Project CEFN Conwy‘Improving Catchment Environmental Quality through better Soil and

Nutrient Management in the Livestock Farming Landscape.’

GLYNLLIFON Development Farm Open Day

Diwrnod Agored Fferm Datblygu GLYNLLIFON

11/05/2011

Dr. Julie Williamson Canolfan Ymchwil Henfaes Research Centre, Prifysgol Bangor University

Cyllidir y project hwn yn rhannol trwy’r Cynllun Datblygu Gwledig a gyllidir yn rhannol gan yr Undeb Ewropeaidd a Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru.This project is part funded through the Rural Development Plan which is part financed by the European Union and the Welsh Assembly Government.

• Soil testing – 2 fields per farm, analysed for pH, P, K and Mg, with recommendations.

• Farm survey – nutrient management activities and economics, decision-making.

• 104 fields tested – total of 1,000 acres;• 50 farms surveyed – total of over 22,000 acres;• Area of land under agriculture in Conwy – 188,000 ac

Farm survey covered 12% of agricultural land in Conwy.

CEFN Conwy soil testing and farm surveyProfi pridd ac arolygu ffermydd Conwy CEFN

Soil testing – RESULTS Profi pridd – CANLYNIADAU.

Soil pH – 77% of fields required liming

Soil testing – RESULTS Profi pridd – CANLYNIADAU

Soil P index – the P crop requirement of 32% of fields tested could be met by using slurry or manure effectively.

Soil testing – RESULTS Profi pridd – CANLYNIADAU

Soil K index – the K crop requirement of 40% of fields tested could be met by using slurry or manure effectively.

The potential economic value of cattle slurry, and the proportion of value attributable to the N, P and

K contents. (Source: CEFN Conwy, 2010)

N P2O5 K2O Total

Value / m3 £ 1.90 £ 0.50 £ 1.50 £ 3.90

Value / 1000 gal

£ 8.55 £ 2.25 £ 6.75 £ 17.55

% of total value 49% 13% 38% 100%

The potential economic value of cattle slurry, and the proportion of value attributable to the N, P and

K contents. (Source: CEFN Conwy, 2010)

N P2O5 K2O Total

Value / m3 £ 1.90 £ 0.50 £ 1.50 £ 3.90

Value / 1000 gal

£ 8.55 £ 2.25 £ 6.75 £ 17.55

% of total value 49% 13% 38% 100%

Typical economic value of a 30,000 litre per ha slurry application = £117.

Typical economic value of a 40 t per ha FYM application = £280.

AN @ £250/t (72p/kg); TSP @ £380/t (82p/kg); MoP @ £330/t (55p/kg). (Ref: ADAS, Feb 2011).

Using slurry effectively Defnyddio slyri yn effeithiol

Whole Farm Nutrient Balances Balans Maeth Fferm Gyflawn

Based on:

• Information farmers gave us on products entering and leaving the farm gate over 12 month period;

• Using PLANET (Defra) methodology to calculate nutrient values;

• Allows comparison of CEFN whole farm surpluses with those of calculated ‘standard farm’ averages.

Whole Farm Nutrient Balances Balans Maeth Fferm Gyflawn

Red bar represents ‘standard farm’ average surplus for beef suckler cow farms (Source: DEFRA report ES0124SID5, 2005).

Potash surplus

Nitrogen surplus

Phosphate surplus

Amount per fresh tonne / m3kg N kg P2O5 kg K2O

Broiler litter 19.4 11.61 11.35Poultry layer manure 15.26 9.48 10.28Sewage cake 13.83 5.79 0.64Beef FYM 5.62 3.22 3.53Sheep FYM 5.41 3.43 2.28Dairy slurry 2.64 0.61 2.73Anaerobic digestate liquid 2.06 0.44 2.14

Comparative nutrient content of organic materials

1.Take into account the nutrients applied to fields as slurry / FYM - to avoid over-fertilising and economic inefficiencies.

Take - home messages

The advantages of building up organic matter in soils cannot be over-emphasised.

2. Make good use of slurry/FYM over as many fields as possible, bearing in mind CGAP / closed periods when spreading.

3. Consider using other locally available organic resources like sewage cake which, providing quality assurance is practiced, should not be any more odorous than applying slurry.

4. Organic matter is very important to soil health, if it is not replenished then other problems follow like more frequent need to lime, less resilience to poaching and compaction etc..