Keep watchful eye on Salmonella risk
Livestock 01/08/2024
Egg producers and pullet rearers are being asked to remain vigilant against the threat of salmonella in British layers. The layer industry has been working to prevent the disease, but Elanco layer business manager Jeremy Marsh said it still was important for the industry to keep a watchful eye... Read more
Piglets ‘can thrive’ without zinc oxide
Livestock 01/08/2024
Pigs can still thrive despite the removal of potentially harmful zinc oxide from their diets, says an industry specialist. Zinc oxide has been used for many years in the industry to reduce diarrhoea in post-weaned pigs. But concern over the potential risk to the environment saw the therapeutic use... Read more
Pig industry leaders have urged the government to stop illegal meat imports and animal disease from entering the UK. The National Pig Association national biosecurity and better border controls should be a top priority amid fears that a major disease outbreak could devastate Britain’s outdoor herds and indoor units.... Read more
Healthier livestock are more productive and can help mitigate climate change, suggests a study. Improving animal health may reduce greenhouse gas emissions without the need to switch to a meat-free diet or cut food production – helping to boost farm livelihoods and enhance animal welfare. The finding – by... Read more
Innovative ways to produce potatoes will be showcased by crop trials at a new industry event next month. The Transformative Reduced Input in Potatoes (TRIP) project has taken three trial crop plots (8, 9 and 10) at the Potato Days UK event, which will be held on 4-5 September... Read more
A cutting-edge soil station claims to help farmers reduce nitrogen applications by as much as 70%. The soil station – created by Estonian company Paul-Tech – provides insights into the nutrients available to the crop in the soil, enabling growers to accurately calculate the amount of nutrients the crop... Read more
We’re well into harvest and it’s also the time of year when growers are planning and ordering supplies for the new season. When crop nutrition companies release new season prices, it can be tempting for busy growers to rush out and buy straight nitrogen – or opt for the... Read more
Reducing soil acidity by increasing its pH before drilling winter crops will improve nutrient availability – and boost yields. More than half of all arable fields are below the target pH 6.7 recommended in AHDB’s Nutrient Management Guide (RB209), suggest results from NRM laboratories which analysed more than 50,000... Read more
Growers are advised to test soils soon after harvest and start putting right damage caused by months of wet weather. Record-breaking rainfall has washed away nitrogen, phosphorus and other essential nutrients, leaving soil health in tatters. Some soils are also likely to contain worrying levels of contaminants like aluminium... Read more
Adjusting drilling dates and planting companion crops can help combat cabbage stem flea beetle in oilseed rape. Drilling rape in the traditional mid- to late-August slot can exacerbate flea beetle problems – increasing the chance of crop failure, says ProCam technical manager Nigel Scott. Different thinking is needed to... Read more