The last event run by the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) to help farmers in Zone 1 of the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme (SNHS ) will take place in Castlewellan next week.
Farmers in Zone 1 of the scheme, which encompasses counties Down and Armagh, have received their soil analysis results and the CAFRE events aim to help them interpret these results.
The last of these events will be held on the farm of beef and sheep farmer John Milligan in Castlewellan on Tuesday, September 26, starting at 7:00p.m.
Milligan runs suckler beef, sheep and calf-to-beef enterprises with a strong focus on production from grassland and forage.
He has used soil analysis and nutrient management planning to improve the output from his farm, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) said.
The event will focus on using the results of the SNHS soil analysis to assess soil fertility, make best use of organic manures and plan chemical fertiliser applications to maximise grass production, comply with regulations and protect the environment.
The event will also demonstrate how farmers can access their results on the SNHS map viewer and explain how completing the SNHS training available from CAFRE will help farmers make best use of the information provided by the scheme.
The events will feature various speakers including:
- Milligan, the host farmer, will give an overview of his grassland management and explain how he have benefited from participating in the scheme and completing the SNHS training;
- Alex Higgins from Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) will give an update on the SNHS soil analysis results and trends within Zone 1;
- CAFRE technologists will discuss the benefits of nutrient management planning and provide instructions on how to join the SNHS training.
There is no booking required for the event. Those interested can seek more information via the CAFRE website.
