Articles
Water Security in Scottish Dairying
In recent years, Scotland’s weather has grown more unpredictable, and even the famously wet Scottish climate is beginning to show signs of strain with shifting weather patterns. For farmers, one…
Read More >
Is Subclinical Ketosis Draining Your Profits?
Clinical ketosis is easily identifiable, with affected cows showing rapid condition loss, a significant drop in milk yield and reduced appetite. These cows will also have an acetone odour in…
Read More >
Comparing GPS and Conventional Soil Sampling
Many farmers are adopting precision agricultural technologies such as variable rate lime and fertiliser spreading. Variable rate spreading relies on knowledge of the variation in soil nutrient content across a…
Read More >
Going Green: Understanding Ecological Focus Areas
The conditions tied to the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) are evolving. In the past, greening obligations mainly applied to arable farms, with growers required to set aside management options equivalent…
Read More >
The Role of Major Nutrients in Grass Plants
Plants capture light and energy converting this to carbon dioxide and carbohydrates, such as sugars which are required for crop growth. This process of photosynthesis and the rate at which…
Read More >
Trading Straw for Farmyard Manure – Calculating Relative Values for a Fair Exchange
Farmers may have sold straw in the swath this season or intend to trade baled straw for farmyard manure (FYM) over the coming months. For many arable and livestock farmers…
Read More >
A Practical Guide to Arable Contract Farming Agreements
In a sector still facing challenging commodity prices, collaborating with another business to maintain or improve margins will be attractive to those looking to restructure how they operate. This article…
Read More >
Thermal Imaging for Biodiversity Monitoring and Land Management
Thermal imaging is a non-invasive technology that uses special cameras to detect the infra-red heat given off by objects. Originally developed for the military, the technology has since been adapted…
Read More >
A Guide to Artificial Calf Colostrum
There are many artificial colostrum products available for dairy and beef calves. They are labelled as either colostrum supplements, colostrum replacers or can be classed as both and it is…
Read More >
Business and Policy September 2025 – Cereals
Harvest off to a Fast Start This harvest may well prove to be one of the swiftest that farmers can recall given the exceptional harvesting conditions and drying winds. The…
Read More >Sign up to the FAS newsletter
Receive updates on news, events and publications from Scotland’s Farm Advisory Service