Populations of weeds, pests and diseases can seriously impact arable yields but one Teifi grower is better armed to combat these since embarking on a course in agronomy, integrated crop protection and crop nutrition.

Eurig Jones farms 1,200 acres at Pantyderi in Boncath with his father Wyn, growing 250 acres of winter and spring barley, mostly as feed.

Peas and beans are also grown as an alternative protein source to bought-in blend and 50 acres of permanent pasture have been reseeded with herbal leys.

“Our aim is to be sustainable, growing what we can without buying anything in. I think that’s the way forward for us as beef and sheep farmers,’’ says Eurig.

He is an experienced farmer but admits: “I don’t presume to know everything. Experience will only get you so far, there is always more to learn and I always try to push myself to do that because there are always different ways to do things with regards to crop rotations and choosing what to plant for example.’’

With that mindset, in October, he attended a five-day course at Coleg Sir Gar at Gelli Aur, part funded by Farming Connect.

This has given him a better understanding of everything from different ways to control pests, diseases and weeds to visually assessing and analysing soils.

The main weed pressures on Eurig’s land come from annual meadow grass.

When he assesses his crops, he now understands how to deal with some of these issues in conjunction with advice from his agronomist.

The course pushed him out of his comfort zone, learning how to get the best out of the crops that he grows.

Eurig says he would definitely recommend that others take the opportunity to sign up for the course too - the application window for the autumn is now open.

“Being part of the network was extremely valuable because I was trailing innovative new ideas and technology whilst learning on the job. As a practical learner, this suited me really well.’’

Eurig has been introducing regenerative practices, including growing herbal leys incorporating red clover, plantain, chicory, timothy and other plants to finish lambs.