PREPARING FOR 2023 CROPPING: MONITOR FARMS TO BE SAMPLED AND OTHERS URGED TO FOLLOW SUIT

Farmers across Scotland are being urged to have their soils tested and analysed in the face of continuing high input prices and ahead of changes to Scottish agricultural support schemes.

Angus-based, SoilEssentials – which has recently been tasked with sampling soils across Scotland’s new network of 9 monitor farms - is encouraging farmers to book soil sampling now, ahead of the establishment of spring crops.

Catriona McLean, Precision Agronomy Manager at SoilEssentials, who leads a team of 9 people, offering soil sampling services to farmers the length and breadth of Scotland, commented:

“Our whole team are busy as we approach the 2023 cropping year, and we are particularly delighted to have won the contract to soil sample across the monitor farm network. However, we always have capacity for more work, and I would encourage farmers to book sampling now ahead of spring sowing and planting; especially given the availability of the ScotGov ‘Preparing for sustainable farming’ grant scheme to support soil sampling.

“Knowing and monitoring the make-up of soils, is crucial to ensuring the better use of increasingly expensive inputs and could also be key to unlocking future, post CAP, government support schemes.”

“I would challenge any farmers to justify maintaining an ‘aye-been’ approach to fertiliser or lime applications, for example. With eye-watering prices for fertiliser here to stay, at least for the 2023 cropping year, surely it is better to know precisely what is needed and where?”

“The make-up of soils can vary significantly, even across individual fields. If we really look at the fundamentals, soils are a farm's most valuable resource, so knowing more about them and how they can be nurtured should be pretty critical to the long-term future of a farming business, I believe.”

“Our involvement in sampling of Scotland’s monitor farms should, we believe, help to demonstrate the key role that soil sampling plays in making better, more informed business decisions.”

Beth Alexander, Monitor Farm Programme Manager said: “To improve productivity above the ground we need to first dig deeper and look at our soils. Soil health is key and will be a fundamental theme of the Monitor Farm programme.”

“ We are delighted to be working with SoilEssentials to establish baseline soil health across all nine farms and look for opportunities for improvement.”

Image above: SoilEssentials carried out soil sampling at Barnbackle, Dumfries as part of their recently won contract to sample and report on the make-up of soils across Scotland’s 9 new Monitor Farms.

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