IGER

Plant Power: Fuel For The Future
A Liverpool bus, could run for a whole year on grass-derived ethanol grown on 11 hectares of grass will be the message of an Aberystwyth scientist at this year's BA Festival of Science based in Liverpool from 6-11th September.

Reducing Environmental Footprint Is A Step In The Right Direction For Dairy And Livestock Farmers
Reducing the environmental footprint while lowering costs will be the theme of the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University stand at the Dairy and Livestock Event being held on the 17th and 18th September at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry.

IBERS Knowledge-based Innovations
The 2008 edition of IBERS Knowledge-based Innovations was launched by Aberystwyth University at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show at Llanelwedd on Tuesday 22 July.

Farmers & Flockmasters Attending Sheep 2008 at Malvern
Farmers and flockmasters attending Sheep 2008 at Malvern on Wednesday, 30th July will see how good husbandry and good practice can mitigate some of the increased costs brought about by recent high oil prices.

Sustainable Responses to Farming Challenges
The first Royal Welsh Show since the merger of IGER with Aberystwyth University will see the newly formed Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) promoting "Sustainable Responses to Farming Challenges".

FWGS Grassland Management Competition 2008
This year's winner of the Grassland Farming Competition jointly run by the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society and the Federation of Welsh Grassland Societies and sponsored by HSBC Bank is a member of Meirionnydd Grassland Society.

Dairy Farmers Improve Their Nutrient Management Skills
A recently completed project by the Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural Sciences’ Grassland Development Centre at Aberystwyth University has helped over 200 dairy farmers across Wales to get more from their slurry and fertiliser nutrients.

Profitable Farming with a Greener Future
Breeding programmes of forage grasses and clovers at IBERS are focused on the need to increase the efficiency of grassland agriculture. The main exhibit at Grassland and Muck 2008 will look at ‘Food and Fuel’ and show grassland farmers that livestock farming and growing crops for biofuel can co-exist and provide them with an extra source of revenue.

Cellulosic Ethanol To Replace Petrochemical Fuels In Next Ten Years
The humble perennial ryegrass is seen as the unlikely champion of 4 x 4 owners on the school-run as they wave goodbye to Ken Livingstone's congestion charges, whilst the much-maligned owners of "Chelsea tractors" could soon be laughing all the way to the bank if research currently undertaken at a Welsh research station fulfils its full potential.

Lord Milford Debate To Focus On Climate Change
It is becoming more generally accepted that human-induced climate change is already happening. People, particularly in those places where the climate is already at its most extreme, struggle with the impacts of global warming every day, and its observed effects are becoming increasingly and rapidly obvious to us all.

Federation Of Welsh Grassland Societies 2008 Silage Competition Results
The final judges were Martin Doyle of NatWest Bank, last years winner Mr David Davies, Gwarffynnon, Lampeter and Mr John Evans ex ADAS. They were impressed with the excellent standards of silage quality which had been achieved in a less than ideal season and enjoyed the challenge in deciding on a winner.

Subsistence farmers in drought prone regions of the world
Poor subsistence farmers in areas of Africa and Asia will be the direct beneficiaries of important research into the genetic mapping and marker-assisted breeding of pearl millet carried out by scientists at the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (IGER), Aberystwyth.

Protecting Your Baled Silage From Wireworms
Correct storage of silage bales is vital to preserve and retain the quality and nutritional value of the feed inside. Handling and storing bales properly avoids damage caused by birds and rodents or even grass stubble.

Back to the Future for Welsh farmers at Winter Fair
Farmers and consumers visiting IGER's stand at this year's Royal Welsh Winter Fair will be invited to air their views on the future direction for land use in Wales. A wide ranging survey instigated by the Institute will prompt responses on such issues as energy and food production, forestry and woodland, habitat creation and leisure pursuits.

IGER Takes Healthy Beef To Heart
Farmers and consumers visiting this year's Winter Fair will learn how a new £1m research programme co-ordinated by the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research at Aberystwyth (IGER) and involving researchers at the Universities of Nottingham and Bristol could impact positively on cardiovascular disease and have important health benefits in the wider community.

Ecological Research Help Grassland Farmers Improve Their Yields
A hot topic in ecology in the last few years has been the extent to which plant biomass production in an ecosystem depends on species diversity. Most research on this topic has been carried out by ecologists in relatively species-rich environments and the general conclusion has been that ecosystem biomass production is less effective when species diversity declines.

Willow for Wales (Helyg I Gymru) OPEN DAYS, 2007
The second of the Willow for Wales (Helyg i Gymru) Open Events in 2007 will be held on the afternoon of Wednesday 14th November 2007 at Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor (Glynllifon). 5 hectares of willow planted in 2004 provide the backdrop to a demonstration of the growing of SRC willow for use as fuel for heat and power.

Scientist With Roots In Farming Appointed To Senior Position
David Davies, who combines a career at IGER with tending to his 60 acre holding in the Cambrian Mountains has been appointed Agriculture Outreach Manager for the Aberystwyth based Research Institute soon to merge into Aberystwyth University.

Crown Rust Concerns For Grassland Managers In Wales
Farmers and amenity users of grassland across Wales are worried that their grass is suddenly turning orange. A combination of warm temperatures and heavy dews have produced the perfect conditions for crown rust, a fungal disease, to develop in swards across Wales.

Reducing Environmental Footprint Is A Step In The Right Direction For Dairy Farmers
Reducing the environmental footprint while lowering costs will this year be the theme of the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (IGER) stand at the Dairy Event being held on the 19th and 20th September. Scientists will be on hand to give practical advice on how measures taken on-farm can not only be of benefit to the environment, but can lead also to cost savings.

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.

All Wales Grassland Farming Competition 2007
This year's winner of the Grassland Farming Competition jointly run by the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society and the Federation of Welsh Grassland Societies and sponsored by HSBC Bank is Mr Arthur Owen, Bodysgaw Isa, Llannefydd, Denbigh. Mr Owen is a member of Betws-yn-Rhos Grassland Society and will now go on to represent Wales in the British Grassland Societies UK competition.

IGER Achievements Recognised By Royal Agricultural Society Of England
IGER Plant Breeding Aberystwyth is a recipient of the Royal Agricultural Society of England Technology Award 2007.

IGER Takes Centre Court By Storm
One could be forgiven for thinking that Iger is the surname of a Scandinavian tennis player vying for the final at this week's Wimbledon tennis tournament. But IGER, - the Aberystwyth based Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research is certainly a "top seed" when it comes to taking centre stage at the home of tennis.

Methods Of Improving Soil Fertility
Methods of improving soil fertility will be explored at a Farming Connect Grassland Development Centre Event at the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (IGER), Plas Gogerddan near Aberystwyth at 2pm on Wednesday 27 June 2007.

Willow For Wales (Helyg I Gymru) OPEN DAYS, 2007
The first of the Willow for Wales (Helyg i Gymru) Open Events in 2007 will be held on the afternoon of Monday July 9th 2007 at the Bodorgan Estate, Anglesey. 5 hectares of willow planted in 2004 provide the backdrop to a demonstration of the growing of SRC willow for use as fuel for heat and power.

IGER Research To Meet The Challenge Of Climate Change
A £1million plus grant awarded to the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (IGER), at Aberystwyth will allow scientists to develop superior plant varieties that are able to adapt to the challenge of climate change.