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Old Hall Field Sumo Subsoiler Demonstration

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Earlier this month our Agriculture Department received a machinery demonstration from SUMO UK Ltd. Richard Hales, sales manager for Sumo, brought the machinery on-site for a demonstration and to start a trial on one of our fields.

Staff and final year Level 3 Extended Diploma in Agriculture students were involved in the machinery demonstration. As well as being able to see what the machinery is capable of, the demonstration linked in with the grassland module our students are currently completing.

Anthony Jones from Agriculture, along with Farm Manager Mark Yearsley, have teamed up with Richard Hales from SUMO to organise this grassland trial. The trial will investigate the possibility of more consistent grass growth, extended grazing season and reduced chemical fertiliser costs as well as better soil health and structure.

The trial is expected to lead on to further research of the improvements that the subsoil machine can bring to the grazing grassland at Reaseheath.

The field was split into three areas. The first strip has been treated with the subsoil machine provided by SUMO at a depth of 8 inches. The middle strip was left untreated. The final strip, at the far end of the field, was aerated to a depth of 4 inches by first year Level 3 Extended Diploma students on one of their practicals. This enable staff and students to compare and contrast the different treatments available to existing swards.

This research will be ongoing in Field 7 over at Old Hall and will be repeated in the autumn through to next spring 2015.

The public will in fact be part of this trial as in May Field 7 will be used as a car park for our annual Family Festival. This will put pressure on the field and compact it. Following the Family Festival the recovery of the field will be monitored and hopefully the area which has been treated with the SUMO machine will hold up to compaction the best.

 

Reaseheath students look for alternative to soya in sheep feed

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Agricultural students from Reaseheath College are helping to carry out a trial to replace soya with a more sustainable UK grown protein in ewe feed.

Thirty Level 3 Extended Diploma in Agriculture students are assisting Reaseheath Sheep Unit Manager Oliver Bagley and Course Manager Richard Wheeldon to run the trial during the Nantwich, Cheshire college’s busy lambing period in March and early April. Data will be evaluated to see if replacing soya with alternative sources of protein affects the growth weight and kill weight of lambs.

Soya is traditionally imported into this country from South America and is often fed in meal form to pregnant ewes and lambs. Experts believe that the UK needs to produce its own sources of protein to improve the long term sustainability of its sheep production.

The project is funded by EBLEX, the organisation for beef and lamb levy payers in England, and run by ADAS, the agricultural and environmental consultancy. It was offered to Reaseheath because of the college’s partnership with the National Sheep Association.

The trial involves feeding different rations to six groups, each containing 40 twin bearing ewes. All groups are fed TMR rations based on home-produced grass silage. In addition, the control group receives supplementary barley and soya which is replaced in the other groups with blends of rape and fodder beet, barley and wheat dark distillers grains, barley and beans, rape and barley or wheat dark distillers grains and fodder beet.

Callum Pitchford and Laura Bellis fit an EID tag to a lamb

Callum Pitchford and Laura Bellis fit an EID tag to a lamb

Uneaten food is methodically gathered and weighed. All lambs are systematically weighed at birth, four and eight weeks, at weaning and at sale. The lambs are EID tagged, enabling the students to record the data efficiently. The ewes are also weighed directly after lambing.

Kate Phillips, Principal Livestock Consultant with ADAS explained: “There is a need to find  viable and alternative sources to soya which are more sustainable to the UK feed industry. We are delighted that Reaseheath’s agricultural students are helping to carry out this important project for us and we are very much looking forward to receiving their feedback.”

Richard Wheeldon said: “Our students complete investigative projects which include research and data collection as part of their Level 3 course. We believe that these projects, which are similar to a dissertation, encourage our students to continue their studies to degree level and to look at the many science based careers within the industry.

“Taking part in a real life, hands-on trial like this also gives them the unique opportunity to deliver results which will hopefully benefit the industry.”

Visit the Agriculture pages on our website to find out more about our courses.