Upper Pendre

Project aims:

• Evaluate the suitability of rye as a combinable cereal in Welsh growing conditions, how rye fits into a cereal rotation, and its suitability as a cattle feed.
• The project will focus on the agronomy needs of the trial Rye crop throughout its establishment and growing phases through to harvest, evaluating its suitability to the environment and comparing the required inputs against those required by other cereal crops.
• Rye will be grown during winter 2016/17, with careful recording throughout its growth phases, in the form of photographs and agronomist’s records, following the success, or otherwise, of the crop.
• The grain and straw yields of the crop will be measured and the quality analysed and benchmarked against more traditional cereal crops. This will allow cost of production comparisons to be made and a feed value generated.
• The crop quality will be analysed as a livestock feed, and compared to alternative cereal feeds to evaluate its suitability as part of a feed ration to both dairy and beef cattle. The performance of livestock fed the Rye will be monitored.
• The project will evaluate whether Rye could have an on-going role on the host farm, beyond the trial crop, and whether it could create new opportunities for other farmers to reduce their cost of production or add value within their system.

Click here for project overview and result.