Twitter Instagram
    • Email Newsletters
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    Twitter LinkedIn
    CPD Log-In
    OvertheCounter
    • News
      • Dairy / Beef
      • Sheep
      • Pigs / Poultry
      • Equine
      • Companion
      • Retail
      • Training
    • Magazines
      1. May 2022
      2. March 2022
      3. Kitten & Puppy Supplement 2022
      4. January 2022
      5. November 2021
      6. May 2021
      Featured

      Over the Counter – May 2022

      By Simon KingMay 11, 2022
      Recent

      Over the Counter – May 2022

      May 11, 2022

      Over the Counter – March 2022

      March 8, 2022

      Kitten & Puppy Supplement 2022

      March 8, 2022
    • CPD Training
      • AMTRA CPD Modules
        • Frontline Academy
        • Companion Animal CPD Modules
        • Equine CPD modules
        • Livestock CPD Modules
        • Poultry CPD Modules
        • Are you a Gold Standard SQP?
      • VETPOL CPD Modules
        • Companion Animal CPD Modules
        • Livestock CPD Modules
      • Earning CPD points with overthecounter.news
      • CPD Log-In
    • National SQP Awards
    OvertheCounter
    Dairy / Beef

    Healthy soil lifts animal weight

    Simon KingBy Simon KingApril 25, 2018Updated:April 26, 2018No Comments2 Mins Read
    LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

    Managing soil by well-designed grazing is key to an animal’s growth and wellbeing shows new research linking soil health, pasture value and sustainable production.

    Individual pastures on livestock farms yield surprisingly dissimilar benefits to a farm’s overall agricultural income, and those differences are most likely attributable to the varying levels of “soil health” provided by its grazing livestock, reveals a study published in the journal Animal.

    The study, produced by an interdisciplinary team of 13 scientists and two PhD students from Rothamsted Research, Bristol Veterinary School and University of Exeter, evaluated how efficiently nutrients are used on a livestock farm, on a field-by-field basis for the first time, and links soil health to animal growth.

    The team has developed a method to derive the contribution of individual fields to an animal’s growth and, in the process, has opened up the possibility of using field-scale metrics as indicators of animal performance and agricultural productivity.

    Dr Taro Takahashi, an agricultural economist at Rothamsted’s North Wyke Farm Platform (NWFP) in Devon, and senior lecturer in Sustainable Livestock Systems and Food Security in Bristol Veterinary School at the University of Bristol, who led the study, said: “The prospect that commercial livestock producers could improve their productivity by purely changing rotational patterns is exciting. Unlike many alternative technologies, this will not require any capital investment.”

    The majority of livestock farms in the UK operate rotational grazing, which involves moving animals from one field to another. While this practice supplies more fresh forage to animals throughout the season, it makes farming systems more difficult to monitor and optimise.

    The NWFP team found that animal performance on individual fields was positively associated with the level of soil organic carbon, a common measure of “soil health” for sustainable farming. The team also discovered that fields grazed more intensively had healthier soils and were less prone to water and nutrient losses.

    Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
    Previous ArticleTime is running out to enshrine animal sentience legislation in law pre-Brexit
    Next Article PFMA prepares for post-Brexit future

    Read Similar Stories

    BASF launches rural rodent control training and CPD portal for UK farmers

    NFU: Government funding for Avian Influenza research is ‘positive step’

    UK’s top scientists join forces to battle bird flu outbreaks

    Most Read

    BASF launches rural rodent control training and CPD portal for UK farmers

    June 29, 2022

    NFU: Government funding for Avian Influenza research is ‘positive step’

    June 28, 2022

    UK’s top scientists join forces to battle bird flu outbreaks

    June 28, 2022

    Any animal medicine advertising or promotion should conform to the ‘code of practice’ of the National Office of Animal Health (NOAH).
    For full details contact the publisher or www.noah.co.uk.

    Lewis Business Media Ltd endeavours to make articles and statements as accurate as possible.

    © 2022 Lewis Business Media. All Rights Reserved.
    Lewis Business Media, Suite A, Arun House, Office Village, River Way, Uckfield, TN22 1SL

    Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions

    The OTC "tick" mechanism is the copyright of Lewis Business Media Ltd ©2022

    • Pet Business World
    • Pest
    • Pig World
    • Poultry News

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    Powered by CookieYes Logo