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Tuesday, 22-May-2012 10:33:50 BST
IGER at The Royal Welsh Show 2007
The future, and "Farming for a Greener Future" will this year be the theme of IGER's stand at The Royal Welsh Show which will take place at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells from 23 to 26 July.
"IGER has a long and proud history of applying science to grassland farming, and its research priorities have traditionally reflected the concerns of the rural community", said IGER Director Professor Mervyn Humphreys, who will highlight future options for Welsh farmers in a presentation entitled "Biorenewables and multifunctional land-use of grassland farms" on Wednesday 25 July at 3.00pm.
Farming and the environment could both benefit if new crop varieties and production techniques are taken up by Welsh farmers, and IGER scientists will be on hand to advise farmers on ways they might consider to adjust to climate change. With climate change high on the agenda, IGER scientists have been looking at the potential for biorefining of grass and clover for cheap and renewable sources of energy and materials. "Can oil be replaced by grass" will be an intriguing question for Welsh grassland farmers at the Show.
The IGER stand in the countryside area will also feature "Using UAVs for Agriculture and Environmental mapping" and their potential value to farmers. Scientists at Aberystwyth have joined forces with Boeing, Qinetiq, The University of Wales Aberystwyth and the Welsh Assembly Government to develop a project which involves flying Unmanned Aerial Vehicles with a three metre wingspan over field plots and collecting information from a range of sensors, concentrating on the use of hyperspectral cameras. A full scale model will feature prominently on the IGER stand. The technology can be used to monitor biodiversity of grass swards, early warning of crop disease, estimate fertiliser requirements, with drought monitoring and pollution control other possibilities.
The IGER Grassland Development Centre area will also take up the "Farming for a Greener Future" theme, offering practical solutions to today's farming challenges, such as planning winter livestock management to achieve both cross compliance and profitability. "There has been much interest, especially in the organic sector, in homegrown crops for finishing livestock", says Dr Heather McCalman, IGER Senior Extension Officer so as an example there will be a feature on chicory which proves ideal for finishing organic lambs quickly and profitably.
"We will also be asking how visitors to the stand view the prospects for land use in the future; be they farmers and their families or members of the general public", added Dr. McCalman.
The Grassland Development Centre is also a key part of the Willow for Wales project which has already demonstrated that land across Wales is well suited to growing biomass crops such as willow and miscanthus. It has identified a huge opportunity for farmers to realise decent economic returns from energy crops and to secure a long term stable source of income. (see Note 3.)
Again this year IGER has designated a children's area with Thursday morning (10am – 12pm) dedicated to the activities of the next generation of rural dwellers. This year's theme is "Water, Water Everywhere", featuring interactive displays and competitions.
IGER at this year's Royal Welsh Show will as ever provide visitors with an excellent opportunity in an informal atmosphere to update their knowledge of soil and nutrient management, current varieties, new varieties of clover and high sugar grasses along with crop options and other opportunities for "Farming for a Greener Future".
NOTES:
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IGER stand no. CCA 836 is located in the Countryside Care Area of the Showground. The UAV stand is at CCA 840.
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The Grassland Development Centre is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and the EU (EAGGF aid) as part of Farming Connect.
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Last month Defra released its UK Biomass Strategy document outlining its commitment to developing the growth and use of biomass crops such as willow and miscanthus. Its targets include the planting of biomass crops on 350,000ha in the UK. WAG is also due to release its own strategy document in the near future.
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