Optimisation of phosphorus and potassium management within organic farming systems (OF0114)

This is the final report from Defra project OF0114. The scientific objectives of the project were to 1 - Assess the balance between inputs and offtakes of P and K within a range of UK organic farming systems 2 - Evaluate chemical and bioavailability indices used to assess P and K status of soils 3 - Assess the availability of a range of P and K fertilisers to grass-clover leys and tillage crops 4 – Develop a process-based simulation model and integrate with whole farm nutrient budgeting to allow P and K management decisions to be made for the whole farm. 5 - Provide guidelines for farmers on the use of phosphorus and potassium fertilisers for organic systems. Farm gate budgets for P and K were collated using farm records, measurements and standard tables of nutrient contents for a number of organic farms and rotations on organic farms. An integrated series of incubation, greenhouse and field experiments was carried out with a range of fertilising materials selected to give a range of likely availabilities for plant uptake and to give a mix of mineral and organic sources of P and K on soils representing the range of soil types under organic management. Organic farming systems can show both P and K surpluses and deficits depending on management. In mixed systems, manures represent a significant resource of both P and K, which are supplemented through imports of feed and bedding. However, manure handling also therefore gives significant opportunity for losses, particularly of K from the system. K deficits are common in organic rotations, but not necessarily at the whole farm level. These deficits are close to the level which can be sustained from the weathering of mineral reserves in many UK soils. However, more consideration needs to be taken of the potential of soils to supply K when rotations and management plans are designed. There is no reason why organic farming systems, operating within the current UKROFS standards, cannot achieve a nutrient budget in line with long-term sustainability of soil P and K. However, continued monitoring of soil P and K levels in long-term organic trials is necessary to demonstrate these conclusions. Results of the simulation modelling are further summarised in the executive summary at the start of the main report. The complex interactions between nutrient cycles in organic farming systems means that the process based simulation model of P and K turnover was necessarily very simplified and the data collected in this project was not long-term enough to allow a full evaluation of all the factors, which influence P and K offtake, particularly the impact of crop establishment and management practices influencing spatial and temporal P nd K management. However, practical guidelines were drawn up for farmers and their advisors. The project has produced 4 scientific papers and contributed to others. 10 presentations were made at scientific conferences and 5 presentations to farmers’ meetings. The project has also been responsible for simulating debate and encouraging the use of good scientific data in the development of future UK organic farming systems

Guide for the Wildlife Practices in the 1966 Ohio Agricultural Conservation and Cropland Adjustment Programs

PDF pages: 1

Time to wind up Hollington v Hewthorn?

Explains how evidence, which would otherwise be inadmissible under either the hearsay rule or the rule in Hollington v F Hewthorn & Co Ltd, may be admissible in winding-up proceedings or directors disqualification proceedings under either the Civil Evidence Act 1995 s.1 or an implied exception to the rules. Comments on the Court of Appeal ruling in Secretary of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform v Aaron on the admissibility in directors disqualification proceedings of a Financial Services Authority report and Financial Ombudsman Service decisions

Exploring the criminology curriculum

There are calls across Higher Education to address deep structural inequalities withspecific concerns that the marginalisation of certain voices (female, colonised, nonwestern and LGBTQ+) has influenced and distorted the production of knowledge inrelation to key criminological topics and issues (Agozino, 2003; Cunneen and Rowe,2015; Connell, 2007).This article presents initial findings from a pilot study exploring the curriculum of anew criminology Bachelor of Arts degree programme at a post-92 English University.It provides a timely starting point, given the proliferation of HE criminology courses inthe UK, and suggests there is both increasing pressures to develop course materialand over-familiarisation and acceptance of dominant narratives in criminology. Thispaper serves as a call to action to critically engage with the sources used: in sodoing we put forward a simple ‘inclusivity matrix’ that can be used both whendesigning curricula and for teaching critical information literacy

Confiscation orders and abuse of process: discretion to prevent "double whammy" under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002

Explores the circumstances in which the making of an application for a confiscation order might amount to an abuse of process entitling the court to grant a stay of proceedings. Outlines the facts leading to the Court of Appeal decision in R. (on the application of BERR) v Lowe and reviews the case law referred to by the Court of Appeal. Highlights other cases decided subsequent to Lowe

Nutrient budgets on organic farms: a review of published

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. On organic farms it is important that a balance between inputs and outputs of nutrients is achieved. This paper collates nutrient budgets collated at the farm scale for 88 farms in 9 temperate countries. The majority of budgets were compiled for dairy farms (56). All the nitrogen budgets showed an N surplus (average 83 kg N ha-1 year-1). The phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) budgets showed both surpluses and deficits (average 3.4 kg P ha-1 year-1; 13.7 kg K ha-1 year-1). For all nutrients as nutrient inputs increased the surplus increased more significantly than the nutrient outputs. Overall, the data illustrate the diversity of management systems in place on organic farms, which consequently lead to significant variability in nutrient use efficiency and potential nutrient sustainability between farms. There are opportunities for almost all organic farmers to improve the efficiency of nutrient cycling on the farm and increase short-term productivity and long-term sustainability

2D simultaneous measurement of the oxyanions of P, V, As, Mo, Sb, W and U.

Previous work used the sampling technique diffusive gradients in thin-films analysed by laser ablation mass spectrometry to measure sulphide, P, V and As at a microniche of reactive organic carbon in a freshwater sediment. Here we present new developments of this technique. The number of analytes has been extended and we demonstrate the technique for depth profiling of analytes in both one and two dimensions. The physical dimensions of the cell in the laser ablation unit restrict the maximum length of gel that can be analysed. We address this problem by proposing a method for obtaining better data continuity when analysing multiple segments of gel from the same probe. 13C is used as the internal standard for each gel segment. For the cross standardisation of different gel segments 58Fe signals are obtained from ablation of a small piece of standard ferrihydrite gel analysed during the same run as the sample gel. As the ferrihydrite gel is a subsection of a much larger gel (i.e. the Fe concentration is consistent for all subsection), then any difference in signal can be attributed to changes in detector sensitivity and gels across different runs and performed on different days can be standardised