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Rothamsted Research facility is situated in the rolling hills of Devon and is primarily a grassland research centre.
Operating under the auspices of the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council (BBSRC), research work here is focused on nutrient management, animal and crop productivity, water quality and gaseous emissions from agriculture.
In north Wyke, the research team is headed by Prof Michael Lee, who is assisted by a large team of researchers, technicians, students and farm staff at the 850ac centre.
As Michael explained on our arrival, the overriding research goal in north Wyke is to develop sustainable farming systems, in particularly focusing on grassland-based farming.
The group was then introduced to three of the scientists working at the centre to give a synopsis of the research work that is being carried out.
Dr Alison Carswell explained some of the work she is involved in around nitrogen use efficiency. In particular, Alison is examining nitrogen-loss pathways and working with nitrification inhibitors and stabilisers on fertilisers and animal manures.
She is also researching methods to improve farmyard manure utilisation and application timing.
The group also heard from Dr Martin Blackwell, whose research centres on phosphorus.
Martin explained that most phosphorus that is used on farms today is mined from a finite raw material which will eventually run out.
Martin is currently looking at a pilot project recycling phosphorus from waste material from the meat industry, which he hopes will be rolled out commercially.
Martin is also involved in reviewing current fertiliser phosphorus requirements. He is particularly interested in modelling fertiliser phosphorus requirements and how they differ across soil types.
Finally, Bruce Griffith, field operations manager, showed us the farm.
The project, which was set up in 2010, aims to evaluate sustainable grassland farming systems using an in-depth and sophisticated monitoring setup to detail soil parameters, water quantity and quality, atmospheric emissions and animal production metrics including economics.
The farm is made up of three hydrologically isolated farmlets (green, red and blue) of 21ha each and stocked with the same number of animals (sheep and cattle) in each.
Each farmlet is evaluating a different farming system. The first farmlet is operated as the control. This is business as usual with permanent pasture using moderate/low fertiliser input.
The second system is adopting a planned reseeding programme using the latest grass varieties such as cool-season grasses and deep rooting grasses.
The third farmlet is trying to maintain productivity but reducing nitrogen fertiliser use by increased use of legumes taking advantage of the biological fixation of nitrogen.
Investment
The large investment in this facility is impressive. To be hydrologically isolated, each farmlet is surrounded by a system of French drains where all water is diverted through flumes which continuously monitor and analysis the water.
The group was also shown the winter cattle accommodation. This includes three identical straw-bedded sheds, with three separate dungsteads and three separate silage pits. This will allow animals to remain in the farmlet groups during the winter, be fed on silage conserved from the farmlet with all the FYM segregated and spread back on the respective farmlet.
Overall, the group was able to get a good insight into the work that is being carried out at the centre.
It was reassuring to see many of the same themes such as nitrogen efficiency and FYM management that are getting increased focus in Ireland are also important in the UK.
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