High sugar grasses: benefits to profitability and carbon footprint
Tuesday the 19th of October 2010 1.30pm 3.30pm
Demonstration farm open day at Rhosferig Farm, Rhosferig, Builth Wells, Powys, LD2 3PT
Mr Rob Powell and his family will open their farm gates so that others can learn from their experiences of establishing and managing high sugar grasses. It will be an excellent opportunity for those interested in varieties of high sugar rye grass to learn more about their benefits to profitability and in reducing the farms carbon footprint.
The Grassland Development Centre from IBERS will talk about how to manage high sugar grasses as well as the benefits to profitability and the potential reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Mr. Powell is the Chairman of the Wye and Towy Welsh Black Beef Marketing Group that currently supply Waitrose with Welsh Black cattle. The group is committed to lowering their carbon footprint and Mr. Powell has recently undertaken a farm carbon footprint. Dr. Rachel Taylor, an expert on farm carbon footprinting from Bangor University will talk about the process of carbon footprinting and present the results. Mr Powell said that
Measuring the farm carbon footprint has been an interesting process and it is a way of showing us where we can change management practices to reduce our carbon footprint even further. We hope that a low carbon footprint will give us a market advantage.
Planting 150 acres of high sugar grass varieties is one example of how the group have taken action to reduce their carbon footprint to date. Research at IBERS in Aberystwyth University has shown that the benefits of high sugar grass for livestock producers include:
- supporting up to 6% higher milk yields and 20% faster live weight gain in lambs and cattle over standard varieties
- reducing production and emission of methane up to 25%
- reduces excretion of nitrogen in the dung and urine by up to 24% thus cutting nitrous oxide emissions
- may deliver a lower carbon footprint per unit of production in well managed systems meeting the demands of meat and milk buyers and consumers
To book your place or for further information please contact Canolfan Hinsawdd Cymru on: 01248 383689 or post@wales-climate.org.uk
Canolfan Hinsawdd Cymru is partnership between Bangor University and Aberystwyth University delivering the Climate Change Development Programme on behalf of Farming Connect