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For many dairy farmers the pedigree Holstein is still the breed of choice, so why would you drop it in favour of a lesser known breed?

A £1.4 million investment in a greenfield site dairy on the edge of the Lake District National Park is helping future-proof one Cumbrian agricultural business.

Developing environmentally sustainable farming systems was the theme running through the Maize Growers Association conference held near Derby.

We take a look ahead at this year’s UK Dairy Expo, being held once again at Boderway Exhibition Centre, Carlisle.

Tedding and raking are the unsung heroes of silaging and should be given as much care and attention at harvest as any part of the silage-making process.

Producing your own haylage, rather than buying-in dietary straw, could bring numerous benefits.

Ultra Low Volume application - for example where silage additive is applied at 20ml/tonne of grass compared to the usual 1-2 litres/tonne - could save considerable time at harvest

Adopting Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF) could help reduce soil compaction risk and boost yields by up to 10.5% while also reducing nitrous oxide emissions.

Taking the time to knock out seedling weeds in a new grass reseed will substantially reduce the likelihood of them returning at a later date and safeguard investment.

It is time to rethink herbicide timings and prioritise an autumn application when weed control could be more effective than in spring.