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Wholecrop silage produced from cereals is an excellent alternative forage which has nutritional benefits for livestock, while also being cost effective to grow. Wholecrop cereal silage offers a unique blend of energy, protein from the grain and digestible fibre from the straw. This balance is particularly beneficial for livestock, as it complements grass silage and…

As the seasons change and spring arrives, many farmers are considering strategies to enhance their grassland productivity. Spring reseeding is a proven way to boost grassland productivity. By introducing new, varieties of grass, farmers can significantly increase their dry matter (DM) yield. Top-performing farms have achieved yields of over 15 tonnes per hectare after reseeding…

Maize cultivation in Northern Ireland has been experiencing a resurgence in recent years, with areas under cultivation steadily increasing. Despite the challenging season for maize in 2024 due to the cooler summer, the correct varieties that were drilled in good time still performed well. As we look towards the 2025 growing season, it is crucial…

Resilience, the ability to bounce back from difficult conditions is crucial in arable crop production, due to the unpredictable nature of weather and growing seasons.  The past two seasons have highlighted the variability we face, emphasising the need for adaptable, robust, dependable varieties.  Harnessing the genetic strengths and resilience of new varieties is a key…

Gemma Parke, Winner of Farm SQP of the Year, is Manager at Fane Valley Stores in Claudy, County Londonderry. She has been an SQP for two years, although she was a veterinary nurse for 15 years. Gemma joined Fane Valley Stores in 2019 as a part-time member of the team, and then took on the…

The recent downturn in weather has seen many cattle being housed in the past few weeks and transitioned onto a finishing diet. The finishing phase relies on system efficiency to maximise liveweight gains. Based on this, regular forage analysis should be carried out to form the basis of any diet and to tailor the concentrate…

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) costs the UK industry £50 million per year with an average treatment cost reaching a whopping £80 per animal. It comes as no surprise that it is worth investing both time and money into preventing BRD and pneumonia from hitting your herd at housing. What are the main culprits? According to…

Managing what you can control is essential when growing crops and with many variables including the weather influencing grain yield and quality, variety selection is of paramount importance as the number one risk reducer. Stephen Bell, Technical Support Manager, emphasised that Certified seed of a low-risk variety paired with a seed treatment tailored to the…

After a difficult grass growing season, we are now seeing good grass growth and thoughts turn to autumn reseeding. Many swards were damaged during the difficult spring and now provides an opportunity to correct the damage and introduce new grass to your fields by reseeding. Perennial ryegrass is the foundation of our grassland systems in…