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Events 30 April 2018 Improving the sustainability of sheep farming Workshop and business development meeting 2 May 2018 Intercropping in arable systems Field lab meeting at Bockhanger Farms in Kent News 18 April 2018 New technical guide on dock control Combining the best methods for successful control 10 April 2018 Health and Harmony – will a Green Brexit deliver? Make your voice heard in Defra consultation Press releases 12 April 2018 Transitions to Agroecological Systems: Farmers’ Experience New report sheds light on how UK farming can meet the sustainability challenge |
Agroforestry in dairy systems, a part of Sustainable Organic and Low Input DairyingAcronym:SOLIDContract period:1 April 2011 to 1 March 2016Project webpage:http://www.solidairy.euMain funder:EU Seventh Framework ProgrammeContact staff at ORC:Dr. Jo SmithProject aimsThis work package within SOLID will aim to promote a nutritionally improved and more reliable supply of forage to meet the needs of lactating animals in organic and low input systems in order to improve competitiveness, animal health and welfare and milk quality. This will be achieved by the provision of novel feeding systems and feeds to provide buffers to grassland and forage feed supplies and through decision support systems which can be used by farmers to manage their forage supplies to meet herd requirements.ORC's roleA novel feed supply concept implemented in an agroforestry system in the UK will be examined which has the potential to deliver unique multifunctional properties. Three geographically-spread (Suffolk, Berkshire and Gloucestershire, UK) organic sites will be used to examine various aspects of the multifunctionality of the agroforestry approach: a new willow agroforestry system will provide economic and environmental (including microclimate) data on establishing and managing a system; an established willow bioenergy system and organic dairy system will be assessed in respect of its total productivity and livestock carrying capacity of the system (dairy cows); and an established willow agroforestry system will be evaluated in terms of microclimate modification (air and soil temperature, wind speed, humidity, soil moisture, solar radiation and shading), carbon storage (measurement and modelling of carbon dynamics in soil and vegetation) and soil nutrient dynamics (measurement and modelling of soil nutrient dynamics). These three systems will allow an evaluation of the multifunctional potential of an agroforestry approach to dairy production in terms of economic feasibility and ecosystem service delivery. |
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