Improving the Availability of Organic Forage Seed in Wales

The EU regulation requiring organic farmers to use 100% organic herbage seed is looming closer. Currently they are ‘enjoying’ a derogation from this because suitable seed is not available. For 2004 seeds mixtures had to contain at least 50% organic seed. This breathing space before full 100% organic seed is required is giving the organic industry time to improve the availability of suitable species and varieties. Historically there was a viable herbage seed production industry in the lowland and southern areas of Wales. This area turned to livestock production during its more profitable periods, with specialist arable and herbage seed production switching largely to south east England. The agronomic potential remains in Wales but now needs to be developed to meet specific organic needs. A recent survey of organic farmers in Wales (see Gwlad issue 26) identifiedpersistence, total annual yield and early spring growth as the most important characters in a seeds mix. Sourcing organic seed of such forage varieties is essential for the continued development of the organic sector. Following a series of farmer discussion group meetings where these concerns were highlighted a feasibility project funded by Farming Connect, is looking at the potential of producing organic forage seed in Wales. Experimental plot work at IGER has been addressing some of the challenges in organic forage seed production. Four farmers from organic discussion groups, with a range of farm types and systems are involved in developing this work by hosting field scale demonstration plots. Field plots, designed with farmer involvement, have focused on the feasibility of different approaches to forage grass seed production (plans are in Appendix A). Initially the emphasis has been on weed control, crop nutrition and integration of forage seed production into the farming systems using seed crops of perennial ryegrass, hybrid ryegrass and timothy. Harvesting, drying and cleaning of seed have also been addressed. The first demonstration area of the hybrid ryegrass variety AberLinnet was successfully harvested in 2003, with further areas harvested in 2004. To involve all stakeholders, the project included Organic and Seed Certification bodies, as well as seed companies to progress organic forage seed production in Wales and to develop a better understanding of the challenges involved. Achievements to date: • Successful farmer participation and development of this as a route to developing organic herbage seed production agronomy and harvesting techniques. • Inclusion of other stakeholders in meetings • Herbage seed yields at potentially commercially viable levels on most sites • Identification of areas for further work • Publication of results and project progress at a range of levels from Gwlad and organic e- bulletin to scientific and farmer conferences in Wales, UK, Europe and Australia. (Details in Appendix B) • Dissemination of results obtained at farmer group meetings in England and Wales. • An overview factsheet is in progress Identification of the gaps: • Lack of farmer confidence to proceed to commercial enterprise. • A need to address further technical issues highlighted as a result of the initial work (eg clover variety, weed control). • Designing sound rotations that meet with certification standards (organic and seed) needs to be addressed. • Integration of seed production into a range of arable and or livestock systems is important to the viability and practicality of organic herbage seed production. • The expertise and confidence of the organic growers needs to be developed. • Developing farm scale harvesting, drying, distribution and marketing with farmers, and other stakeholders. • Lack of active organic seed processor and marketing presence in the area The next Phase This should be viewed in two parts; in the short term we need to ensure continuity of cropping on the farm sites and dissemination of information, building on the successes of the initial project; the longer term aims are the development of infrastructure, cooperation of interested stakeholders (eg seed companies, machinery rings, certification bodies) and scaling up to a commercially viable level from the farm

100% Organic Livestock Feeds – preparing for 2005

A project entitled “100% Organic Livestock Feeds – Preparing for 2005” looking at the implications for organic farmers of the removal of the current derogation to use a percentage of non-organic livestock feeds. 1) Researching the required volume of feed stuff, in particular protein crops, and potential for feed production within Wales. 2) Researching the suitability of alternative protein sources, and evaluating livestock systems regarding the potential for a reduction in energy and protein levels. 3) Proposing strategies for the development and stimulation of the industry

Pest and Disease Control in Grass and Forage Crops

Pest and diseases can have a significant effect on the establishment, yield and longevity of grass and forage crops. This tool is an atlas for the identification of the main pests regarding grass and forage crops. It has been written for Wales climates and it is not specific for organic farming. Nonetheless, the information contained, can be used by farmers, conventional or organic, skilled or newcomers, all over Europe. Besides pest descriptions, with pictures that facilitate the task of identification, it provides useful hints on preventive, non-chemical, practices to reduce pest incidence

Weed Control in Grass and Forage Crops

The leaflet includes suggestions for preventing establishment and spread of creeping thistle, spear thistle, docks, chickweed, ragwort, buttercup, bracken and nettles

Attitudes Towards Conversion To Organic Production Systems: A Study Of Farmers In England

This report describes the attitudes of converting and conventional producers in England to organic production. In 2000, a telephone survey was conducted of farmers in three groups: those who were converting, those who had contacted OCIS but decided not to convert, and a random sample of conventional farmers. The majority of converting farmers gave concerns about agrochemicals and fears about the future profitability of conventional farming as their main reasons for going organic. Marketing was not seen as an obstacle to conversion. Conventional farmers thought that advice and information on organic production were easily obtained, but converting farmers did not agree, suggesting that there was a shortage of more advanced knowledge. Non-converters gave financial viability, environmental aspects and the Organic Farming Scheme as important factors in any future decision to convert

Should farmers apply fertilizer according to when their daffodils are in flower?:Utilizing a “farmer-science” approach to understanding the impact of soil temperature on spring N fertilizer application in Wales

Perennial ryegrass starts growing when soil temperatures reach 5.5°C for five consecutive days; applying N fertiliser before this risks environmental losses. To test whether daffodil flowering signified when to apply N fertiliser, farmers volunteered to take part in a citizen‐science study. The PROSOIL project used a ‘citizen science’, participatory approach to create farmer‐informed science, aiming to increase awareness of the importance of soil health. In 2014, over 300 farmers completed a “How do you manage your soil” survey. The survey included a question on the use of daffodils (Narcissus spp) to indicate the best time to apply the first nitrogen fertiliser of the season, based on anecdotal feedback from farmers involved in the PROSOIL project. The survey recorded 7% of farmers based their first fertiliser application on when daffodils flowered. To increase farmer awareness of soil temperatures, we provided them with soil thermometers, held workshops and hosted interactive stands at agricultural events in 2014. In autumn 2014, farmers planted daffodil bulbs of the same variety, across Wales, and monitored soil temperatures. Farmers returned postcards once their daffodils were in flower, noting the soil temperature. An assessment of whether daffodil flowering date could indicate when to apply N fertiliser was made. Overall, in spring 2015, daffodils flowered when soil temperature was 6.4(±0.35)°C, suggesting daffodil flowering date is a more reliable indicator for fertiliser application, than first hypothesised. Findings show a scientific validation of local knowledge, regarding the use of daffodils to indicate the “not‐before” date for the first N fertiliser application

Organic Farming in Wales 2003 - 2004

Organic Centre Wales (OCW) was originally formed to act as an information source for producers enquiring into organic farming; in our second phase, in response to changes in the sector, we have an increased remit on policy issues. It has been a busy time, seeing the production of a second Organic Action Plan, the implementation of the CAP reform and development work on agri-environment reforms. The year also saw the start of organic maintenance payments for farmers. This Annual Report contains accounts of the progress that has been made on many fronts during the last 12 months, particularly in market knowledge due to the research for the recently published report, 'Organic Food: understanding the consumer and increasing sales'. This information, together with continuing product development work, will enable Welsh organic producers to be proactive in building a solid consumer base

Legume based plant mixtures for delivery of multiple ecosystem services: An overview of benefits

As costs for mineral fertilizers rise, legume-based leys are recognised as a potential alternative nitrogen source for crops. Here we demonstrate that including species-rich legume-based leys in the rotation helps to maximize synergies between agricultural productivity and other ecosystem services. By using functionally diverse plant species mixtures these services can be optimised and fine-tuned to regional and farm-specific needs. Field experiments run over three years at multiple locations showed that the stability of ley performance was greater in multi-species mixtures than in legume monocultures. In addition, mixing different legume species in the ley helps to suppress both early and late weeds. Further, combining complementary phenologies of different legume species extended forage availability for key pollinator species. Finally, widening the range of legume species increases opportunities to build short term leys into rotations on conventional farms via cover cropping or undersowing

Weeds in organic fertility-building leys:aspects of species richness and weed management

Legume-based leys (perennial sod crops) are an important component of fertility management in organic rotations in many parts of Europe. Despite their importance, however, relatively little is known about how these leys affect weed communities or how the specific composition of leys may contribute to weed management. To determine whether the choice of plant species in the ley affects weeds, we conducted replicated field trials at six locations in the UK over 24 months, measuring weed cover and biomass in plots sown with monocultures of 12 legume and 4 grass species and in plots sown with a mixture of 10 legume species and 4 grass species. Additionally, we monitored weed communities in leys on 21 organic farms across the UK either sown with a mixture of the project species or the farmers? own species mix. In total, 63 weed species were found on the farms, with the annuals Stellaria media, Sonchus arvensis, and Veronica persica being the most frequent species in the first year after establishment of the ley, while Stellaria media and the two perennials Ranunculus repens and Taraxacum officinale dominated the weed spectrum in the second year. Our study shows that organic leys constitute an important element of farm biodiversity. In both replicated and on-farm trials, weed cover and species richness were significantly lower in the second than in the first year, owing to lower presence of annual weeds in year two. In monocultures, meadow pea (Lathyrus pratensis) was a poor competitor against weeds, and a significant increase in the proportion of weed biomass was observed over time, due to poor recovery of meadow pea after mowing. For red clover (Trifolium pratense), we observed the lowest proportion of weed biomass in total biomass among the tested legume species. Crop biomass and weed biomass were negatively correlated across species. Residuals from the linear regression between crop biomass and weed biomass indicated that at similar levels of crop biomass, grasses had lower weed levels than legumes. We conclude that choice of crop species is an important tool for weed management in leys.authorsversionPeer reviewe