Get to know your worms in 30 minutes!

A new survey from Rothamsted Research is asking farers to take part and assess the earthorm population of their soils, taking only 30 moinutes. 

An ambitious six-week programme to map the earthworm population of the UK has begun, building on the success of a pilot study early this year when around 100 farmers volunteered 60 minutes to survey their fields; this time, many more are being asked to give up 30 minutes.

Autumn 2018 offers many dairy farmers more opportunity than usual for late-season establishment of perennial or hybrid ryegrass, with leys drilled in the coming weeks offering the potential to accelerate the rebuilding of depleted forage stocks.

A research project focusing on the Teifi catchment in Wales needs volunteer farmers in the area and wider in Wales to test a prototype of the pesticide ruoff risk assessment tool they have created (reported in a membrs' newsletter last year). 

Following the recent spell of hot, dry weather, which followed a difficult spring, cold, wet and seemingly unending, LIC consulant Sean Chubb offers some pointers on effective management strategies to cope with the vagaries of the climate. It is targeted at Scotland, but can equally be applied elsewhere! Even though there is now rain in the forecast, forage shortages are not going to disappear overnight. 

GRASSLAND STRATEGIES NEEDED IN CURRENT CONDITIONS