January is a good time to take a close look at autumn–sown grass seed mixtures to see how well they have established and how the winter weather has affected them. Many leys that got off to a good start in August and September have benefited from the mild winter to date and are now looking ...

Solar panels often known as arrays, are usually mounted 1.5- 2.5 metres above the ground, so the question is what best to grow beneath them. We have learned that contractors require a grass sward to be low in height  and slow growing to keep grassland maintenance to a minimum and we have also ...

Studies have shown that the inclusion of Lucerne silage in dairy cow diets can improve forage intake, and increase output of milk protein, with no change in milk fat. The benefits together with lower forage production costs when compared with grass silage should help to improve margin/litre of milk ...

Adding to existing pastures by overseeding sowing grasses or clovers into an existing sward can be an economical way to make a field more productive. It’s important to get the detail right however, because new seeds will have a high degree of competition from existing species, ...

Digging the Dirt is a Soil Association series of in-depth reports on farmers who are reaping the benefits of investing in their soil. (by Tim Bevan) Cotswold Seeds purchased the 107 acre Honeydale Farm back in 2013. Managing Director, Ian Wilkinson, wants to demonstrate how small family farms ...