The firm’s Nitrogen Utilisation Efficiency of Legumes (NUE-Leg) project will aim to eliminate the UK’s dependence on applied nitrogen fertilisers in grassland farming.
Developed in partnership with Dr Christina Marley, who leads the Agricultural Systems Research Group at Aberystwyth University, the project is trialling three specially developed legume species, each bred to address specific challenges in sustainable grassland management. This includes red clover, hybrid white clover and Birdsfoot Trefoil.
The DEFRA and Innovate UK funded NUE-Leg initiative will combine scientific research with on-farm trials and knowledge transfer among farmers and food industry leaders.
Pilgrim’s Europe’s involvement in NUE-Leg is designed to complement its participation in the Breed4Change programme - breeding efficient maternal sheep with a naturally lower carbon footprint, forming a comprehensive approach to reducing agricultural emissions, enhancing soil health and building resilience across its UK supply chain.
Daniel Owen, lamb supply chain development manager at Pilgrim’s Europe said: “The aim of this trial is to reduce inorganic nitrogen requirements while boosting productivity and cutting on-farm emissions.
“The results so far have been extremely promising. Our ultimate ambition is to enhance business productivity and profitability, while strengthening sustainability credentials and supporting producers in meeting their future environmental commitments.”
A specific objective of the project is to enable farms to use clover and fix up to 300kg of nitrogen per hectare per year. The project includes testing clover varieties in real farm conditions to identify the strongest performers.
The NUE-Leg project brings together a series of key industry stakeholders including Germinal, IBERS Aberystwyth University, The James Hutton Institute, LEAF, Agrecalc, Origin, Dovecote Park, Muller and Pilgrim’s Europe, combining what the company calls “cutting-edge agricultural research” with practical on-farm implementation.
Dafydd Parry Jones, organic beef and sheep farmer at Maesllwyni, a trial farm that has supplied Pilgrim’s Europe lamb for over 20 years added: “Being part of the NUE-Leg project has been a real eye-opener. I’m very excited to learn more about the new varieties, that could generate a positive impact on my farming system in the future.
“It’s not just about trials in a field – it’s about finding solutions that work for farmers day-to-day, helping us build more resilient, productive systems that are better for the environment too.”
