SOIL expert Mark Hodkinson will be looking at the challenges of soil health at the next Lothians Monitor Farm meeting, which will be held next Wednesday, July 19.

Farm manager at Prestonhall Farms, Bill Gray, and farm manager at Saughland Farm, Peter Eccles, are both keen to improve the health and structure of their soils over the course of the Monitor Farm Scotland project.

With 660 hectares of cereals and oilseeds at Prestonhall, Mr Gray is most interested in the nutrient status of the soil, as well as assessing compaction: “Soil is the most important resource we have on farm and we need to make the most of it. As our arable land is cultivated regularly we need to identify if and where we are creating compaction, which will of course impact negatively on the crop’s root structure.

"I’d also like to have a closer look at our nutrient levels, not just the traditional pH, P and K and Mg, but other nutrients such as calcium which have an effect on soil workability.”

Mr Eccles recently purchased an additional 500 Romney ewes, with easy care lambs, and is focused on ensuring his soil is capable of producing enough grass to feed his 2250 strong flock. He commented: “Livestock health and performance is intricately linked to the health of the land they live on so we must have a better understanding of what is going on within our soils. Similarly, as we are increasing our stocking rate we need to ensure we have enough grass to go round, and that begins with getting soil health right.

“We have previously taken a fairly traditional approach to soil management, sampling every five or six years, but can we go another step further?" he asked. "Replacing offtakes of P and K following cuts of hay and silage is vital to ensure we don't deplete nutrients as we increasingly look to clovers in the sward to fix nitrogen for us.”

Soil samples from both farms will be analysed before the event, with results shared on the day. Attendees will be able to view the soils for themselves and discuss a range of topics with Mr Hodkinson, including nutrient status, soil structure and fertility.

For the livestock farmers present, Mr Eccles will be looking for advice on land carrying capacity, forage budgets and wintering plans, while Mr Gray will be canvassing arable growers on grain storage options, as he is keen to have new system in place for next year’s harvest.

Cover crops will be a focus for both groups, as it is a key part of the initial collaboration work between Prestonhall and Saughland, and the group will also discuss options for a cover crop which can go in at Prestonhall, and then be used to feed Saughland’s sheep over the winter months.

The meeting will begin with tea and coffee at 9.30am on Wednesday, July 19 at Saughland Farm, Pathhead, Midlothian, EH37 5XP, and will finish at 2.30pm. Contact Colin MacPhail if you wish to attend, by phoning: 07747 046461 or emailing: colin@macphailconsulting.co.uk.