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Silage Competition Awards

Silage Competition – 2023

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2023 Silage Competition Results

Silage Competition Under Starters Orders

Entries have opened for the 22nd annual AgriScot Silage CompetitionThe competition which has attracted more than 3000 entries since it began, is the longest running silage competition in ScotlandIt is a reflection of the high regard the contest is held in, that has kept it going continuously, never missing a year since it began in 2001 in spite of disasters such as foot and mouth disease and the coronavirus pandemic … read more.

Winners of each category will be awarded with ten acres of any Watson Seeds Castle Mixture, with second and third place, receiving five and two acres, respectively. 

Entries should be emailed to Andrew Best abest@watsonseeds.com by 25th October. 

AgriScot 2022 Silage Competition Results

Despite a challenging year for silage making across the country, AgriScot’s silage competition attracted over 70 high quality entries, which were whittled down to 12 finalists, with fresh samples judged on the day.

Hugh McClymont and Jim Warnock took to the main ring to share live commentary and select their winners from the four sections. The four categories were dairy and beef clamp, big bale, and a young farmers section.

The young farmer’s section saw Ben McClymont, Saughland Estate, take the top spot, with second place being awarded to Fiona and Rebecca Thomson, Tillyrie, Kinross and third place to Andrew & Harry Neill of Upper Nisbet.

In the Big Bale section, Tom Bennie, Oxhill, Stirlingshire won with his silage combing an ME of 11.8 with a crude protein of 15.0 with Hamish Dykes, South Slipperfield, West Linton coming in second and Craig Bothwell, Cleugh Farm in third.

In the Beef section, James Marshall, SRUC Easter Howgate won with his silage particularly impressing the judges with an ME of 12.3 with Ian & John Whiteford, Hill Tarvit Mains coming in second & R Black, Drochil Castle Farm in third.

The Dairy section boasted finalists from the north of Scotland to the south, with the winner hailing from Portencalzie, Stranraer, in Alexander Shankland & Sons, with the runner up going to Laird & Co, Pole Farm, and third place to Allan Scott of Georth Farm – both from Orkney.

AgriScot 2021 Silage Competition Results

The AgriScot Silage Competition, judged as part of the special awards ceremony held at Ingliston recently, rewarded quality silages produced on farms as far apart as Stromness and Stranraer.

One hundred and forty silage analysis reports were submitted to the competition, across dairy, beef & sheep, big bale and young farmers classes. Samples of the silages with the best analysis were collected for live assessment by the competition judges at the AgriScot awards ceremony.

Competition organiser, Andrew Best, of Watson Seeds (also the prize sponsor)  stated:
“We were delighted with another healthy entry of 140 silage analysis, and also the geographical spread of those entries. I think it’s a testament to the competition that we had winners from Wigtownshire to Orkney. The standard of the competition was very good, which is encouraging in the current climate of high feed and fertiliser costs; maximising the full potential of a grass ley to achieve target dry matters and high ME and crude protein levels is essential for livestock farms.”

“Across the competition, the average analysis of the silages was 33.44DM, 11.24 ME, 13.76P with pH 4.3.”

“I would like to congratulate all of our winners and thank everyone who supported the competition.”

First place in the Big Bale class was awarded to Alex Sanger of Rosemount Farms, Montrose with a sample of 30.6DM, 12.2ME, 13.1P and pH 3.9. Willie Cruickshank of West Mains, Dumfries and Gordon Nicholson, Welton Farm, Blairgowrie, were second and third respectively.

First prize in the hotly contested Dairy Clamp class was awarded to a 37.6DM, 12.3ME, 18.2P,  pH4.4 produced by Daniel Ritch on his Brettobreck Farm, Stromness. Organisers believe that this is the furthest north this prize has ever gone!

Second and third prizes in the Dairy Clamp class were awarded to silages from the more traditional dairy heartlands of Dumfriesshire, with Willie Young, Waterside Mains, Thornhill taking second and John Mackie, Dalfibble, Dumfries third.

South West Scotland also dominated in the Beef & Sheep classes and in the Young Farmers class.

First in the Beef & Sheep was awarded to a silage – 27.6DM, 12.3ME, 15.4P, pH4.1 –  from Adam McIntosh, Achneel, Stranraer. Second prize was Sam Carlisle, North Darvargal, Dumfries with Adam Wardrop of Knockterra Farming Co, Cumnock in third.

Reuben Inman, of Kilnknowe, Lockerbie won the Young Farmers class with a 35.1DM, 11.5ME,16.1P pH4.1 sample.  Upper Nisbet, Jedburgh was the home of the second placed silage in this class, produced by brothers Harry & Andrew Neill. Nigel Boyd from Rockallhead, Dumfries was third.

The silage analysis reports were shortlisted by Hugh McClymont, SAC Crichton Royal Farm who was joined by RHASS Chairman, Bill Gray for the live judging.

View the full results here.

2020 Silage Competition

It was a virtual judging experience for the AgriScot silage competition this year, once again placed by SRUC’s Crichton Royal farm manager, Hugh McClymont.

Sponsored by Watson Seeds, the classes were judged within the college’s farm complex and the winners announced from there.  The judging process is availabe to watch here on YouTube.

Leading awards:

Big bale silage

Entrant Dry matter ME D-value Protein

1. J McDonald 42.6 12.9 80 13.1
Achvarasdale
Caithness

2. Rednock Estate 84.2 11.8 73.9 15.8
Rednock
Stirling

3. W and S Thomson 20.3 12.1 75.8 13.9
Bordlands
Peebles-shire

YF dairy silage

1. S Van der Spruit 36.6 11.9 74.2 18.5
Challoch
Wigtonshire

2. A Gemmell 26.0 12.0 75.0 13.5
Turnerhill
Ayrshire

3. F Thomson 30.7 12.1 75.8 14.1
Kirkton of Beath
Fife

YF beef silage

1. A Neill 28.7 11.4 71.5 12.6
Upper Nisbet
Borders

2. C Marshall 35.4 11.0 68.7 12.6
Auchenleck,
Stewartry

3. R Brown 32.7 11.1 69.6 12.8
Low Glengyre
Wigtonshire

Beef clamp silage

1. R Black 30.6 12.3 77.0 15
Drochil Castle
Peebles-shire

2 G Lofthouse 22.5 12.1 75.7 18.3
Bank House
Borders

3. A Martin 34.5 11.9 74.3 13.7
Garguston
Ross-shire

Dairy clamp silage

1. T Ralston 33.4 12.4 76.9 16.9
Kilkivan
Campbeltown

2. C Stalker 36.1 12.2 75.9 14.8
Ratten Castle
Cumbria

3. R Murdoch 30.9 12.1 75.9 17.7
High Park
Ayrshire

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