The project, entitled ‘An adaptive decision-support tool for better grassland management by UK farmers’, is being led by Cranfield University. The other partners in the project are the University of Nottingham, CCRI (University of Gloucestershire), SRUC and Rothamsted. Dr. Julie Ingram is the lead researcher from the CCRI.
Grassland is the dominant land use in the UK covering 12.4 million ha (71% of a total agricultural area). Improving UK grassland managers’ systematic understanding of how seasonal grass growth responds to a changing climate and economic environment is critical in determining the future efficiency, resilience and profitability of the UK livestock sector.
Improving UK grassland managers’ systematic understanding of how seasonal grass growth responds to a changing climate and economic environment is critical in determining the future efficiency, resilience and profitability of the UK livestock sector. The aim of the project is to create an adaptive decision-support and learning tool to help improve the profitability and sustainability of UK farmers’ grassland management. The tool will be developed from the newly-validated ‘Rothamsted grass model’. The project will work with students and young farmers studying grassland management, and with Grassland Farmer Groups, to co-design the layout of a decision support and learning tool and embed its use in on-farm decision making.
The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Innovation Club (SARIC) is a joint BBSRC and NERC initiative to support innovative projects that will provide solutions to key challenges affecting the efficiency, productivity and sustainability of the UK crop and livestock sectors. SARIC has 12 company members (who represent the farming industry) who contribute to funding research and take part in directing the Club’s activities.
The project ran from 2018 to 2020.
