Management Notes for July 2018

Management Notes are prepared by staff from the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE). CAFRE is a college within the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

Shakerator

DAIRYING

Prepared by: Christopher Breen

Fertiliser application in July

Take the opportunity to produce extra grass this grazing season by applying between 35 and 50 kg nitrogen (N) per hectare after each grazing. Research at AFBI has shown Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) is the most effective source of fertiliser N during the summer months.

Calculate forage requirements for winter now!

Have you enough first and second cut silage to meet requirements? If not, there is still time to plan a third cut. Use Tables 1 and 2 to estimate supply and demand on your farm. Firstly calculate the volume of silage in your pits by multiplying the length by the width by the height. To convert volume of silage to tonnes select the correct conversion factor from Table 1 (depends on the dry matter of the silage) and multiply this figure by the volume figure.

Table 1: Conversion factors to convert silage volume to tonnes of silage

Table 2 estimates the monthly silage requirements for housed livestock. To calculate the silage requirement for your farm this winter multiply the figures by the number of stock in each class. Then multiply this figure by the number of months you normally feed silage to calculate the tonnage required.

Table 2: Estimated monthly feed requirement of stock fed 25% dry matter silage

If you haven’t enough silage estimate how much land to close off for a third cut, taking into account that a third cut produces 10 tonnes of silage per hectare after seven weeks growth.

The CAFRE Crop Nutrient Recommendation for third cut silage at soil index phosphate 2 and potash 1 shows that 250 kg per hectare (two bags per acre) of a 22:0:10 type fertiliser and 16 cubic metres per hectare of dairy cow slurry (1,400 gallons per acre) can meet third cut needs. A sulphur containing fertiliser should also be used. Sulphur should be applied at a rate of up to 35 kg per hectare.

Pre-reseed drainage repair

Fields for reseeding may benefit from improvements to drainage or soil aeration. Clean out sheughs that are blocked with silt/grass. Also examine outflows from existing shores to ensure they are still running. If new drains are needed plan and design the most appropriate solution for the site.

Soil compaction

Compacted soil has been squashed into a solid layer, restricting root growth and reducing grass response to N. Dig test holes at least 40 cm (16”) deep to determine the extent of the problem and the depth of any compacted layer. Visible signs of compacted soils include a structure that is hard to break up, shallow roots growing horizontally, few worms present, a bad smell and grey colour/brown mottling. The depth of the compacted layer determines the type of machine that should be used to correct the problem.

July jobs checklist

• To maintain sward quality top grazing swards containing old dead grass or seed heads.
• Calibrate parlour and out of parlour feeders to ensure accurate feeding.
• Where necessary, burn off swards towards the end of July to allow for reseeding during August. 
• Assess heifer performance to determine if they are meeting targets.
• Assess whole-crop swards and harvest when the grain is like a ‘soft cheddar’ (approximately 40% dry matter).

BEEF AND SHEEP

Prepared by: Nigel Gould

Remove the bull!

For spring calving herds, think about when to remove the bull and to stop using AI. If a cow is served on the 18th July and has an average gestation length of 286 days, she will calve down on the last day of April. If you do not want any May calves remove the bull in mid-July.

Prepare for autumn calving

Continue to monitor condition of autumn calving cows. Use them to graze rougher pastures or to ‘clean up’ after younger stock. The demands of late pregnancy require a good plane of nutrition. Therefore, if you need to reduce body condition to a target of 3.0-3.5 in advance of calving do this before the last six weeks of pregnancy.

Continue to monitor worm burdens

Monitor worms in both cattle and sheep as damp, warm conditions can increase the burden. Mixed grazing of cattle and sheep will reduce their individual worm challenge as the worms that infect cattle are different to those infecting sheep. Burdens increase as calves and lambs become more dependent on grazed grass. Dairy bred beef calves are particularly susceptible due to higher grass intakes from an earlier age, compared to suckler bred calves. A leader-follower system will also reduce burdens on young stock.

Bluefly control

Warm, damp conditions provide the ideal environment for blueflies and maggot strike. A darkening of the wool is the common primary sign of bluefly attack, with wool loss evident in the more advanced stage. Closely monitor lambs in particular and decide on appropriate preventative treatments. Some treatments provide a longer period of protection than others. Traditional dipping, pour-ons and showering are the main options. Pay particular attention to the withdrawal period of these products as some are up to 49 days and will not suit heavier lambs closer to finishing.

Reseeding

If reseeding this autumn, aim to have it completed by mid-August to allow at least one grazing before winter. This helps the young grass plant to tiller, giving quicker ground cover and maximising the rate of success. It also allows the use a post-emergence spray for better control of docks and chickweed if required.

Address soil fertility by ensuring soil pH is at 6.2 for mineral soils and 5.5 for peat soils, and that adequate levels of phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) are applied (Table 1). It is recommended that 60 kg per hectare of nitrogen is applied for spring reseeds only.

Table 1: Phosphate and potash recommendations for grass establishment (kilogrammes per hectare)

An appropriate liming and fertiliser application strategy is vital in sustaining perennial ryegrass and clover. It also reduces the reoccurrence of weed grasses and other weeds. Decide on a cultivation technique that best suits the type of land. Conventional ploughing is often the best. However where soil is shallow and stoney, a min-till approach is more appropriate. The more common form of min-till involves discing (two to three passes in alternate directions) and/or harrowing, followed by sowing the seed. It is important to graze or mow/top tightly to minimise the amount of ‘thrash’ in the sward. Direct drilling into an existing sward is also an option. This usually involves dropping the seed into a shallow channel created by a disc. The aim when direct drilling is to minimise competition from the existing sward. For this reason, direct drilling straight after silage harvest or after the sward is tightly grazed will maximise success rate. Ploughing where possible will act as a remedy for compaction and should also help with drainage.

FINANCE

Prepared by: Jason McFerran

Make succession planning a success

According to the recent land mobility survey carried out by the Young Farmers Clubs’ of Ulster (YFCU) and the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), almost half of farm businesses surveyed had not identified a farming successor. Only one in five have identified a successor for the farm and have planned for the transfer in an organised fashion via a will.

Over the last year, 23 business planning sessions focusing on taxation and succession planning were delivered to over 750 people by CAFRE in partnership with Rural Support. Topics covered included an overview and awareness of taxation issues that may impact on the farm business including land mobility. The events also provided farmers with important information on succession planning, business resilience and risk management including financial budgeting, forecasting and the impact of market volatility on farm profitability.

Failure to have a proper succession plan in place can prove costly. If you do not make a will, after your death, your property will be divided, according to the rules of intestacy, amongst your next of kin. These rules are rigid and may mean the farm business will be divided between a number of relatives.

It is important to discuss succession plans with family and professional advisers such as solicitors, accountants and financial advisers, doing so sooner rather than later.

Making a will

No one would disagree that transferring ownership can be stressful and needs to be planned well in advance. However it is much more difficult if decisions have to be made through ill health or on death. Not having a proper succession plan in place could result in a delay in the payment of money due to the farm business (including DAERA payments) pending a legal decision as to who is legally entitled to receive such payments. Making a will provides certainty and clarity regarding the division of your estate and avoids the potential for disputes and delays.

Have you a plan in place to ensure that your farm business assets pass on to the person that they are intended for? When making a will, it is important to ensure your solicitor has knowledge of all assets involved in your farm business. If all the assets are not listed, then your will may be open to misinterpretation or challenge and certain assets may pass to someone other than the person you intended. It is also important to regularly update your will to take account of changes in the farm business, family circumstances and changes in the law. Wills which were made before Single Farm Payment (SFP) or Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) were introduced do not specifically mention SFP/BPS or entitlements. There is, therefore, the potential for this asset to be distributed with the residue of the estate rather than pass to the person who inherits the farm business.

Appointing an executor/s (who executes your wishes as stated in your will) who has a good knowledge of your business is also vital. As your executor is responsible for managing your property during the administration of your estate (that is, the period before your property is transferred to your beneficiaries), they should be someone who has knowledge of and is capable of running your farm business during the period following your death. In most cases the most appropriate person to appoint as your executor (or one of your executors) is your successor in the farm business. Your executor is responsible for the payment of your debts, funeral and other expenses.

Inheritance tax is an important factor to consider when making a will. Usually, agricultural land and other farm business assets pass to the next generation on death without any tax being paid. However each case is looked at individually by HMRC to satisfy them that the farm is operating as a farm business. An accountant and solicitor can help you to carefully consider your business and any issues which may impact tax relief with regard to making or reviewing a will.

Financial planning

Planning for the future should also include making provision for retirement. It is important to estimate what level of income is needed during retirement and where that income will come from. There are many ways to invest money to provide for the future and these need to be investigated with a financial adviser to use an appropriate pension plan for each individual situation.

Key points

• Talk through the relevant points with your whole farm family.
• Avoid unnecessary disputes and delays by making a will.
• If you already have a will, do not assume that you need to take no further action - update your will every two to three years.
• Use a solicitor with knowledge of the farming sector.
• Appoint an executor who has knowledge of your farm business and circumstances.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Prepared by: Pamela Gardiner

Agricultural and Horticultural Census online

This year the Agricultural and Horticultural Census online form has been redeveloped, making it easier to complete. The form can now be customised to suit your business, making the online return an even simpler process.

Additional benefits to completing your form online include:

• Automatic error detection.
• Automatic calculations such as totals.
• A summary table for printing and/or saving.
• Immediate submission.
• Efficient processing for faster results.
• No need to post the paper form.

Simply log into DAERA Online Services, click the ‘Farm Census’ link and complete the details requested.

The Agricultural Census is a rich source of information for farmers, industry and policymakers. Results and statistics from the Agricultural Census in Northern Ireland (NI) are available free to download.

Approximately 75% of the total NI land area of 1.35 million hectares is used for agriculture. The chart below shows that the majority of the area farmed is grassland five years and over. Total crops grown was 5% of the total area farmed in June 2017.

The census estimated there were 24,956 farm businesses in NI at June 2017. Most farms are involved in livestock production with 90% assigned to a grazing livestock type. 11% were classified as dairy farms and 79% as cattle and sheep farms. Relatively few farms depend predominantly on cropping with 4% of farms classified as either cereal, general cropping or horticulture types.

APHIS Online – Sire recording

AFBI, industry and DAERA collaborate to help improve sire recording at birth

The ability to link the performance of offspring back to the bull is critical to help inform future breeding decisions. Not only can it help you select a bull that produces superior progeny for beef or milk production, but also a bull that produces more fertile, easier to calve daughters. Through this linkage, it is possible to create breeding values, Predicted Transmitting Ability (PTA) and Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs), to help sire selection and ultimately improve the genetic merit of your herd.

As part of a research project, the Agri-food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) was commissioned to establish how low levels of sire recording could be improved. A stakeholder group facilitated by AgriSearch was formed, which included farmers, breed societies, breeding companies and milk recording organisations. Suggestions from the AFBI, industry and DAERA collaboration resulted in an enhanced sire recording process for APHIS Online. In the six months since the introduction of the new APHIS Online sire recording options, there has been an increase in the proportion of calves recorded with individual sire information from 14% to 25%.

Sire recording on APHIS Online

• Sire ear tag - when selecting ‘ear tag’, there is the option to select bulls currently in the herd and bulls which have been registered to the herd in the previous 12 months, meaning last year’s sire can be registered accurately.
• Sire breed - now the most common breeds are conveniently listed at the top of the drop down box to facilitate data entry.
• NMR AI code - the six digit National Milk Records AI code identifies individual AI sires and gives an accurate record of any straws used, for example Bomaz Alta Topshot ET is HO4739. This information is available from AI catalogues and the National Milk Records website.
• Other - an opportunity to enter additional data about the sire.

In addition to this new functionality for entering new notifications, it is possible to update sire information for current animals in the herd, meaning details such as the NMR code can be added. You can also view the sire information in both the APHIS herd list (via a check box option on the herd list) or individually on a single animal basis (through ‘View animal details’).

For further information about APHIS or APHIS training courses available:

Tel: 028 9442 6699

E-mail: onlineservices@daera-ni.gov.uk

Text: Easy to 67300

Web: APHIS Online Support

Notes to editors: 

1. The department may take photographs and videos at announcements and events to publicise its work. Photographs, interviews, videos or other recordings may be issued to media organisations for publicity purposes or used in promotional material, including in publications, newspapers, magazines, other print media, on television, radio and electronic media (including social media and the internet). Photographs and videos will also be stored on the department’s internal records management system. The department will keep the photographs and recordings for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which they have been obtained. The department’s Privacy Policy is available on our website.
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3. All media enquiries to DAERA Press Office, pressoffice.group@daera-ni.gov.uk or tel: 028 9052 4619.

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