Agriculture
Our in-hand arable acreage extends to 2500 acres, mainly grade 3.1 (MacAulay land use classification).
The land comprises sulphur deficient mineral soils predominately high in potash, medium for phosphate, all within the Strathmore Nitrogen Vulnerable Zone (NVZ). It is relatively stone free but, with a high clay content, is susceptible to compaction and panning.
The land by the rivers has been used for cropping for centuries, whilst much of the land to the south was too wet and sour for cultivation. Birch and heather dominated, with small drier areas crofted. Much of this land was reclaimed in the early nineteenth century taking advantage of improved drainage and liming.
The fields are large and relatively flat, and are capable of growing a wide range of arable crops.
Cropping
Cropping is in a five year rotation with Oil Seed Rape as the main break crop i.e. WB, OSR, WW, WW, SB/SO. The cropping strategy includes block cropping by variety or crop, but with no block greater than 200 acres.
Machinery
With the proximity of Aberdeen, and the inevitable draw of the oil industry, there has been a dearth of experienced machinery operators for the agricultural sector. This has accelerated the inevitable move to larger machinery, with its reduced requirement.
Precision Farming
At Stracathro we have embraced IFM (Integrated Farm Management) to maintain the highest standards demanded by our customers.
