The rapid rise in feed and fertiliser prices makes the tri-annual Grassland & Muck Event a well timed opportunity for livestock farmers to look at the latest thinking and innovations for production efficiency gains from grass, muck and FYM.
The event, which is being held on 21 and 22 May 2008 at Stoneleigh Park, will challenge producers to plan grass and muck as essential assets for profitable meat and milk production. It will also focus on the practicalities of managing and handling slurry and FYM in the light of the revamped NVZ rulings currently going through consultation.
“Any forage-based system is very dependent on getting the detail and the science right,” says Alice Bell, the RASE’ Technical Events Manager. “Simple changes like reducing reseeding intervals, nutrient testing of slurry and ensuring the optimal timing of FYM application can make a real difference to an enterprise’ bottom-line by simply making better use of the muck and grass on the farm.”
“We will use the Grassland & Muck Event to bring alive the science, legislative requirements and physical handling of these increasingly important assets,” she points out.
Mark Tucker, Agronomy Manager for Yara UK Ltd, official partner of the Grassland Event, adds; “fertilizer prices are higher for this coming season because the global demand is outstripping supply. Tight supplies will mean that farmers need to make the most of every kg of fertiliser they apply and also maximise the nutrient value of muck and slurry.”
Based on a typical 2000 gallon/acre spring dairy slurry applications, Mark Tucker calculates that this will be supplying the equivalent of approximately £20/acre of available N P & K nutrients.
“If farmers then target their nitrogen applications carefully, even at prices of around £195/tonne (34.5% N ), most can expect an estimated return of £3.50 for every £1 spent on nitrogen fertilizer,” he notes.
The Grassland & Muck Event will include the following:
- 160 acres of working grassland machinery overseeding, cutting, harvesting, baling, handling and ensiling into a series of clamps
- Fifteen machinery manufacturers putting 21 of their latest muck spreaders and slurry tankers to the test by spreading 650 tonnes of muck
- 150 Static trade stands from a wide range of companies and organisations specialising in grassland and muck research, products and services
- Grass plots sown by Olivers with the latest Italian and hybrid ryegrass varieties with in-plot advice from NIAB and all the major plant breeding companies in the UK
- A Nutrient and Manure Management Centre where visitors will be able to have slurry samples tested with application rates and fertiliser requirements calculated
- A series of free technical seminars on calculating grazed grass intakes, feeding grazed grass to dry cows and how to maximise grass utilisation within a ruminant ration
“The expertise that we have in the UK on growing and feeding grass is revered as some of the best in the world which is reflected in the exhibitors and number of visitors who attend from countries like New Zealand, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands,” adds Ms Bell.
For more details on the Grassland and Muck Event 2008 go to www.grasslandevent.co.uk
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Notes for Editors
Grassland & Muck 2008
Grassland and Muck 2008 is the triennial event for the industry. Partnered by Yara UK Limited and proudly presented by the Royal Agricultural Society of England.
Yara UK Limited
- Yara UK Limited is the UK business unit of Yara International ASA, with our head office at Immingham in NE Lincolnshire.
- Yara UK Limited is the leading supplier of agricultural fertilizer-both in solid and liquid form- and horticultural and amenity fertilizer, to the UK market.
- Yara International ASA, the parent company of Yara UK, is a leading chemical company that converts energy and nitrogen from the air into essential products for farmers and industrial customers. As the number one global supplier and developer of mineral fertilizers and agronomic solutions, we help provide food for a growing population.
- Yara International ASA has 6,800 employees, operating in 120 countries and with a turnover in excess of £3.5billion. The head office of Yara International is in Oslo, Norway.
- The Business model for Yara comprises three business
segments:
- Upstream- global production plants
- Downstream- the global sales and marketing of fertilizers and plant nutrition products, divided in to nine business units of which the UK & Ireland is one unit.
- Industrial- the sales and marketing of products for industrial applications
- The name “Yara” is taken from a Nordic word meaning ‘good harvest’.
- For further information on Yara UK Ltd, please see www.yara.co.uk
- For further information on Yara International ASA, please see www.yara.com
For further information please contact:
Alice
Bell, RASE
Tel: 02476 858 276
Email:
aliceb@rase.org.uk
Mark Tucker,
Head of Agronomy, Yara UK Ltd
Tel: 01469 554644
Mob: 07766 504778
Email: mark.tucker@yara.com
Jane Craigie, Event PR
Tel: 01466 780078
Mob: 07795 278767
Email:
jane@janecraigie.com
