The AgriScot Silage Competition, judged as part of the special awards ceremony held at Ingliston recently, rewarded quality silages produced on farms from as far apart as Stromness and Stranraer.

A total of 140 silage analysis reports were submitted to the competition, across dairy, beef and sheep, big bale and young farmers’ classes. Samples of the silages with the best analysis were collected for live assessment by the competition judges at the awards ceremony.

Competition organiser, Andrew Best, of Watson Seeds (also the prize sponsor) stated: “We were delighted with another healthy entry of 140 silage analysis, and also the geographical spread of those entries. I think it’s a testament to the competition that we had winners from Wigtownshire to Orkney.

“The standard of the competition was very good, which is encouraging in the current climate of high feed and fertiliser costs; maximising the full potential of a grass ley to achieve target dry matters and high ME and crude protein levels is essential for livestock farms.

“Across the competition, the average analysis of the silages was 33.44DM, 11.24 ME, 13.76P with pH 4.3. I would like to congratulate all of our winners and thank everyone who supported the competition.”

First place in the big bale class was awarded to Alex Sanger, Rosemount Farms, Montrose, with a sample of 30.6DM, 12.2ME, 13.1P and pH 3.9. Willie Cruickshank, of West Mains, Dumfries and Gordon Nicholson, Welton Farm, Blairgowrie, were second and third, respectively.

First prize in the hotly contested dairy clamp class was awarded to a 37.6DM, 12.3ME, 18.2P, pH4.4 sample produced by Daniel Ritch, Brettobreck Farm, Stromness. Organisers believed this was the furthest north this prize had ever gone.

Second and third prizes in the dairy clamp class went to the more traditional dairy heartlands of Dumfries-shire – Willie Young, Waterside Mains, Thornhill, taking second and John Mackie, Dalfibble, Dumfries, third.

Read more: Meet the AgriScot Scottish Sheep Farm of the Year finalists!

South-west Scotland dominated in the beef and sheep silage classes, as well as the YF class.

First in the been and sheep was a silage of 27.6DM, 12.3ME, 15.4P, pH4.1, from Adam McIntosh, Achneel, Stranraer. Second went to Sam Carlisle, North Dargaval, Dumfries, with Adam Wardrop, Knockterra Farming Co, Cumnock, third.

Reuben Inman, Kilnknowe, Lockerbie, won the YF class with a 35.1DM, 11.5ME,16.1P pH4.1 sample. Upper Nisbet, Jedburgh, was the home of the second placed silage in this class, produced by brothers Harry and Andrew Neill, while Nigel Boyd, Rockallhead, Dumfries, was third.

The silage analysis reports were shortlisted by Hugh McClymont, SAC Crichton Royal Farm, who was joined by RHASS chairman, Bill Gray, for the live judging.