Hampshire organic grower Tim May is putting three-quarters of his arable land into new environmental schemes to boost soil fertility and improve his busy work-life balance. Tim is allocating just over 300ha of cropped land to herbal leys and legume fallows, letting him fine-tune his remaining organic arable land to get his cropping and rotations spot on. The land is going into new three-year Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) schemes, to give him quarterly cash payments, cut his inputs to virtually zero and allow him to spend more time with his young family. See also: How to maximise SFI herbal leys in arable rotations
“The three-year SFI will give us flexibility and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to build soil fertility, improve my lifestyle and focus on getting things right on the smaller area of arable organic cropping,” he says. Tim has gone for a combination of herbal leys (CSAM3), worth £382/ha a year, and legume fallow (CNUM3), worth more at £593/ha a year. While the herbal leys can be grazed under SFI rules, the legume fallow can not. The building up of soil fertility over the three years will put the farm in good stead for when the scheme is finished and the full arable area is again cropped and harvested, he says.
This is achieved by planting a mix of different species of grasses and legumes. **CSAM3: Herbal leys**
* **Benefits:**
* **Improved soil structure:** Herbal leys create a complex root system that binds soil particles together, improving drainage and aeration. This is particularly beneficial in areas prone to compaction.
This is a sustainable system that minimizes waste and maximizes resource utilization. The farm is located in the North West of England, where the climate is characterized by cool, wet winters and mild, dry summers. This climate is ideal for growing a variety of crops, including cereals, root vegetables, and legumes. The farm’s arable cropping system is based on a rotation of crops, which helps to improve soil fertility and prevent soil erosion.
* The farm has a history of employing minimum tillage and direct drilling. * They switched to using a plough to control weeds in their organic system. * The farm is now facing challenges with weed control in their organic system.
This is a significant shift in the farming landscape, as organic farming practices are becoming increasingly popular. Organic farming practices are known for their environmental benefits, such as reduced soil erosion, improved water quality, and biodiversity. However, the lower yields and variable input costs associated with organic farming have been a major obstacle to its widespread adoption.
This decision was driven by the desire to improve soil fertility and the potential for increased profits. The farmer, who had previously experimented with sheep and beef cattle, recognized that dairy cattle offered a unique advantage in this regard. Dairy cattle, unlike sheep and beef cattle, are known for their ability to improve soil fertility through their manure.
However, the milk gains a price premium on an Arla organic contract, while there are virtually no housing or slurry storage and spreading costs. Tim says this four-year herbal ley for the dairy cows is the key to fertility building on his light soils, and the long length of the ley helps give good weed control for the following arable crops. He admits that while the move to organic grassland has been relatively straightforward, arable crop production has needed more thinking through, with a return to ploughing for weed control, a more diverse cropping system and tricky harvest times. He is using a steerage hoe and integrated drill to sow crops and then weed them with the same machine, and has turned to a swather to help harvest crops that are often green with weeds.
This transition is crucial for the farm’s health and productivity.
“The yields are halved but the costs are much lower and premiums high,” says Tim. He is confident that he can improve yields when focusing on a smaller arable area for the next three years, as in on-farm trials spring organic oat yields have been up to 4.9t/ha, and a first-time block of organic oilseed rape managed 3.3t/ha. “We see the potential there in the arable side, but it’s unblocking that potential, and the trials have showed us what yields are possible,” he says. This report is from the first AHDB Monitor Farm meeting at Kingsclere Estates earlier this summer. The Hampshire estate started a three-year stint as a Monitor Farm in May this year, and so has become the first organic farm to join the programme.
