A Workshop on Sustainable Soil Nutrient Management
THURSDAY MARCH 10th 10.00 – 3.30
10.00 – 1.00pm Tatenhill Village Hall with light lunch
2.00 – 3.30pm Postern House Farm, Tatenhill, Burton on Trent
Home of the Maize Maze
(by kind permission of the Robinson family)
Postern House is an arable and beef farm on clay loam. Compaction is a big issue not least because of 2500 visitors to the Maize Maze. The land is deep cultivated every year to overcome soil structure damage. You will be interested to see works progressing for the new Adventure Farm enterprise, a development from the Maize Maze.
At this event Simon Draper, agronomist and crop consultant, will show you how to use your soil protection review profitably, where fields can be targeted for the correct cultivation techniques, saving cost and improving soil structure.
With the costs of nitrogen fertiliser continuing to rise, farmers and growers have to look to ways to manage soil nutrients more effectively. The new 2010 Soil Protection Review which you received last year, has now to be completed by ALL farmers and land managers even if the farm is solely grassland, in full and options that are chosen need to be carried out in this cropping year. You also need to record soil damage arising from using heavy harvesting machinery on wet soils.
The workshop and field study will:
• Show how to identify soil compaction using spades and probes and determine what type of cultivation is required
• How to use the EA ‘think soils’ booklet to aid identification
• Determine what would be the best depth to cultivate
• How to set up and use a subsoiler to get the best from it
• How to record compaction occurring so that these records can meet the new Soil Protection Review.
• How to identify the correct soil type.
• How to identify the best options for your farm
Please bring your Soil Protection Review along with you together with a plug of the soil you farm (0.2kg is ample) and farm maps.
There is no charge for this event but booking is essential
Staffordshire Rural Hub: 01785 255305; info@staffordshireruralhub.org
