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Crops and Soils

Distillery By-Products In Livestock Rations

Distillery by-products are a popular choice to provide additional protein and energy in livestock rations, but over the years the tonnage available in Scotland has fallen significantly as more and more distilleries move towards using their grain by-products to produce green energy. Strathclyde distillery is stopping production of wheat distillers dark grains this Christmas, with…

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Forage Triticale: Value on Mixed Arable and Livestock Farms

Triticale, a hybrid of wheat and rye, makes up a small fraction of the agricultural area in Scotland at 0.1% of combinable crops in the 2024 Scottish Agricultural Census. It is a niche but valuable crop in marginal areas due to its ability to tolerate lower pH than wheat or barley.  Forage triticale, bred for…

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Grain
Grain

Ensuring Safe Storage for Wet Malting Barley

This article is produced as a part of the FAS Crops & Soils Bulletin. Subscribe now to receive the full report in your inbox monthly. The later and more challenging harvest combined with movement issues has seen more grain lying on farm this autumn awaiting collection.  With grain being harvested at higher moistures than normal…

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Agribusiness News October 2024 – Cereals & Oilseeds

Global grains trade eastward It is now apparent that the EU/Black Sea harvest is down year on year by 20.5Mt (UK-3MT, EU-9MT, Russia/Ukraine-10MT). By contrast, N. American and Canadian production is up year on year by 16.5MT and they have been competing to export eastward. After modest gains through the first part of September, the…

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2024 Harvest & Grain Quality Update

This article is produced as a part of the FAS Crops & Soils Bulletin. Subscribe now to receive the full report in your inbox monthly. The wet weather experienced in the UK from autumn 2023 to spring 2024 has significantly impacted this year’s cereal crops. Although autumn started off well, heavy rainfall began in early…

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Ergot – What it is and How to Prevent it

This article is produced as a part of the FAS Crops & Soils Bulletin. Subscribe now to receive the full report in your inbox monthly. This year brings more concern about ergot in grain crops- something that was also seen last year with some growers having loads rejected for ergot for the first time.   Why…

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Sugar beet bulb
Sugar beet bulb

Late Season Nutrients for Bulb Crops

This article is produced as a part of the FAS Crops & Soils Bulletin. Subscribe now to receive the full report in your inbox monthly. As the growing season progresses, it feels timely for a reminder on one of the key messages on late season nitrogen application from our fodder beet roadshow earlier this year. …

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Reducing the Risk of Soil Erosion from Potato Cropping

This article is produced as a part of the FAS Crops & Soils Bulletin. Subscribe now to receive the full report in your inbox monthly. This article outlines the considerations and actions that can be taken to protect soil integrity when potatoes are cropped within a rotation.     Establishment Only grow potatoes where a field is…

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Responding to Reduced Forage Quality with Maize Grain

This article is produced as a part of the FAS Crops & Soils Bulletin. Subscribe now to receive the full report in your inbox monthly. It has been a challenging summer for making silage and this has had a knock-on effect on silage quality. First cuts on dairy farms are, on average, poorer than last…

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The Farm Management Handbook

The Farm Management Handbook Your guide to Scottish agriculture The Farm Management Handbook is an essential tool for any progressive farm business, providing a comprehensive and up-to-date source of information for farmers, crofters, rural professionals, students and consultants. Subject matter covered includes: Crop Inputs Arable Potatoes Grassland Forage Crops Livestock Dairying Beef Cattle Sheep Red…

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