27 April, 2012
Farmers in Cornwall have been urged to 'make the
most of their slurry', thisiscornwall.co.uk reports.
The advice was given by ecologist Dr Jan Dinsdale at a meeting
between local farmers and the Cornwall Wildlife Trust's Wild
Penwith Project.
Dr Dinsdale said that the large amounts of slurry produced by
dairy farms could and should be used as a cheap fertiliser, rather
than simply being wasted.
"[Slurry] is a very useful source of nutrients that can help
farmers save on their fertiliser bills," he said. "Both farm
businesses and wildlife stand to benefit from more effective use of
slurry on local farms."
The day, led by John Morgan - who works with Farm Advice Service
- included discussions on testing the pH levels of soil; a practice
which is very important given the acidic Cornish earth. It also
featured a walk around Carne Farm - where the talk took place - and
a demonstration of a slurry-spreading machine, according to cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk.
Mr Morgan echoed Dr Dinsdale's advice: "With good, targeted
applications of slurry and fertiliser it is possible to grow more
of our year-round stock feed requirements on the farm, rather than
buying in feed. This makes good business sense."
Source: Vertical Leap
