Save Your Money by Securing Your Soils
Harper Adams University College
Wednesday 23 March 2011, 10am – 4pm
Soil compaction is a significant problem affecting crop growth, the infiltration of rainfall and tillage energy requirements, exacerbated by weight of modern farm equipment. Preventing compaction (severity and depth) is preferable to techniques for remediation in time and costs.
Open to farmers in Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, this practical day offers an opportunity to hear and talk to one Britain’s foremost international specialists on soils, Emeritus Professor Richard Godwin (biog below). It concludes the Hubs’ current series of Soils Group events. It is a first opportunity for the Hub Efficient 20 tractor efficiency group members to meet each other.
Programme
10.15 Meet at Regional Food Academy, Harper Adams University College
10.40 Towards the use of precision agriculture in soil management
Dick Godwin: visiting Professor of Agricultural Engineering, Harper Adams
11.10 Where is the industry going next?
Simon Griffin Technical Manager with SOYL Precision Farming
The future - satellite mapping; penetrometers; seeds, fertilisers.
11.45 Grassland varieties, quality of seeds, seed adaptation
Andrew Cook of British Seed Houses
12.30 Lunch – local farms beef/pork baps and chips
13.30 Soil Management to avoid compaction and erosion
Field and Soil Hall tours with:
Paul Lewis (HAUC), Lecturer in Environmental Management
David White (HAUC), Senior Lecturer in engineering
15.30 Return to Regional Food Academy for final questions and close
Tea, coffee and cake
Equipment demonstrations in the Harper Adams Soil Hall by:
Agrovista The leading authority on all aspects of crop management advice, with many years of experience backed up with the most advanced and comprehensive range of Agronomy trials in Great Britain.
Vaderstad A leading company within soil tillage and seed drilling, that has led to the creation of a new era of machinery and methods. European farming is their base with a strong and expanding position. The will demonstrate that fewer passes and shallower cultivation favlours good soil structure and increases earthworm numbers.
Symba Innovative design to increase functionality and efficiency of farm machinery systems, allied to a build logic to provide strength, working life and residual values over and above that of other agricultural machinery available. The overall objective is to find cost-effective solutions to reduce the economic and environmental costs of arable production.
Stands Advisors will be available to talk to you during the day from:
Environment Agency
English Nature
Rural Hubs
‘Efficient 20’ Tractor Efficiency Project
NFU and CLA
Our keynote speaker
PROFESSOR DICK GODWIN has an international reputation as a researcher, educator and trainer in the field of agricultural engineering, soil and waste management and precision agriculture. His contributions have resulted in an improved fundamental understanding of soil - machine systems; the development of improved soil engaging tools and methods; and the transfer of principles to designers, extension advisors and farmers. The transfer of this through the development of training programmes in “Soil Management”, such as the BASIS programme, has helped in both improved crop production systems and the environment. He was lead author of the RASE report “The Current Status of Soil and Water Management in England” published in 2008; which reflected on the issues faced by UK Agriculture due to the lack of applied research and trained professionals to communicate with farmers.
Cost and Booking: £10 per head. Please click on Booking Form below.
Downloads
soils_events_booking_form_-_150311_and_230311_1.doc
You may need to download Adobe Reader to view files in PDF format.
You may need to download Microsoft viewer software to view Word, Excel or Powerpoint files.
