Resource Management – Rural Business School

Future Farm

‘Future Farm’ to redefine dairy research and learning

A £3m dairy research centre will open at Duchy College in spring 2020, driving improvements in efficiency, technology, animal health and welfare, and environmental best practice.

The two-acre facility will include a host of features, including an ability to split the College’s commercial Holstein Friesians into three mini herds, allowing measuring and comparison of different management techniques.

There will be a computerised, precision-control feeding system, plus an ability to separate slurry and manure from the different groups of animals, allowing multiple research projects to be run simultaneously – including ones exploring the storage, spreading and treatment of slurry and manure.

Sited on land the College rents from Prince Charles’s Duchy of Cornwall estate, the centre will see researchers collaborate with scientists from other world-leading centres, while also acting as a learning platform for Duchy students and a demonstration farm.

2 Minute Farmer (2MF)

Helping farmers break big questions into bitesized chunks, this project makes complicated conundrums more manageable.

2MF assists farmers tackle the challenges of modern life and business by unpacking complex issues, using resources such as short films and supporting material.

It works on the theory that regularly taking just two minutes out of your busy daily schedule can allow you to identify and begin addressing sensitive issues such as succession planning.

Spearheaded by Duchy College’s Rural Business School and Stephens Scown solicitors, the practical assistance the project will give farmers helps make them more technically efficient and should alleviate some of the mental health issues currently seen in the rural community.

Farm Crap App Pro

The team behind the Farm Crap App have been busy working at incorporating all the feedback that we received from the industry. We are proud to have launched the new Farm Crap App Pro which is available now for Apple and Android Devices.

What’s New?

There are lots of new features on the app which make it easier to use and get the financial and environmental benefits that come from efficiently using manures and slurry.

New features include:

the ability to map all the fields on your farm
individual crop nutrient recommendations from RB209, to allow you to complete field nutrient plans
the ability to take into account applications of compost, digestate and other products, including your own data from slurry or manure analysis
the ability to take into account the application method (dribble bar, trailing shoe, injection) and account for the increased nutrient availability that comes with these bits of kit
the ability to include applications of bagged fertiliser.

Where do I get it?

Best of all, the app is still free to use and download, and available on both Apple and Android devices. We have also developed a web version of the calculator, which is available here.

Click on the links below which will take you to the right place on the Google Play and Apple App store.

Farm Crap App pro for Android Devices (through the Google Play Store)

Farm Crap App pro for Apple Devices (through the Apple App store)

Agri-tech Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly

Agri-tech Cornwall is a £10m initiative to create a new sector for the Cornish economy, helping the United Kingdom become a world leader in agricultural technology, and sustainability..

We will support ambitious small and medium-sized Cornish companies develop innovations to improve efficiency, profitability and resilience in the agricultural sector – in field or moor, forest or shore.

Agricultural technologies can be any innovation that makes agriculture more efficient and productive, more resilient and secure, more profitable, and better able to enhance and protect the natural environment and those that farm it.

The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and is open to all small to medium-sized Cornish businesses.

This is a unique opportunity to develop and apply new technologies assisted by project partners, research grants and graduate placements.

The Soil Carbon Project

The Soil Carbon Project is an innovative project that aims to help Cornish farmers manage soils in a more sustainable and profitable way. Interest in soils has risen dramatically in recent years, with the prospect of farmers receiving payments for environmental goods and services becoming ever more likely. The Soil Carbon Project is a collaboration between a farmer-led organisation, Duchy College and Rothamsted Research North Wyke with funding from Agri-tech Cornwall, and it aims to develop protocols for measuring and valuing soil health and carbon sequestration that are scientifically robust and practical.

While interest in the subject continues to increase, a great deal of uncertainty around measurement and management of soil health remains. This project will uncover what is happening underneath Cornish farm soils and develop practical solutions to valuing this hidden asset that puts Cornwall at the forefront of this emerging science.

The project will concentrate on three main strands in a bid to remove these uncertainties:

Investigating a methodology that could be used to test for soil organic matter and carbon
Learning more about the impact of farming management practices on soil health
Financial modelling to understand how a potential government payment system for protecting or improving soil health and carbon sequestration might work

The project will involve a network of 30 Westcountry farms, reflecting a range of soil types and enterprises, as well as a collaboration with Rothamsted Research at North Wyke. One of the primary aims will be to work out a consistent set of metrics that can be used to identify and quantify changes in soil health and carbon levels, which could provide an evidence base to support future policy changes.

To find out more please contact Becky Willson on 01579372376 or email becky.willson@duchy.ac.uk

Toolbox of Multi-species Swards (TOMS)

This project aims to support and promote the use of multi-species swards, particularly in Cornwall. It is a collaborative project between the Rural Business School at Duchy College and Rothamsted Research North Wyke.

The majority of Cornwall’s farmed land is grassland, typically ryegrass and clover. But multi-species swards, also known as herbal leys or diverse forages, offer many potential benefits for grassland production. To find out more, visit the Diverse Forages page here.

There is growing interest in the use of multi-species swards, but limited information available on establishment, management and proven economic benefits. This particularly true in Cornwall, as a lot of research to date is not relevant to the environmental and economic conditions prevalent in the county.

The Toolbox of Multi-species Swards has three main areas of work:

A programme of field research on commercial farms in Cornwall
The development of a multi-media toolkit on establishment and management
A farmer survey of the perceived benefits and barriers to uptake

Field research commenced on eight farms in July 2018 and aims to:

Compare performance of a highly diverse species mixture (known as ‘TOMS’) against a perennial ryegrass and white clover sward and the farmer’s standard ley
Compare forage nutritional quality and micronutrient content of the different swards
Compare soil leaching resulting from the different swards, on a select number of farms
Undertake pollinator surveys during a 5 week ‘shut-off’ period on a select number of farms

In addition, work at Rothamsted is investigating the impact of species composition, sowing rate and seedbed preparation on forage quality and quantity. Rothamsted are also defining and analysing the silage made from multi-species swards, including work to determine optimum mixtures and conditions.

Farmers drilled experimental sward mixtures in autumn 2018, following soil surveys. The project team conducted the first species surveys and forage collection in spring 2019, prior to farm grazing and silage cuts. Work is also underway on the multi-media toolkit, with an academic literature review nearing completion and design for an app and all-weather reference guide in progress.

For further information, contact Gemma Eales: gemma.eales@duchy.ac.uk

SWARM Knowledge Hub

The SWARM Knowledge Hub is a web information service dedicated to south west farmers and growers.

The site helps to show that sustainable agriculture means more profit for the farming community.

It is largely divided into six key resource themes of soils, nutrients and manures, water, energy efficiency, renewable technologies and trees and wood.

- Learn how you can reduce the costs of farm inputs
- Increase profits by making better use of farm resources
- Help decide what energy saving investments to make on your farm
- Get unbiased reports on the latest resource management research
- Learn how other farmers are tackling resource management on their farms
- Get the latest news and information on funding and training

Information on a range of different topics is presented in a variety of ways including videos, decision making tools, factsheets and interactive features to allow the farming community to improve profitability and become more sustainable.

Category of Projects: Resource Management

Agricultural technologies can be any innovation that makes agriculture more efficient and productive, more resilient and secure, more profitable, and better able to enhance and protect the natural environment and those that farm it.