Hugo Ellis –Agronomist and Consultant
5 principles
1. Keep the soil covered
2. Minimise soil disturbance
3. Increase plant diversity
4. Keep roots in soil
5. Integrate Livestock
Soil Health: “the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals and humans.”
Soil comes into 3 categories, although each three are closely linked • Biological • Chemical • Physical
Respiration
Number and diversity of mycorrhiza
Number and diversity of earthworms
Diversity of macro and micro organisms
Enzymatic profiling
Nitrogen (mineralised N, NH4+, N03-)
Macronutrients
Micronutrients
Cation Exchange Capacity
EC
Salinity
pH
Compaction
Erosion
Waterlogging
Bulk
Penetrometer
It comes back to the principle of soil health. Healthy soils:
• Better nutrient cycling and supply
• More available water
• More available oxygen
• Better biological function to mobilise nutrients and improve soil structure
• Healthier plants due to communication with microbes and fungi
• Healthier plants due to access to more nutrients (macro and micro)
• Reduction of nutrient leeching causing environmental damage
• Less nutrients required to be applied to soil
https://www.niab.com/uploads/files/NAC_10_STOBART_-_STAR.pdf
Scenario 1
Spring Cereal 5.5t/ha + Peas 4t/ha (feed) Average
• Gross Margin = £700/ha
• No Insecticides (CIPM4) = £45
• Winter cover crop (CSAM2) = £129
• Companion Crop (CIPM3) = £55
Total = £929/ha
Scenario 2
Winter cereal 8t/ha (feed)
• £1000/ha
Scenario 1
Scenario 2
• Building soil health quickly
• Lower returns /ha
• Less fertilisers and sprays
• More seed required
• Two crops to market
• Additional income through livestock
• SFI options account for 30%
• Maintaining soil health or building slowly
• Greater returns/ha
• More fertiliser and sprays
• Higher operational costs
• One market price
CSAM1- Assess soil, produce a soil management plan and test soil organic matter - £6/ha +£97
CSAM2- Multi-species winter cover crop- £129/ha
CSAM3- Herbal Leys- £382/ha
SOH1- No till farming - £73/ha
SOH2- Multi- Species spring sown cover crop£163/ha
SOH3- Multi- Species spring sown cover crop£163/ha
SOH4- Winter cover crops following maize- £203/ha
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that you:
•Understand the condition of your soil
•Effectively plan how to increase the long-term health, productivity, and resilience of your soil
•Soil management plan annually (within 12 months)
•Soil samples within first 12 months or historical samples no more than 5 years old (organic matter)
What you will get
£6/ha +£93
100 ha = £693/year
£2019 over 3 years
Soil Sampling
£30 x 25 = £750
Net over 3 years = £1269 + soil samples
Eligible Land Type
• Arable
• Arable fallow
• Temporary grassland
• Permanent grassland
• Permanent crops
• Do not need consent for SSSI’s
• Eligible on Historical or archaeological features but need a SFI HEFER. If you have to sample on SHINE feature
•Take enough samples to meet the requirements of the SFI action
•Sample to a depth of no more than 7.5 centimeters (cm) on permanent grassland or around 20 to 25cm on arable land (including temporary grassland)
•Must not take samples on a historical monument
For each field or areas in field where soils differ record:
• Soil type, structure and texture
• How you currently manage the area
• Any historic or archaeological features, so you can plan how to manage land around these features
• Risks of surface runoff and soil erosion identified in soil assessment
• Proposed future management activities, including how you plan to reduce the risks of surface runoff and soil erosion which you have identified in soil assessment
To calculate a slope of a field, you can use equipment such as a clinometer. The risk of surface runoff is:
• High for steep slopes- these usually have an angle of 7 degrees or more (12%+gradient)
• Moderate for moderate slopes- these usually have an angle of 3-7 degrees (5-12% gradient)
• Low for gentle slopes- these usually have an angle of 2 3 degrees (3-5% gradient)
£20
PHONE: 01347 844132
EMAIL: talktous @terrafarmer.co.uk
WEB: terrafarmer.co.uk