Farming Monthly National June 2016 | Page 17

| Cereals Low pH will compromise yield and quality – plan your liming now! The British Survey of Fertiliser Practice for crop year 2015 demonstrates the continuation of the low levels of liming in both arable and grassland rotations, as shown in Table 1: Table 1: BSFP survey data showing average national lime use by rotation. he 5 year averages show just 3.4% liming in grassland and 8.5% liming in arable rotations This is equivalent to liming grassland on a 30 year cycle and arable land on a 12 year cycle! – does this feel sustainable? Furthermore, data collected via the PAAG 2015 survey from 173000 soil samples showed 56% of grassland and 19% of arable land tested at or below pH 6.0. These levels will impact significantly on the utilisation of costly N, P and K and other nutrients! Routine pH testing is required to ensure consequential loss of yield T and quality is avoided by maintaining soil pH at an appropriate level. Ignoring soil pH and available calcium can prove to be a very costly mistake even in the short to medium term. LimeX offers very fast acting, but lasting pH correction in arable and grassland rotations, and can be used in organic farming systems. Furthermore, the integral nutrient package within LimeX contributes to maintaining soil fertility and increases available calcium. A ‘maintenance’ application of LimeX70 at 5/t ha will supply a minimum of: 50kg P2O5 35kg MgO 30kg SO3 Table 2: The impact of low pH on macro-nutrient efficiency. typically worth at least £50 per hectare. LimeX is available to order now for summer 2016, or for backloading during the sugar beet processing season! For more information on LimeX please contact 0870 2402314, or visit: limex.co.uk BASIS supports biggest ever Knowledge Trail at Cereals 2016 Members of the BASIS Professional Register will benefit from the biggest ever Knowledge Trail at this year’s Cereals Event. Over 20 companies will participate in the 2016 Knowledge Trail, compared to 14 companies in 2015. rofessional Register members can earn up to a maximum of six BASIS points per day, made up of two CPD (Continuing Professional Development) points for attending either day of Cereals 2016 and up to an additional four CPD points by completing Knowledge Trail activities at participating exhibitor stands. To register for CPD points for attending the event, members should have their Professional Register membership card scanned, or input their details at the BASIS stand, no 353a. Exhibitors on the Knowledge Trail will scan member’s cards after they have completed the required task; BASIS will attribute the Knowledge Trail points to the member after the event. P www.farmingmonthly.co.uk Stephen Jacob, BASIS Chief Executive, says: “We are delighted that the Cereals Event Knowledge Trail continues to go from strength to strength, offering Professional Register members an excellent opportunity to earn CPD points. Events such as Cereals always present diverse learning and knowledge transfer opportunities and it is right that our members can gain recognition for this. “With 5,839 Professional Register members and growing, the industry shows no lack of appetite for maintain