project - EIP-AGRI Operational Group
Pasture for pollinators
Pasture for pollinators
Objectives
A group of six dairy farmers who are members of the Calon Wen Milk Co-operative are aiming to boost pollinator numbers on their farms through a 3 year EIP Wales project. The project explores how forage resources on dairy farms can be managed to conserve and enhance populations of bumblebees and other pollinators. The aim is to increasing the number and diversity of food plants, the period in which they are in flower, and the productivity and financial performance of farms. The role of grassland has received little attention, and in the Welsh context, where livestock and therefore grass-based systems are heavily dominant, this represents a significant omission.
Objectives
Mae grŵp o chwe ffermwr llaeth sy’n aelodau o Grŵp Llaeth Cydweithredol Calon Wen yn anelu i gynyddu niferoedd peillwyr ar eu ffermydd trwy'r prosiect 3 mlynedd EIP Wales hwn. Mae’r gwaith yn ymchwilio sut y gallai porthiant ar ffermydd llaeth gael eu rheoli er mwyn gwarchod a chynyddu poblogaeth gwenyn a pheillwyr eraill. Y nod yw ceisio cynyddu niferoedd ac amrywiaeth planhigion bwyd, y cyfnod mae’r planhigion yn eu blodau, ac effeithlonrwydd a pherfformiad ariannol ffermydd. Nid oes llawer o sylw wedi cael ei dalu i rôl glaswelltir ac mae hyn yn fwlch sylweddol o ystyried y cyd-destun Cymreig, ble mae da byw a systemau porfa yn dominyddu
Activities
Farmers will sow 2 seed mixes across a trial fields including, bird’s-foot trefoil, lesser knapweed and tufted vetch to enhance pollinator populations.
Trail plots will be surveyed prior to first harvest in late May, then again in June and July.
Potential sites will be identified in year one and base line data collected. The impact of delaying grazing and/or deferring grazing until the following year will be assessed in terms of pollinator populations.
Pollinator population surveys will be carried out at strategic points during the year/forage production cycle in each of the three project years, and for each of the management options.
Activities
Bydd ffermwyr yn hau 2 fath o hadau cymysg mewn caeau arbrofol yn cynnwys pys-y-ceirw, y bengaled fach, a ffacbys y berth er mwyn cynyddu poblogaeth peillwyr.
Bydd y plotiau arbrofol yn cael eu harolygu cyn y cynhaeaf cyntaf ar ddiwedd mis Mai ac yna ym misoedd Mehefin a Gorffennaf.
Bydd safleoedd posib yn cael eu canfod yn y flwyddyn gyntaf yn ogystal â chasglu data gwaelodlin. Bydd effaith oedi cyn pori a/neu ohirio tan y flwyddyn ganlynol yn cael ei asesu gan ystyried poblogaeth peillwyr.
Bydd arolygon ar boblogaeth peillwyr yn cael eu cynnal ar adegau allweddol y flwyddyn/y gylched cynhyrchu porthiant yn ystod pob un o dair blynedd y prosiect ac am bob un o’r opsiynau rheoli
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
- South West Wales
- Other geographical location
- Flintshire and Wrexham
EUR 46 764.00
Total budget
Total contributions from EAFRD, national co-financing, additional national financing and other financing.
1 Practice Abstracts
The dwindling population of wild bees and other pollinators in the UK poses a serious threat to the UK food industry. While there is a great deal of information on enhancing pollinators the majority of these studies have focused on arable or horticultural systems. The role of grassland has received little attention, and in the Welsh context, where livestock and grass-based systems are heavily dominant this represents a significant omission. This project will therefore help to fill a significant gap in the scientific literature.
The farmers, together with representatives from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and RSPB who are involved in the project, are hoping to see that simple changes to grassland management without sacrificing farm productivity and profitability can go hand in hand with bee conservation.
The outcomes of the projects will be communicated to farmers, researchers, advisors, policy makers, consumers and other interested parties through a series of open days. Knowledge Exchange resources, will be prepared, aimed at grassland farmers and other land managers, providing clear, practical guidance on the steps that can be taken to conserve and enhance pollinator populations in a commercial farming context.
Mae lleihad yn y boblogaeth o wenyn gwyllt a pheillwyr eraill ym Mhrydain yn fygythiad difrifol i ddiwydiant bwyd y Deyrnas Unedig. Er bod cryn dipyn o wybodaeth yn bodoli ar sut i wella'r amgylchedd ar gyfer peillwyr mae'r mwyafrif o'r astudiaethau hyn wedi canolbwyntio ar systemau âr neu arddwriaeth. Nid oes llawer o sylw wedi cael ei dalu i rôl glaswelltir ac mae hyn yn fwlch sylweddol o ystyried y cyd-destun Cymreig, ble mae da byw a systemau porfa ar ei gryfaf. Bydd y prosiect hwn yn anelu i lenwi'r bwlch sylweddol yn y llenyddiaeth wyddonol.
Mae'r ffermwyr, ynghyd â chynrychiolwyr o Ymddiriedolaeth Cadwraeth Gwenyn a'r RSPB, sy'n rhan o'r prosiect, yn gobeithio gweld bod newidiadau syml i reolaeth glaswelltir heb effeithio ar gynhyrchedd a phroffidioldeb yn gallu mynd law yn llaw â chadwraeth gwenyn.
Bydd canlyniadau'r prosiect yn cael eu rhannu gyda ffermwyr, ymchwilwyr, ymgynghorwyr, gwneuthurwyr polisi, prynwyr a grwpiau eraill o bobl sydd yn dangos diddordeb trwy gyfres o ddiwrnodau agored. Bydd adnoddau cyfnewid gwybodaeth yn cael eu paratoi, a fydd yn darparu arweiniad clir ac ymarferol ar y camau gall ffermwyr porfa a rheolwyr tir eraill gymryd i gadw a chynyddu poblogaethau peillwyr mewn cyd-destun ffermio masnachol.
Contacts
Project coordinator
-
Tony Little
Project coordinator
Project partners
-
Alan Rogers
Project partner
-
Dai Miles
Project partner
-
David Edge
Project partner
-
Dylan Evans
Project partner
-
Gethin Davies
Project partner
-
Richard Tomlinson
Project partner
-
Sinead Lynch
Project partner
-
Stuart Taylor
Project partner