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Fertiliser applied onto early silage grass:
Nitrogen
fertiliser is required to make the grass grow for the coming year. Once temperatures
begin to rise, and the ground has dried out sufficiently to allow tractors
to travel, this is applied using a fertiliser spreader. Fertiliser is supplied
in big bags weighing 600kg each and is known as inorganic fertiliser. These
are lifted up by the farm loader and emptied in to the spreader. The fertiliser
prills are small solid balls, which look like tiny ball bearings. Once they
are spread on the ground, they dissolve into the soil and are taken up by
the plants. Nitrogen is used to encourage the grass to produce plenty of green
leaves. The green chlorophyll in the leaves is responsible for photosynthesis
and therefore growth. Without fertiliser the grass would not produce enough
leaf area to feed the cattle and sheep.
Practical ploughing lessons for students:
Once
the dung from the winter housed animals has been spread on the ground it must
be ploughed in. The students have lessons in the correct way to plough a field.
This involves setting the tractor and the machine up correctly so that all
the dung and old plant material is completely buried. Once this has been done
the ground can be prepared for planting of spring crops like lupins. As in
the autumn a number of different implements are used. The dung that has been
ploughed in is a valuable source of natural nutrients for helping the new
crop to grow. When dung is applied there should be no need to apply inorganic
fertiliser (bagged)
Ewes housed prelambing and vaccinated:
Ewes
that are brought in for lambing need to be vaccinated for clostridial diseases.
This is also a good time to check them round for overall health before they
lamb. They are housed in covered, open pens in small groups of 30–40.
To prevent pneumonia there is plenty of air movement over the ewes but no
draughts. They do not need to be kept warm. Keeping them indoors allows the
stockman to monitor them closely up until the important lambing period.
Estate work:
The
college is involved in the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. On the estate there
are a number of habitats, which need to be maintained. The woodland totals
some 15 hectares, which are managed to demonstrate timber production, recreation,
education and wildlife protection. New plantings are established to link wildlife
habitat features. Hedgerows are trimmed every three years into an ‘A’
shape creating a thick secure hedge bottom and a plentiful supply of berries
for birds and mammals New hedge planting takes place at this time of year
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