Research at IGER Bronydd Mawr. Less Favoured Areas (LFAs) Hill and upland farming: Utilises 42% of...

Research at IGER Bronydd Mawr

Less Favoured Areas (LFAs)

Hill and upland farming:

Utilises 42% of UK agricultural land

Carries >60% of UK breeding cattle and sheep

Upland systems:

Complex and diverse

Difficult to isolate components

Issues of scale

Multiple goals

P E

PE - Production-orientated goals

- Maximising profit while minimising environmental impact

- High level of sward management

- Integration improved pasture & SNRG- Improved nutrient use efficiency- Systems to develop biodiverse leys- Habitat restoration

The challenge

Improved pasture

Efficient use of improved pastures, Efficient use of improved pastures,

which account for 85% of output, which account for 85% of output,

is vital for sustaining upland agricultureis vital for sustaining upland agriculture

Semi-natural rough grazing

Accounts for 67 % of LFA landAccounts for 67 % of LFA land

Viable livestock farming holds the key to Viable livestock farming holds the key to the conservation of landscape and the conservation of landscape and wildlifewildlife

Need to exploit the dietary preferences Need to exploit the dietary preferences of different types of animalof different types of animal

Research for LFAs

Improved pasture

- specialist crops- legume breeding- extensification experiment

Semi-natural rough grazing (SNRG)

- Molinia-dominant grassland- heather moorland (BD1228)

Integration

- systems studies

Improved pasture SNRG

Integrated systems

• Management of upland sheep systems

• Genotype x pasture type interactions

• Mixed vs. sequential grazing

Previous work

Experimental systems testing:

Does co-species grazing of cattle and sheep lead to improved efficiency of production?

– complementary use of areas within pasture

– increased availability of preferred species

– reduced parasite burdens

Is the complementarity of cattle and sheep grazing reduced as the ratio of sheep:cattle is increased?

– grazing becomes competitive

Can cattle temporarily graze SNRG for environmental gain without compromising productivity?

– selective grazing

– interactions with improved pasture utilisation

Is the impact of grazing by ‘traditional’ and ‘modern’ breeds different?

– body size and differences in productivity

– nutrient use efficiency

Experimental systems testing:

Production response

• Liveweight gain

• Finish and carcass quality

• Fertility

• Herbage mass & composition

• Silage yield and quality

• Inputs

Environmental impact

• Sward structure

• Botanical composition

• Butterflies

• Birds

• Parasites

• Pathogens

Opportunities

• Soil biodiversity & structure

• Water quality

• Nutrient flows

• Other biodiversity indicators

• Climate change

Knowledge transfer

• Farming Connect Demonstration Farm

• FWAG Demonstration Farm

• LEAF Innovation Centre

• Training site for CCW, Coleg Powys

The IGER Upland Research Centre works in partnership with: