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Home > Farming Today > 08/02/23 TB vaccine trials; Government reshuffle; Rewetting peatlands


	Podcast:		Farming Today
	Episode:		08/02/23 TB vaccine trials; Government reshuffle; Rewetting peatlands
	Category:		Science & Medicine
	Duration:		00:13:25
	Publish Date:		2023-02-08 06:00:00
	Description:		The DEFRA programme to pilot a vaccine for cattle against Bovine Tuberculosis is about the enter its second stage. This will involve five farms with 600 cattle. The trial combines the BCG vaccine and the DIVA test, which shows clearly which cattle have been vaccinated and which have been challenged by the disease, and it's hoped both together could work to identify where the disease is and also protect cattle at risk. There's been a re-organisation of government departments. Grant Shapps is the new Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary; Michelle Donelan becomes the Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary. Both of those roles will have to liaise closely with DEFRA - on the future of land use for energy, and innovations including gene editing. All week we’re taking a look at the future of our peatlands. In many parts of the country lowland peat is drained and used to grow vegetables and other crops but this degrades the peat and emits carbon. Farmers in Germany are developing something called ‘paludiculture’, using re-wetted peat lands to grow water tolerant vegetation, which also has a market. A company called Wetland Products is growing bulrushes in water-covered peat and turning it into housing insulation, takeaway food packaging, and compost for commercial growers. Bulrushes and reeds also clean up the excess nutrients in the water where they grow. Also in the Fens, a group of farmers and scientists are working together to see if they can change the way farming food is done on peatlands. A collaboration called Fenland Soil has been set to try out new wetter farming techniques. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney
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