project - EIP-AGRI Operational Group
Alternative forage systems for marginal land
Alternative forage systems for marginal land
Objectives
The project aims to assess the optimum grass ley mixtures suited to the high rainfall conditions, poor soilquality and low input systems on marginal land within the South Wales Valleys, compared to conventional ryegrass/clover leys. The project will compare different seed mixtures on three separate farms over a three-year period. By comparing outputs from the project farms, this will provide information on the relative productivity of two very different species mixtures.
Objectives
Nod y prosiect yw asesu beth yw’r cymysgedd o borfa gorau posib ar gyfer amodau gwlyb, pridd oansawdd gwael a systemau mewnbwn isel ar dir ymylol yng Nghymoedd y De, o’i gymharu â’r gwndwn arferol o rygwellt/meillion. Bydd y prosiect yn cymharu gwahanol gymysgedd o hadau ar dair fferm wahanol dros gyfnod o dair blynedd. Bydd cymharu’r canlyniadau hyn yn darparu gwybodaeth ar gynhyrchiant cymharol dau gymysgedd o rywogaethau gwahanol.
Activities
1) Each farm will have a field of approximately 4-5 ha to reseed for the project.
2) Fields will be sprayed with glyphosate to destroy the existing grass before being cultivated.
3) 50% of the fields will be sown with a multi species lay containing 5 grass species, 3 legumes and 3 herb species, and 50% will be sown with ryegrass and white clover mix at 14kg/acre.
4) An assessment in year 1 will be made on how well the seeds establish and how they outcompete the undesirable weed grasses and broadleaved weeds.
5) In year 2 and 3 the project will monitor forage production and quality, stock performance and invertebrate populations in the new leys.
Activities
1) Bydd gan bob fferm gae tua 4–5 hectar i’w ail-hau ar gyfer y prosiect
2) Bydd y caeau yn cael eu chwistrellu gyda glyphosad cyn eu haredig.
3) Bydd 50% o'r cae yn cael ei hau gyda gwndwn aml-rywogaeth yn cynnwys o leiaf 5 rhywogaeth porfa, 3 codlys a 3 rhywogaeth llysiau a bydd 50% yn cael ei hau gyda gwndwn confensiynol o rhygwellt a meillion gwyn ar 14kg/erw.
4) Yn y flwyddyn gyntaf bydd asesiad yn cael ei gynnal ar ba mor dda mae’r hadau yn sefydlu a faint gwell yw’r hadau na’r borfa chwyn a’r chwyn llydanddail annymunol
5) Yn yr ail a’r drydedd flwyddyn bydd y prosiect yn monitro cynhyrchiant ac ansawdd y porthiant, perfformiad y da byw a phoblogaeth yr infertebrat yn y gwndwn newydd.
Project details
- Main funding source
- Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups
- Rural Development Programme
- 2014UK06RDRP004 United Kingdom - Rural Development Programme (Regional) - Wales
Emplacement
- Main geographical location
- Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot
€ 47058
Total budget
Total contributions from EAFRD, national co-financing, additional national financing and other financing.
1 Practice Abstracts
Intensification of farming practice has resulted in the decline of species-rich, permanent pasture into fields of one or two grass species. Species-rich grasslands were once common across the UK and supported pastoral agriculture, healthy functioning soil, and diverse flora and fauna.
Three farms in the South Wales Valleys will be reseeding 4-5 ha of marginal upland with a multi species ley alongside a conventional ryegrass/white clover ley to compare outputs from the two systems as part of a 3 year EIP Wales project.
Welsh landscapes vary significantly in soil quality and fertility, therefore understanding the effectiveness of different sward compositions will allow a more efficient, targeted approach to sowing grass on marginal land.
If increased floral diversity can also reduce lamb finishing times and/or improve animal health, a true multi-species grassland could offer the potential to manage marginal land in Wales for both production and general biodiversity.
Mae dwysau arferion ffermio wedi arwain at leihad mewn porfeydd parhaol llawn rhywogaethau i gaeau sy’n cynnwys un neu ddau rywogaeth o laswellt. Roedd porfeydd aml-rywogaeth yn gyffredin ar draws y DU yn y gorffennol ac yn addas ar gyfer amaethyddiaeth pori, priddoedd iach a fflora a ffawna amrywiol.
Bydd tair fferm yng Nghymoedd y De Ddwyrain yn ail hau 4-5 ha o ucheldir ymylol gyda gwndwn aml-rywogaeth ynghyd â gwndwn rhygwellt/meillion gwyn traddodiadol i gymharu allbynnau’r ddwy system fel rhan o brosiect EIP dros dair blynedd.
Mae ansawdd a ffrwythlondeb tirweddau Cymru’n amrywio’n fawr, felly mae deall effeithiolrwydd gwahanol gyfansoddiadau gwndwn yn eich galluogi i hau glaswellt mewn modd mwy effeithlon ar diroedd ymylol.
Os oes modd i gynnydd mewn amrywiaeth planhigion hefyd leihau amser pesgi wˆ yn a/ neu wella iechyd anifeiliaid, gallai porfa amlrywogaeth gwirioneddol gynnig potensial i reoli tir ymylol yng Nghymru ar gyfer cynhyrchiant a bioamrywiaeth gyffredinol.
Contacts
Project coordinator
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Will John
Project coordinator
Project partners
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Chris Duller
Project partner
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Edward Roberts
Project partner
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Helen Mathieu
Project partner
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Phil Thomas
Project partner
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Richard Morgan
Project partner