Written by cpm from CPM Magazine
Download PDF Will Oliver has been responsible for some bold changes his family farm has made and has impressive results to show for them. CPM explores how the decisions were made that gave the business the confidence to change. What we’re aiming for is a flexible arable system, guided by data, not dogma. By Tom Allen-Stevens The maize crop Will Oliver inspects towers above his head. But it’s not the biomass he’s concerned with. Will’s inspecting the development of the young cobs – this is grain maize, his second year of growing it, with 180ha across the farm, following a successful trial crop last year of 30ha. “The gross margin on our grain maize last year was £1291/ha, while the oilseed rape suffered a deficit of £12.80/ha. That’s why we’re growing it,” he says. “You also leave a layer of organic matter as well as deep roots in the field that are built back into the soil. It follows a cover crop that we graze with sheep, and although it’s a late harvest, damage to the soil is minimal, provided you’re careful. And it’s a fantastic crop for blackgrass control. “Grown in this way, I think maize is very much…
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Download PDF Will Oliver has been responsible for some bold changes his family farm has made and has impressive results to show for them. CPM explores how the decisions were made that gave the business the confidence to change. What we’re aiming for is a flexible arable system, guided by data, not dogma. By Tom Allen-Stevens The maize crop Will Oliver inspects towers above his head. But it’s not the biomass he’s concerned with. Will’s inspecting the development of the young cobs – this is grain maize, his second year of growing it, with 180ha across the farm, following a successful trial crop last year of 30ha. “The gross margin on our grain maize last year was £1291/ha, while the oilseed rape suffered a deficit of £12.80/ha. That’s why we’re growing it,” he says. “You also leave a layer of organic matter as well as deep roots in the field that are built back into the soil. It follows a cover crop that we graze with sheep, and although it’s a late harvest, damage to the soil is minimal, provided you’re careful. And it’s a fantastic crop for blackgrass control. “Grown in this way, I think maize is very much…
The post Climate Change Champions – Carbon care is driven by data appeared first on cpm magazine.
Continue reading on CPM website...
If you are enjoying what you read then why not considering subscribing here: http://www.cpm-magazine.co.uk/subscribe/