Grant Scheme Feedback
"Thank you Portsmouth Water for supporting us with this capital purchase. Since we acquired the dribble bar with flow sensor we have a much more accurate idea as to what is going where and are spreading it much more evenly. We have also invested in a day of training with Tramspread and purchased some different pipe fittings, which has meant we don’t have to overlap anywhere near as much. In fact all the slurry is being applied using GPS guidance now and on their advice are looking at spreading on growing Wheat next Spring, which gives us more hectares at the best time of year to spread further."
Jamie, Whitewool Farm,
West Meon
"The RTK has been a revelation leaving our tramlines in the same place year on year controlled traffic in effect. With no deep cuilvatation of our tramlines we have found they actually support tractors better the next year and earth worms love burrowing into them. Using the RTK equipped spray/fertiliser tractor to put the tramlines in instead of the seed drill left previously bare soil tramlines with a crop cover growing in them over winter - helping surface run off! That worked well and seeing a crop growing in these now permanent tramlines we decided to stop deep cultivating the rest of the field altogether and only use the carrier disc ahead of the drill. This saving in tractor hours has lead us to sell one tractor and move from three to two, cutting the horse power we have employed by 27%. Thanks Portsmouth Water for your support with this purchase."
Simon, Netherley Farm Partnership, Chalton
James, Hundred Acres Farm
The Catchment and Environment team funded an air seeder to attach to a cultivator to establish cover crops rapidly after harvest. The machine facilitates a one-pass system for tilling, sowing and rolling instead of the usual 3 passes. Germination and establishment are improved because the seed is rapidly incorporated and pressed into the ploughed soil. This increases biomass and ground cover over winter and therefore uptake of nitrogen which reduces nitrate leaching and soil run-off. We funded the seeder for One Hundred Acres Farm, who do contract work for other farmers, and will now be able to deliver cost effective cover cropping over a larger area.
