Pencwm Project update November 2024

What has been done to date?

Visual examination of soil structure (VESS) was carried out with the below scores: - 

• 0-10cm. Score 4 = poor. Little structure and very porous, this will hinder rooting, likely to be from cattle traffic. 
• 10-15cm. Score 2. Good = well-structured soil with many pores and large round aggregates. 
• 15-30cm. Score 1. Very good = Excellent structure, highly porous, good rooting conditions.

Yields (Table 1) for the different mixes were calculated using the cut and weigh methodology. This involved measuring an area of 1m x 1m, cut/pulled then weighed.

Table 1. Yield results. 

As seen in table 1, mix 2 (80% Forage Rye, 14% Winter Vetch, 2% Stubble Turnip, 2% Plantain and 2% Tillage Radish) was the highest yielding out of the three plots. Mix 1 (60% Tetraploid Italian ryegrass, 16% Spitfire Hybrid Brassica, 16% Crimson Clover and 8% Plantain) was the lowest yielding crop, producing shy of half the tonnage compared to mix 2.

Next steps: 

• Cattle were introduced to graze the crops in October, their intakes will continue to be monitored. 
• Electric fences are moved daily to help utilise crops and reduce wastage. 
• Cleanliness of cattle and clearance of crops will be observed during the grazing period.

Figure 1- Cattle grazing field with three different plots (November 2024).