Biomass Connect has now collated the July 2023 updates from our Hub Sites.
The reports this month include an overview of progress to date at each site. The month of July saw a return to wetter conditions at most of our hub sites. This followed a very dry June and resulted in rapid weed growth. Weed control was therefore the main priority at most sites. New equipment was purchased and used to keep the weeds under control and staff were busy in the trial plots doing their best to make sure the weeds didn’t out-compete the newly establishing biomass crops.
The final rounds of planting were also carried out, including at our AFBI site in Northern Ireland where import paperwork had held things up somewhat.
Find out more from each of the hub sites. For ease of access here are links to the latest updates.
Hub Site Updates July 2023
- AFBI Hillsborough
- BGI
- SRUC (Ayrshire)
- SRUC (Edinburgh)
- North Wyke
- IBERS
- NIAB Headley Hall
- Newcastle University
Here are a few photos from the sites in July:
- W. Macalpine (RRes), C. Williams (AFBI), C. Johnston (AFBI), B. Flannery (RRes) on a site visit to AFBI
- Eucalyptus plants and Sida Rhizomes about to be boxed in and sent to AFBI.
- Councillors visited and toured the BGI Hub Plantation with a group of 5 other interested parties from ‘Sustainable Chesham’ who are very interested in Biomass for District Heating…. Photo also shows the Sida coming up
- Terravesta Miscanthus plot planted and rolled at Boghall
- SRF Poplar at Boghall growing well
- Fat Hen is prevalent amongst the Miscanthus giaganteus plot
- Miscanthus giganteus emerging.
- Terravesta Miscanthus planted 14/6/23 with only 10% growing (95% no show).
- Minor pest damage observed on leaves of Black Locust ‘Turbo’