Banffshire Soil & Nutrient Network: 1st meeting – event summary

This was the first meeting of the Banffshire Soil and Nutrient Network Farm, hosted by Mr J Beattie of Newmills of Boyne farm, Cornhill.

Newmills of Boyne encompasses a number of different farm units with different soil types requiring careful management. The wet weather conditions experienced in 2017 have resulted in damage to the soils on the farm which has become more apparent with the dry growing conditions experienced in 2018.

The majority of the meeting was spent looking at the soil structure in those areas damaged in 2017. One field showed damage caused by heavy machinery harvesting vegetables. A second field showed similar symptoms in the growing crop but the main issue could be traced back to soil drainage. The meeting discussed options for preventing this damage occurring in the future and also trying to alleviate the damage that had been caused.

Key messages

• Do not forget the basics. While there are numerous different growing systems, fertilisers, fungicide treatments etc, these only work to their potential if the basics such as lime, drainage etc are in place.
• Compaction in the soil can occur at different depths, depending on the cause – livestock, machinery. It is important to know exactly where this compacted layer is.
• Subsoiling is not always the answer, and could in some cases make the situation worse. It is important to consider the drainage system in place in combination with any work to alleviate compaction
• When trying to remove compaction, it is important to use the appropriate tool in the correct conditions. The soil must be dry enough to give a shatter effect while the machine must be capable of getting a few centimetres below the compacted layer. Subsoiling a wet soil is a waste of money and can make the problem worse.

Information that was available to take away on the day, and other relevant documents are available to download using the links below.