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Know How / Air & Water

As part of the transition to a more sustainable future, improving air and water quality is fundamental. New regulations will come into force to reduce ammonia emissions and fertiliser use in the agricultural sector. We look at low-emission farming techniques which can help you become less reliant on inputs that are harmful to the environment.

BIODIVERSITY

Lottery grant to help northern farmers realise natural capital

A group supporting farmers in the north of England to capture income from natural capital markets has secured £100,000 to fund catchment-scale conservation work. Wensleydale & Swaledale Environmental Farmers (Swef)…

LIVESTOCK

How Brecon Beacons farmers are improving water quality

Establishing buffer strips, resting fields and using precision technology to aid the timing of nutrient applications could all help drive improvements in water quality, preliminary findings from a pioneer project…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

How trading natural capital can help recoup BPS losses

Farmer interest in trading natural capital is in the ascendancy. Legislation has just been passed requiring house builders and commercial developers to deliver at least a 10% improvement in biodiversity…

BUSINESS

NE statutory nutrient mitigation credits - the opportunities

Farmers can be both suppliers and buyers of Natural England’s (NE) statutory nutrient mitigation credits in the Tees catchment.  This is the first area in which NE is offering the…

ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMES

How to deliver landscape-scale change through farm clusters

Farmer cluster groups are meeting local environmental priorities both on their own farms and beyond their boundaries. The term “cluster” was adopted, because it describes how members of these groups…

FARM POLICY

Farming needs £4.4bn a year, say green lobby groups

Tougher environmental targets and higher costs to achieve them mean a substantial increase in Treasury funding for farm support is needed, according to a new report from green lobby groups.…

MACHINERY

How alternative fuels are helping to reduce farm emissions

Diesel-powered transport and machinery have been under scrutiny globally for some time now due to their large environmental impact in the form of hefty CO2 emissions. Recent years have seen…

LIVESTOCK

How better use of slurry could help reach net zero targets

Researchers in Northern Ireland are exploring how manures can be more than just a waste product by helping reduce overall carbon footprints and associated emissions. The work, carried out by…

LIVESTOCK

Feed and slurry key to pig producers' emissions reduction

Livestock are often seen as key contributors to greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) – including methane from ruminants and the carbon footprint of animal feed based on imported products such as…

DAIRY

What UK dairy farmers can learn from Dutch 'nitrogen crisis'

Scientists in the Netherlands are developing ways dairy farmers can reduce greenhouse gas emissions using methods that could also benefit UK milk producers. It follows calls by the Hague government…

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Farming emissions: What they are and why they must be tackled

Farming is responsible for 11% of total UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and as much as 88% of UK ammonia emissions, according to Defra’s latest Agri-climate report. Emissions matter for…

ARABLE

Bold plan to manage scarce resources in UK's driest region

A groundbreaking plan for the UK’s most drought stressed region aims to help secure a fair share of water for farmers, businesses and the general public. Not-for-profit organisation Water Resources…

MAIZE

How growers can produce maize and protect environment

Maize is a crop often perceived to be damaging to the environment, causing issues such as soil compaction, erosion and nutrient losses, which can lead to run-off, affecting nearby watercourses.…

BUSINESS

Water company schemes to consider for your farming business

Catchment areas in the UK are largely dominated by land put to agricultural use, which makes collaboration between water companies and farmers essential for preserving raw water quality. Water companies…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

Harvesting rainwater: Benefits and how to do it on your farm

On paper, collecting rainwater would seem to make sense – water is essential for farming, can be scarce as last summer highlighted, and there’s a cost attached to taking it…

ENVIRONMENT

What next for irrigation in agriculture?

The practice of irrigation has soared in importance since the 1976 drought, when it was something few farmers did. In the coming years, it will become even more critical to…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

What is being done to secure water resources for UK farmers?

Agriculture faces a raft of water-related challenges, and industry leaders are highlighting the need for a fully integrated management plan to ensure growers and livestock producers have access to adequate…

ENVIRONMENT

Local farmers lead clean up of phosphate polluted river

Farmers are leading the way in a joint effort to clean up the River Wye in Herefordshire – reducing phosphate pollution by changing farming practices. In just over a year,…

PLANNING PERMISSION

Natural England to search out nutrient mitigation sites

Natural England (NE) plans to start approaching landowners in the next few weeks to invite them to put land forward as potential sites for nutrient mitigation activities. NE is rolling…

SHEEP

How reducing methane emissions is win-win for flock performance

Results from thousands of methane measurements from sheep flocks across Ireland have confirmed that genetics play a part in enteric fermentation. This means farmers can select for low emitters, reducing…