trial coordinator on behalf of BSPB.

She said reseeding with RGCL varieties will increase sward performance and give good return on investment.

“To get onto the RGCL, varieties must offer a clear improvement to the existing list. 

“This pushes the standard continually upward with increasing yield, nutrient use efficiency and ME yield per hectare, therefore increasing production efficiency and sustainability.”

Accurate, independent data on the RGCL allows farmers to select varieties and mixtures that are tailored to their specific farming conditions and animal needs.

The list also provides technical guidance on reseeding, maximising sward productivity, she concluded.

The Grass and Clover Recommended List (RL) trial programme is managed by NIAB on behalf of the BSPB, with trials sites across the country run by NIAB, IBERS, DLF, DSV and disease sites run by NIAB and Barenbrug. 

The 2024/2025 RGCL handbook and full lists for merchants is available for download from the AHDB website. Hard copies are available upon request. 

READ MORE: Considering outwintering cattle? Start grazing planning now

Descriptions of new RGCL varieties 2024

Italian ryegrass (diploids):

Bigdyl

• Excellent total average yield
• Very good ME yield for an Italian diploid
• Excellent ground cover in both harvest years
• Excellent resistance to crown rust
• Limited data showing very good resistance to brown rust.

Exotyl

• Excellent total average yield and ME yield for an Italian diploid
• Excellent ground cover in both harvest years
• Excellent resistance to crown rust
• Limited data showing very good resistance to brown rust.

Hybrid ryegrass:

Kubicek (DLF FPF-25856) (Festulolium Hexaploid)

• Excellent total annual yields in second and third harvest years when compared to hybrid tetraploid means
• Outstanding ground cover with good D values
• Limited data shows excellent winter hardiness
• Very good resistance to crown rust
• Limited data shows very good resistance to brown rust.

Intermediate perennial ryegrass dip:

AberTweed

• Excellent total annual yield, ME yield, seasonal growth and D value under simulated grazing with good ground cover
• Excellent total yields, D values and ME yield under conservation management
• Good resistance to crown rust
• Very good resistance to drechslera
• Limited data shows very good winter hardiness.

Farmington

• Very good total annual yield
• Good ME yield, D value and ground cover under grazing management
• Good yields and D values under conservation management
• Good resistance to crown rust and drechslera
• Limited data shows very good winter hardiness.

Late PRG dip:

Bomium

• Excellent total annual yield and ME yield
• Excellent late season growth under simulated grazing
• Excellent yields and ME yields under conservation management
• Good resistance to crown rust.

Late PRG tet:

AberForth

• Good total yield
• Outstanding early season growth and D value under simulated grazing management
• Excellent first and second cut D values under conservation management
• Good winter hardiness and good resistance to Drechslera.

Richhill

• Excellent total yields under conservation management
• Excellent first and third cut yields and very good second cut D value.

AstonGlory 

• Very good total yield
• Excellent ME yield
• Outstanding D value under simulated grazing management
• Excellent seasonal growth from early summer to autumn
• Excellent second cut D value under conservation management.

Read more livestock news.

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Galway-based Alstrong was started by Alan Winters, who previously worked in welding and fabricating, as well as for the family farm. As machines got increasingly bigger and heavier, resulting in more compaction, Alan wanted to develop a machine that worked like a subsoiler, but could get through the ground more quickly and without bringing up stones.

He built the first prototype aerator in 2010 and it was showcased for the first time in 2013, then at LAMMA the following year where it secured orders from four or five dealers and appointed its first Irish dealer.

Read Agriservices commented: “We’re very excited to have taken on the Alstrong franchise for Somerset, Wiltshire, and Dorset. We feel the Alstrong range offers a unique solution to some of the challenges faced by our customers. Namely, how to reseed or rejuvenate grassland economically and rapidly and how to maximise the productivity of existing grassland.”

The Alstrong aerator is unique because of its patented horizontal shattering blades, Read Agriservices says. This blade design moves the soil structure as the aerator travels forward while leaving the surface undisturbed. The machine penetrates the soil 56,500 times in every acre, which allows for much great absorption of rainwater, slurry and fertiliser.

Read more arable news

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Farmers looking to reap the cost saving benefits of extending their grazing season, or even outwintering cattle this year, are being encouraged to start grazing planning now.

Supported by McDonald’s UK & Ireland, FAI Farms in Oxfordshire has adopted an adaptive multi paddock (AMP) approach to grazing, which has made it possible to outwinter beef cattle, saving 50% in annual housing costs per head of their suckler herd, while maintaining body condition scores.

Karl Williams, FAI Farms director, explains: “Grazing management is an important tool in maximising farm profit margins. However, outwintering success isn’t achieved overnight.

“Extending your grazing season starts with forward planning now, to build a good pasture stockpile and ensure infrastructure is in place.”

12-month plan

With the AMP approach based on intensive, short duration grazing periods followed by long rest periods, he recommends farmers start with drawing up a 12-month grazing plan that factors in regular rotations across multiple paddocks.

“Consider how many groups of cattle you will have and how you can practically split fields into blocks with electric fencing, ensuring access to fresh, clean water,” he says.

“It’s worth looking into grants that can support investment in setting up fencing and water infrastructure, such as the Rural Payments Agency’s (RPA) Farming Investment Fund.”

As a next step, Mr Williams recommends planning your cattle rotations and pasture recovery periods. 

“Generally, cattle should occupy a paddock for no more than 1-3 days before being moved, but this will depend on individual farm context and requirements.”

Allowing regeneration time is key to maximising pasture productivity throughout the year, he says. 

“This means not grazing plants anywhere below 50% of their fully recovered height during spring and summer, to encourage quicker regrowth, increase plant biomass and protect pastures.

“By trampling the rest of the grass, cattle create a dense thatch effect that preserves soil warmth through autumn and winter, keeping the grass active for longer. This also improves soil structure and minimises poaching.”

He recommends increasing the grazing rate to 75% of available forage in winter, when grasses are dormant, and supplementing this with bale grazing to meet nutritional needs.

Nutritional requirements

“When outwintering our 80 suckler cows and followers at FAI, we aim for a minimum of 150 days, at one acre per cell per day. 

“We plan the cell layout in advance and, dependent on the cows’ dry matter requirements, we place 4–5 bales of hay in each planned cell during summer – which shows how far ahead winter grazing needs to be organised.”

Within each farm’s grazing plan, he recommends calculating the daily nutritional requirements of the cattle to make sure needs are met.

Based on AHDB recommendations, cattle under 300kg liveweight should receive 3% of their body weight in dry matter per day, whilst animals over 300kg liveweight should receive 2.5%.

Mr Williams says: “At FAI, we use a 3% figure for all cattle ages and weights to allow a buffer for poor weather conditions.

“It’s essential to be adaptive – we generally move cattle daily but in very wet conditions, we move the cattle even more regularly. If conditions are good, we can slow things down.”

He adds: “Although the weather, and costs of bedding, feed and infrastructure are often out of our control, farmers do have some control over grazing system planning.

“Approaching your grazing planning with a ‘regenerative mindset’ can help to achieve many positive outcomes, both for your farm business and the environment,” he concludes.

Read more dairy and beef news.

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David Cross is a tenant farmer in North Norfolk, farming 550ha of soil that is predominantly light alkaline soils and chalk. It is soil that has been farmed for sugar beet, potatoes and cereals for decades and is, in David’s words, “very tired”. 

Four years ago, David recognised that his farming practices had to change as you could see topsoil being lost from the fields as more chalk was becoming visible. However, rent had to be paid and his family supported so it wasn’t about stopping farming, but focusing more on the soil. He has a strong livestock background and wanted to make the most of these skills.

All the literature that David – a curious and knowledge-hungry farmer – was reading told him that there had to be a better way than simply increasing the amount of fertiliser or plant protection products (PPP) he was adding to the soil. Like so many farmers, he was in the unrelenting cycle of adding more and more chemicals to the soil to achieve a profitable crop. Somehow that cycle needed to be broken and the soil needed to regain some function. The holy grail was a low input, high output system. But how to achieve this?

Radical change

In a bold move, he decided to change his farming system totally. He is now in his final year of growing potatoes and cereals are to be taken out of the rotation. From next year, most fields will be in herbal leys with most sub-divided for paddock grazing.

The arable farm that had previously had a herd of sheep and a small finisher herd of beef cattle is now transitioning into a farm that will grow forage for a mixed bag of livestock including a much larger number of sheep and lambs and a native breed suckler cow herd. Two mobile chicken huts have been installed that will be producing eggs from June. In a nod to traditional mixed farming, the hens will graze on the pasture, following the sheep – a recognised way of improving pasture for livestock and soil health. 

“This transition was only made possible by Countryside Stewardship schemes,” David says. “By taking advantage of the Countryside Stewardship payments available for grassland improvement and including herb and legumes within an arable rotation; and by tapping into the equipment fund, I could re-seed the farm, fence the fields and add water pipes so that I could easily move livestock around the farm. 

“We used capital works grants to put the infrastructure in place. This included putting a permanent fence in and using temporary fencing to divide fields into smaller grazing parcels.” 

The result is a deceptively simple series of grazing areas that are divided by temporary electric fencing, with a permanent perimeter fence enclosing the entire grazed area. Using a mapping app, David can set out his grazing plan and anyone moving the fencing can easily see where the grazing line needs to be moved to. This allows for an easily managed mob grazing system.

Steadying the finances

When considering his options, David decided upon five goals and objectives which would form the basis of the way he will farm for at least the next five years: 

• Improve soil health and increase organic matter 
• Improve stock performance (growth rates, numbers of lambs and margin per hectare) 
• Increase pasture yield without using nitrogen 
• Introduce a native breed suckler cow enterprise to help with pasture quality and create direct selling opportunities 
• Maintain a collaborative mindset. 

To transition from an arable rotation to a livestock enterprise does challenge the established cash flow. David explains that he is using GS4 payments to steady the finances during the transition. 

“Currently half the farm is in multi species leys and another 45% will go into this in the next eight months. At the same time, we will be moving from a heavy cash flow period in the autumn to spring and winter cash flow. None of this would have been possible without government schemes. And we all know that these can be very short term, so it was important to use them while they were available.”

Asked what persuaded him to change the way things had always been done, David said: “It really was the only option I could see. We couldn’t continue if the majority of our income was meant to come from cereals.”

A closer look at soil health

So, infrastructure in place and clear goals and objectives identified, David is making the leap from conventional agriculture into something that his grandfather would have recognised – a farm in which livestock are playing a key and integral role. His hope is that in a few years’ time he will be rewarded for taking the risk with healthy soil and a thriving livestock business.

This is where Liz Genever enters the scene. 

Liz is a beef and sheep consultant and farmer from Lincolnshire. She has long been interested in using livestock to increase soil health, largely through Carbon Calling, a social enterprise seeking to spark curiosity about how farming can be done differently. She is also one of just 23 people who are currently taking part in the Create UK course, which is run by internationally renowned agroecologist Nicole Masters, founder of Integrity Soils.

The Lincolnshire farmer has long been a believer that all farms should have livestock within the system. Whether that is operating as a mixed farm or whether it is working with graziers and shepherds to bring livestock onto the land for periods of the year.

“It is exciting to work with Dave as the speed of change he is able to achieve is very impressive,” says Liz. “He has trialed lots of things, and decisions are being based on data and experience.”

Working together, and supported by the AHDB as one of its monitor farms, Liz and David identified four fields. One was an arable field, one was a third-year herbal ley, another was a second-year herbal ley and the fourth was a first-year herbal ley. The Soilmentor app was used to record data from each field.

Even in these early stages of transformation, some of the results were unassailable. The arable field had a marked absence of soil’s engineers – earth worms; water infiltration rates were much higher in the arable field, suggesting that the soil was compacted; the rooting depth of plants was low and there were no rhizosheaths, which indicate that the roots are leaking sugar.

That said, there is still a long way to go even with the soils that are now benefiting from a permanent cover crop in the form of herbal ley. Liz points out that context is everything and, additionally, these soils have been hammered over the years. 

Organic matter in the four fields ranged from 2.8% (second-year herbal leys) to 3.6% (third-year herbal leys). And the pH ranged from 6.9 (third-year herbal ley) to 7.3 (arable). When it came to the soil’s ability to hold nutrients, known as the Cation Exchange Capacity, David’s scores across all four fields was in the medium bracket; i.e. room for improvement. 

When it came to the main elements, magnesium and hydrogen levels were exceptionally low, aluminum was also low, calcium at 84–91% was way above target of 63.5%, while potassium and sodium levels were in the correct range. 

The challenge that ongoing results are throwing up for Liz and David is how to get all the soil chemistry functioning so that the nutrient store is well-balanced across all the main elements. Soil biology has a part to play in this.

Potential solutions

One of the answers lies in the presence of fungi. Not only does fungi stabilise soil aggregates, it is also needed to increase the availability of phosphate and other minerals. Currently, the high levels of calcium in the soil means phosphate, along with boron, magnesium, manganese and zinc all suffer reduced availability.

But of course, it is not just fungi that is an essential component of soil health. Samples were sent off to Nick Padwick at Wilder Soils for a soil food web assessment to look for bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematode levels. The results showed that the soils were bacteria dominated, which links to the history of fields.

Which leads to the question of how changing the farming practice can lead to improvements in soil health on the farm?

For this, Liz points to the six principles of soil health, which are based on Gabe Brown’s ’Five Principles with one addition – Know Your Context. 

In his seminal work Dirt to Soil, US regenerative agriculture specialist Gabe Brown outlines five principles to improve soil health: Limit disturbance; cover the soil (armour the soil); build diversity; keep living roots in the soil and integrate animals. Liz and her colleagues on the Create course would add the importance of a farmer knowing his or her land and hence knowing the context of the soil.

His mind may be reeling from the risks he is taking but by giving his soils a chance to rest, David is allowing regeneration to happen beneath the surface.

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