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Research at IGER Bronydd Mawr

Research at IGER Bronydd Mawr. Less Favoured Areas (LFAs) Hill and upland farming: Utilises 42% of UK agricultural land Carries > 60% of UK breeding cattle and sheep Upland systems: Complex and diverse Difficult to isolate components Issues of scale Multiple goals.

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Research at IGER Bronydd Mawr

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  1. Research at IGER Bronydd Mawr

  2. Less Favoured Areas (LFAs) Hill and upland farming: Utilises 42% of UK agricultural land Carries >60% of UK breeding cattle and sheep Upland systems: Complex and diverse Difficult to isolate components Issues of scale Multiple goals

  3. The challenge P E • Production-orientated goals • Maximising profit while minimising environmental impact • High level of sward management • - Integration improved pasture & SNRG • Improved nutrient use efficiency • Systems to develop biodiverse leys • Habitat restoration P E

  4. Improved pasture Efficient use of improved pastures, which account for 85% of output, is vital for sustaining upland agriculture

  5. Semi-natural rough grazing Accounts for 67 % of LFA land Viable livestock farming holds the key to the conservation of landscape and wildlife Need to exploit the dietary preferences of different types of animal

  6. Research for LFAs Improved pasture - specialist crops - legume breeding - extensification experiment Semi-natural rough grazing (SNRG) - Molinia-dominant grassland - heather moorland (BD1228) Integration - systems studies

  7. Improved pasture SNRG Integrated systems

  8. Previous work • Management of upland sheep systems • Genotype x pasture type interactions • Mixed vs. sequential grazing

  9. Experimental systems testing: • Does co-species grazing of cattle and sheep lead to improved efficiency of production? • complementary use of areas within pasture • increased availability of preferred species • reduced parasite burdens • Is the complementarity of cattle and sheep grazing reduced as the ratio of sheep:cattle is increased? • grazing becomes competitive

  10. Experimental systems testing: • Can cattle temporarily graze SNRG for environmental gain without compromising productivity? • selective grazing • interactions with improved pasture utilisation • Is the impact of grazing by ‘traditional’ and ‘modern’ breeds different? • body size and differences in productivity • nutrient use efficiency

  11. Production response • Liveweight gain • Finish and carcass quality • Fertility • Herbage mass & composition • Silage yield and quality • Inputs

  12. Environmental impact • Sward structure • Botanical composition • Butterflies • Birds • Parasites • Pathogens

  13. Opportunities • Soil biodiversity & structure • Water quality • Nutrient flows • Other biodiversity indicators • Climate change

  14. Knowledge transfer • Farming Connect Demonstration Farm • FWAG Demonstration Farm • LEAF Innovation Centre • Training site for CCW, Coleg Powys

  15. The IGER Upland Research Centre works in partnership with:

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