Master Soils - Workshop Timetable

Day 1 - Chris Duller

 

Aims and objectives for day one:

  • Understand soil types and structure
  • Understand key soil fertility

10am -10:30am – Introduction to course and admin – Simon Pitt
Form filling, time table etc

 

10:30am – 12:15pm - Structure of soil/ soil in relation to plant nutrition
Scope:- Soil types and key differences- organic matter , water holding capacity, structure of soil. pH – lime requirements, chemistry of major nutrients P, K. farm set ups to suit soil types - infrastructure.

Activity: - Soil types , soil drainage and compaction. pH testing.

 

12:15pm – 12:45pm – Lunch

 

12:45pm – 15:00pm - Principles of Nitrogen, phosphate and potash fertilising
Scope:- Nitrogen cycle, Nitrate leaching, Potash and phosphate soil indices and targets, crop offtakes and responses (mainly surrounding grassland)

Animal interaction with these nutrients

 

15:00pm – 16:00pm – Secondary Nutrients
Scope:- Magnesium, calcium, sulphur, sodium. Animal interaction with these nutrients

Activity : Soil sampling, fertiliser types

 

16:00pm – 16:15pm – Coffee break

 

16:15pm - 17:00pm – Organic manures
Scope:-types, values. Sources of Organic manures - Digestate

Possible evening visit – farm with autumn planted reseeds/ infrastructure of drainage /access to fields.

 

Day 2 - Chris Duller

 

Aims and objectives for day two

  • The practical use of fertiliser
  • Crop nutrient requirements – grassland, wholecrop, maize

9am – 9:15am - Recap from previous day

 

9:15am – 10:30am – Environmental initiatives in Agriculture
Scope:- Organic manures as main nutrient pollution issues. Cross compliance requirements, Code of good agric practice

 

10:30am – 10:45am – Coffee break

 

10:45am - 12:15pm - Crop nutrient requirements
scope:- grassland – grazing/silage. Role of plant, deficiencies – diagnosis. Role of nutrients within animals and animal requirements.

Affecting growth curves to maximum farm usage for grazing /silage systems.

 

12:15pm - 13:00pm – College canteen or Buffett Lunch

 

13:00pm – 14:00pm - understanding Nutrient management plans – how to use the RB209
Scope:- Basic farm fertiliser plan. Managing high or low indexes on farms.
Possible Activity:-Own farm fertiliser plan.

 

14:45pm-15:00pm – Coffee Break

 

15:00pm – 16:00pm – Feriliser safety and storage

  • How fertiliser is stored at Llysfasi
  • COSHH and health and safety issues

16:00pm – 16:15pm Summary and Close

 

16:30pm – close meeting