Wintry Easter weather descended on Scotland as I write this and I am reminded of the critical importance of growing season and latitude to businesses I am involved in. In Cuba, Brazil and Paraguay, there are long warm growing seasons with an opportunity to double crop with two harvests in one year. In Scotland and Ireland, there is no such option and even a cover catch crop can be catchy . The long cool growing season in Scotland, with adequate moisture and long summer day-lengths makes for record yields, just like New Zealand on the opposite side of the globe at similar latitudes.
New app launched to target soil erosion
SAVING THE LAND: The new app will help us understand the scale of the problem.
A new app has been created to help farmers and scientists understand the scale of soil erosion in Scotland.
It will also help users identify the different types of soil erosion and allow them to contribute records and images which can be shared with other users.
Dr Allan Lilly, a soil scientist at the James Hutton Institute (JHI) and one of the researchers behind the app, explained that erosion occurs when soil particles break off from the soil surface and are moved across the land either by flowing water or by the wind.
First Milk FIRST Milk, Nestlé and Agricarbon have announced the launch of a pioneering soil carbon capture project – the first of its kind in the world. The project, which promises to establish a comprehensive and scientifically robust soil carbon baseline for First Milk farms, will use state-of-the-art machinery to carry out soil carbon analysis at a fraction of the usual cost, allowing soil carbon sequestration to be quantified over time. The initial phases of the project are being conducted in partnership with Nestlé, as part of its efforts to drive progress in carbon reduction through its supply chain. The project will initially involve 40 farms, with the intention to extend this to 100 First Milk farms by the end of 2021. The project is being guided by soil ecologist Dr Helaina Black, an Honorary Associate at the James Hutton Institute.
The brown marmorated stink bug can be found in every continent in the Northern Hemisphere including North America and mainland Europe and has a wide host range including soft and tree fruit, field vegetables, and ornamentals (Pic: SRUC) SCOTTISH growers have been put on alert for a new insect threat to their crops – the brown marmorated stink bug. The species – formally titled Halyomorpha halys – has not yet been detected north of the border, but it has been intercepted several times at UK ports and now has a confirmed presence in the south of England. Experts have warned that the unfussy bug poses a threat to a wide variety of plants, and thus has the potential to become a serious problem for the UK’s agricultural, horticultural and forestry industries.