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Plant Teams for the Future: Intercropping in Research & In Practice

- Andy Howard, Bockhanger Farms

Organisation:

Agricology / Oxford Real Farming Conference

Date:

January 2019

Copyright:

All rights reserved.

Evidence:

Farmer experience

Related theme:

Cereals, oil seeds & pulses

Crop nutrition & fertility building

Markets & food systems

People & skills

Key Farming Practices:

No Till

Soil monitoring

Minimum Tillage

Undersowing

Companion crops

Cover crops

Direct drilling

Intercropping

Watch the video

Resource explained:

Growing crops together presents opportunities for enhancing the resource use efficiency and resilience of cropping systems. This is video footage filmed at the Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC) 2019 that formed part of the session that explored the potential of 'plant teams' in theory and practice, and shared some of the practical findings from the Innovative Farmers/DIVERSify field Lab. Andy Howard of Bockhanger Farms explains that his overall aim on the farm is to reduce inputs dramatically through using agroecological processes and using no till, cover crops and intercropping will hopefully be good tools to help do that. He explains what was planted on the farm last season and some of the trials and tribulations experienced, and what he is planting this season and the reasons for doing so.

Findings & recommendations:

View more video footage recorded at the ORFC here.

Plant Teams for the Future: Intercropping in Research & In Practice - Andy Howard, Bockhanger Farms

Growing crops together presents opportunities for enhancing the resource use efficiency & resilience of cropping systems. This session recorded at ORFC 2019 explored the potential of 'plant teams' in theory & practice, & shared some of the practical findings from the Innovative Farmers/Diversify Field Lab. Hosted by Agricology

Summary provided by:

Janie Caldbeck

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