THERE WILL by a whole host of new machinery, equipment and innovative products at this year’s Grassland and Muck event, at Stoneleigh, May 24-25.

More than £20m of machinery and equipment will be on display from 250 exhibitors and in the working demonstrations – everything from new tractors and muck spreaders, to grass measuring equipment and forage harvesters at the now triennial event.

Visitors will also be able to compare new grass varieties growing sideby-side, examine time-saving silage sheeting and check out near infra-red forage analysis technology.

John Deere will be making its UK public working demonstration debut with three new launches – the 6250R tractor with its CommandPRO joystick; the C441R wrapping baler; and its innovative ‘manure sensing’ system.

The high power to weight ration 6250R features an AutoPowr transmission and develops up to 300hp via ‘intelligent power management’ (IPM).

It will be shown working with a triple mower conditioner and the new high capacity baler in action later in the day. Aimed at contractors and larger livestock farms, the baler has been engineered to handle heavy, wet grass crops as well as dry straw. JD said it is ‘a true all-rounder’, with a 15% faster wrapping arm.

Its new manure sensing system will be seen fitted to a Joskin slurry tanker in the muck demonstration area. This adjusts slurry application rates to match field conditions, increasing crop yields while minimising input costs.

Also making a working and UK debut will be Pottinger’s Impress round balers. These latest fixed and variable chamber balers have a chopping unit with up to 32 knives, fed by Pottinger’s unique Liftup rotor technology to produce a consistent chop length.

Continental Soil Technology’s Krampe Bandit trailer will be seen for the first time, with its belt floor offering grain-proof handling and fast horizontal unloading of crops.

Quicke’s new Q-Series front loader has a number of innovations and the company said it will revolutionise and digitalise tractor loader handling.

Being seen working for the first time, it boasts 30% better operator vision, thanks to slimmer design and the Q-Companion will be on display, comprising two position and two pressure sensors.

Its loader status monitoring allows you to keep track of the position, angle and remaining lifting capacity, plus it can also calculate the weight lifted.

In the grass plots, Germinal will be showing off the benefits of high protein forage crops and launching the latest Aber high sugar grass varieties to be included on the Recommended Grass and Clover List, which will also be unveiled at the event.

Energy costs are also under the spotlight, with Graham Heath Construction and the Mikhno Group unveiling steel framed ‘eco-buildings’ with integral roof solar panels which can reduce electricity bills by up to 60%.

In a drive to help farmers make the most of their organic manures and nutrients will be the revised RB209 – now called the Nutrient Management Guide – which will be unveiled at the event.

The new guide features updated recommendations on nutrient supply and demand, including digestate for the first time this year.

Grassland and Muck tickets are on sale and visitors can save £4 per adult ticket by purchasing in advance. For instance, adult admission on the day costs £23, while the discounted rate is £19. For more information visit www. grasslandevent.co.uk

The seminars

Production from grass forums will take place in the main forum theatre in the static trade area. These 30-minute forums will feature from leading experts and are free to attend and are located on stand number 301.

10:30 Pasture improvement - a variety of decisions: Deciding when to reseed or improve pasture and which variety to choose are key to future profitability of your grass. Hear how and when to make the right decisions for your system. Speaker: Charlie Morgan, GrassMaster

11:30 Small changes to boost grass yield and quality: Measure and manage to increase your grass yield and quality. Hear how some simple measuring has helped farmers identify the key to producing more, better quality grass and in many cases saved money. Speaker: Jon Telfer, Yara

12:30 Milk from forage realising the true value: Achieve profitable milk production from forage. Hear how farmers are optimising milk from forage to improve margins and understand what you could achieve on your farm. Speaker: Richard Simpson, Kingshay

13:30 Wed - Driving sheep performance from grass: Using grass leys to drive up sheep performance, improve soil health and future crop yields works for Sam Clarke on his arable and sheep enterprise. Understand the opportunities for your business of livestock in arable rotations. Speakers: Dr Liz Genever, AHDB; Sam Clarke, sheep farmer

13:30 Thurs - Increasing beef production per hectare: Monitoring grass production and changing grassland management has delivered improved production and calf performance for Matt House. Hear how you can drive up beef production from grass and forage on your farm. Speakers: Sarah Pick, AHDB; Matt House, beef farmer

14:30 Manure management to maximise nutrient use efficiency: Hear the latest developments in nutrient management including updates on manure nutrient contents and how to maximise nutrient use efficiencies by matching application rates to soil supply and crop nutrient demand. Speaker: John Williams, ADAS