BALANCING soil nutrient levels by applying calcium to farmland could help farmers reduce weed populations and their synthetic fertiliser and chemical use.

In common with many farmers, lamb and egg producers Ben Anthony and Diana Fairclough face a perpetual battle to control thistles, docks, nettles and other common weeds on their 73-hectare farm in Carmarthenshire.

When they recently hosted a Farming Connect event led by agronomist Daniel Lievesley, he suggested that an incorrect balance of soil nutrients could be a reason for those annual weed burdens at Frowen Farm, Login, where lamb is produced from 370 breeding ewes, and eggs from free range hens.

Getting soil analysed should be a first step to addressing weed issues, advised Daniel from DJL Agriculture.

Weeds are not only problems to be dealt with but indicators of issues in soil balance, he pointed out.

“Weeds establish where there’s a nutrient deficiency. For example, docks mine for calcium, so if you address the calcium deficiency, you take away the very reason for the docks to be there.

“You will often find that the forage that grows around a weed is high in nutrients because the weed tap roots draw up minerals from deep in the soil to feed it.”

Daniel warned farmers against focusing solely on chemicals to control weeds, recommending that they address the nutritional function in their soils.

At Frowen, for example, soil sampling shows that the clay soils have a high iron content, locking up phosphorous and zinc.

Introducing air into the soil with aeration is a means of addressing this, but so too is rectifying the mineral imbalances.

Common farmland weeds like nettles, chickweed and fat hen are indicators of high nitrates, for example, while low calcium levels encourage docks and thistles.

When calcium levels are low, Daniel advocates applying gypsum as a means of changing cations in the soil, supplying calcium to replace some of the magnesium bound by soil particles, particularly in clay soils.

The calcium:magnesium ratio on a soil analysis report should ideally sit at around 8:1; any less and the calcium deficiency needs to be addressed to prevent weeds taking hold.

“Mined gypsum is a wonderful way to apply calcium sulphate to release the magnesium into the soil,” said Daniel.

Gypsum is best applied when there is rain in the weather forecast.

Daniel specifies use of naturally-mined gypsum, not reclaimed plasterboard which contains resins, glues, and heavy metals which present issues for livestock.

At current prices, gypsum comes at a cost of £20–£32/tonne, depending on a farm’s proximity to a quarry, and a further £5–£10/acre spreading charge.

Calcium is closely linked with mycorrhizal fungi soil interactions too, which again keeps weeds at bay.

Integrating trees into agricultural systems can also reduce weed burdens.

They do this by creating shade to deprive weeds of light, by competing for resources in the soil, and through the weed-suppressing mulch effect of leaf litter.

Farming Connect’s Forestry Specialist, Geraint Jones, a speaker at the event, explained that trees improved soil health, keeping weeds at bay, and that they establish physical barriers against the spreading of weed seeds.

Tree and hedgerow root systems draw nutrients from deeper soil layers and these are circulated within the ecosystem, contributing to overall soil health and significantly adding to the soil’s carbon content through storing carbon in roots and the decomposition of root biomass and leaf litter.

“Many tree species form symbiotic relationships with mycorrhizal fungi in the soil,” Geraint told farmers.

“These fungi extend the reach of the tree’s root system, significantly increasing the surface area for nutrient and water absorption that they mine from deeper layers.”

In exchange, the tree provides the fungi with carbohydrates.

These fungal networks also connect different plants, potentially facilitating nutrient transfer between them.

The last event of this series will be held on Thursday, 22 May 2025 (16:00–18:00) at Plas Du, Oswestry SY10 0BQ. To book on to this event or for more information, visit the Farming Connect website.

Cross-party support grows for reforms to Groceries Code Adjudicator and better food labelling

THE FARMERS’ UNION OF WALES has met with Brecon, Radnor & Cwm Tawe MP David Chadwick to discuss a series of pressing issues affecting Welsh farmers—chief among them, the urgent need to secure fairer prices and treatment for primary producers within the UK’s food supply chains.

The meeting follows a campaign led by the Welsh Liberal Democrat MP to strengthen the powers of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA), which regulates the relationship between major supermarkets and their suppliers, including farmers. Mr Chadwick has raised repeated concerns in Parliament about the treatment of farmers by large retailers, arguing that the current system lacks the enforcement power and scope needed to protect producers’ interests.

Established in 2013, the GCA has faced growing criticism over its limited resources and inability to effectively tackle structural imbalances in the supply chain. In a Westminster Hall debate earlier this year, Mr Chadwick called for major reforms and drew attention to what he described as systemic unfairness in the sector.

The Brecon, Radnor & Cwm Tawe MP is now backing the cross-party Food Supply Chain Fairness Bill, introduced in March by Alistair Carmichael MP, Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. The Bill seeks to bolster the role of the GCA and includes further measures such as increased public procurement of locally sourced food and stricter origin labelling requirements.

FUW Deputy President Dai Miles welcomed the discussion, saying:

“The FUW has long argued that the Westminster Government must take meaningful action to redress the imbalance of power between primary producers, processors and retailers.

“The GCA was a step in the right direction, but it’s become clear that it lacks the teeth to effectively protect farmers and producers. We were pleased to meet with David Chadwick MP and discuss how we can ensure farmers are given a stronger, fairer voice within the supply chain.”

The meeting also addressed wider challenges facing Welsh agriculture, including the implications of the UK-US trade agreement and ongoing concerns about proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR), which could have significant tax implications for farming families.

David Chadwick MP said: “Unfairness in the supply chain is one of the most common concerns raised with me by farmers and producers in my constituency. I’m pleased to be working alongside the FUW and cross-party MPs to address the imbalance we see across the sector.

“Farming communities are under immense pressure. I will continue to ensure their voices are heard in Westminster as we fight for a better deal for rural Wales.”

THREE cows had a lucky escape on Monday morning (May 12) after the livestock trailer they were travelling in overturned on the M4 near Pont Abraham.

The incident took place at around 10:38am on the westbound carriageway and involved a pick-up truck towing a livestock box, which flipped onto its side.

Crews from Ammanford and Llanelli fire stations were called to the scene and worked to make the area safe. The animals were successfully transferred into a replacement trailer that was brought in to recover them.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that the cows were unharmed in the incident. The fire crews left the scene at 11:27am.

The overturned trailer caused temporary disruption to traffic while the road was cleared.

Photo caption:

Lucky escape: Fire crews attended the overturned livestock trailer near Pont Abraham on Monday morning (Pic: MWWFRS)