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Scotgrass Progress
Previous Scotgrass event (opens in new window)
With a large turnout expected for “Scotgrass” at SAC’s Crichton Royal, Acrehead Unit at Dumfries, Farms Manager Hugh McClymont remains hopeful that the warmer weather will bulk up the crop to be used by a wide selection of silage making and grass handling machinery due to be demonstrated.
“Just now it is very much like grass all over the south west with some fields well forward and other slow to take off in the cold conditions we had earlier this month,” he said. ”With the warmer conditions now expected, I think what we will have on offer will be a realistic test for the machinery demonstrators.”
According to the Agricultural Engineers Association, who are running the event on the SAC site, this first live demonstration of the year will have a wide selection of products on show. There will be self-propelled forage harvesters, fixed chamber round balers, rakes, wagons and feeder wagons. There is even a film clinic!
Dr Dave Roberts, Head of SAC’s Dairy Research Centre, is anxious to point out that, as well as grass harvesting, there will be demonstrations of muck and slurry handling systems within the same 120-acre site at Acrehead.
“We must make use of grassland and high quality silage and I am particularly please that at Scotgrass 2010 the efficient use of nutrients to grow grass is being featured alongside silage making equipment.”
A new Knowledge Exchange Centre will feature free technical advice. As well as SAC, contributors include SEPA, Quality Meat Scotland, DairyCo, the British Grassland Society, Maize Growers Association and sponsors Ecosyl.
In addition, the recently refurbished dairy unit will be open to the public with its new parlour and innovative waste water handling and heating system. Farmers are expected from Northern Ireland and the north of England as well as from across the south of Scotland.