Resources
Browse our library of the best technical guides, research papers and videos on sustainable agriculture below. You can also filter by topic.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55
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Living Mulches Final Report
resource The final report for Innovative Farmers field lab trials which aimed to determine the impacts of living mulches on cash crop yields and weed composition.Compaction & cultivation, Rotations, Organic matter, Soil biology, Weeds, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Crop nutrition & fertility building, People & skills -
Sustaining our soils: Getting the balance right
resource Organic Growers Alliance (OGA) Recording of an Organic Growers Alliance's Organic Matters 22 conference session exploring stockfree organic standards and carbon sequestration, mobile green manures, Organic-PLUS trials on fertility-building...Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Rotations, Organic matter, Soil biology, Roots & horticulture, Crop nutrition & fertility building, People & skills -
The End is Nigh, The End of Nitrogen
resource Footage of a discussion held at Groundswell 2022, organised by Agricology, about the impacts of reduced nitrogen use and ways in which farmers are moving...Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Rotations, Organic matter, Soil biology, Weeds, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Business management, People & skills -
Including diverse leys in arable rotations
resource Organic Reseach Centre Practice abstract created as part of the DiverIMPACTS project outlining some of the many advantages to more complex mixtures of leguminous leys and some of...Compaction & cultivation, Rotations, Organic matter, Weeds, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Crop nutrition & fertility building, People & skills, Pollinators & ecological services, Biodiversity -
No-till with living mulches - the holy grail for arable?
resource Northern Real Farming Conference / Soil Association This webinar (part of the 2021 Northern Real Farming Conference and hosted by the Soil Association) explores growing a low growing permanent cover crop such...Rotations, Organic matter, Soil biology, Weeds, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Buildings & machinery, People & skills, Biodiversity -
Designing strip intercropping systems
resource Wageningen University & Research (WUR) Abstract created as part of the DiverIMPACTS project, outlining outcomes from strip cropping experiments and practical recommendations for designing and managing effective strip systems.Compaction & cultivation, Rotations, Pests & diseases, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Buildings & machinery, People & skills, Pollinators & ecological services, Biodiversity -
CFE Virtual Workshop - Water, Soils, Wildlife & Profit
resource Recording of an online workshop organised by CFE on water, soils, wildlife, and on-farm profit and featuring Phil Jarvis, Farm Manager at the GWCT Allerton...Compaction & cultivation, Rotations, Organic matter, Beef cattle & sheep, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Natural resources & waste, Pollinators & ecological services, Biodiversity -
Virtual Field Day: Cover crops, living mulch and leys @ Cereals LIVE 2020
resource Recording of a virtual event held as part of Cereals LIVE 2020 - a collaboration between Agricology, CFE and the NIAB team that came in...Rotations, Organic matter, Animal health & welfare, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, People & skills -
Herbal Leys Virtual Field Day: Parts 1 & 2
resource This is part 1 and 2 of a collaborative 2-part series of virtual events exploring establishment, management, soil health, grazing and ensiling in relation to herbal leys.Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Rotations, Organic matter, Soil biology, Weeds, Animal health & welfare, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, People & skills, Pollinators & ecological services, Biodiversity -
Mulch systems and rotational no-till in vegetable farming
resource Organic Growers Alliance (OGA) Organic Grower article explaining a system German grower Johannes Storch created using cover crops, grass and silage as mulch and the MulchTec planter he and...Compaction & cultivation, Rotations, Organic matter, Weeds, Roots & horticulture, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Buildings & machinery, People & skills -
Agroecology in Action
resource Landworkers' Alliance This publication from the Landworkers' Alliance highlights what pioneers of agroecology in the UK are doing to create a productive and sustainable agriculture. The case...Integrated farming, Conservation agriculture, Organic farming, Biodynamic farming, Agroforestry, Permaculture, Rotations, Organic matter, Soil biology, Animal health & welfare, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Roots & horticulture, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Business management, Markets & food systems, Natural resources & waste, People & skills, Pollinators & ecological services, Biodiversity, Climate, Communities & education -
Testing the soil health scorecard (On-farm soil monitoring 2018–2019)
resource Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) - produced as part of the AHDB-BBRO Soil Biology and Soil Health Partnership (ahdb.org.uk/greatsoils) A Soil Biology and Soil Health Partnership case study expaining the scorecard that has been developed to help farmers measure and manage soil health and...Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Rotations, Organic matter, Soil biology, People & skills -
Testing the effect of organic material additions on soil health
resource Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) - produced as part of the AHDB-BBRO Soil Biology and Soil Health Partnership (ahdb.org.uk/greatsoils) A Soil Biology and Soil Health Partnership case study explaining the scorecard that has been developed to help farmers measure and manage soil health, and...Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Rotations, Organic matter, Soil biology, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, People & skills -
Know your Soils #10: Soil Test Calendar
resource Soilmentor app Which soil tests to do, when to do them, which fields and where on the fields to test to get a representative sample.Integrated farming, Conservation agriculture, Organic farming, Biodynamic farming, Permaculture, Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Rotations, Organic matter, Soil biology, Grasslands & forage crops, Roots & horticulture, Crop nutrition & fertility building -
Know your Soils #9: The plate meter
resource Soilmentor app Alex Heffron uses a plate meter to monitor the volume of forage available in fields across his farm allowing him to improve grass growth and...Integrated farming, Conservation agriculture, Organic farming, Biodynamic farming, Permaculture, Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Rotations, Organic matter, Soil biology, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building -
Know your soils #8: 3 key soil tests to understand your soil health
resource Soilmentor app Spring and autumn are the best times to do soil tests. Try the three most important and easy soil tests you can do yourself on...Integrated farming, Conservation agriculture, Organic farming, Biodynamic farming, Permaculture, Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Rotations, Soil biology, Crop nutrition & fertility building -
Know your Soils #6: Soil Health Reading List
resource Soilmentor app Read these books to get up to speed on soil health and how to build it for your land.Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Rotations, Organic matter, Soil biology, People & skills -
Diverse / Herbal sward mixtures
resource ORC / GWCT / LEAF / OF&G / Soil Association / SRUC / Agricology - as part of Defra Project OF03111 Organic Management Techniques Herbal leys with a diverse range of species can help resolve soil fertility problems, making forage legume mixtures hard to resist.Integrated farming, Rotations, Soil biology, Weeds, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Pollinators & ecological services, Climate -
Integrating leys in arable rotations
resource ORC / GWCT / LEAF / OF&G / Soil Association / SRUC / Agricology - as part of Defra Project OF03111 Organic Management Techniques Integrating leys in arable rotations can provide multiple benefits including weed management, soil health and pollinator habitat provision.Integrated farming, Rotations, Soil biology, Weeds, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Pollinators & ecological services, Biodiversity -
Feeding livestock on pasture-based diets
resource ORC / GWCT / LEAF / OF&G / Soil Association / SRUC / Agricology - as part of Defra Project OF03111 Organic Management Techniques This resource looks at the practicalities of introducing pasture-fed livestock systems, the benefits and draw-backs of adoption with case studies and linksRotations, Animal health & welfare, Dairy cattle, Beef cattle & sheep, Pigs, Poultry, Grasslands & forage crops, Natural resources & waste, Biodiversity -
Livestock on diverse leys: a return to the past for a promising future
resource Organic Research Centre ORC Bulletin article reporting on farmers that have been combining diverse leys with livestock and some of the pros and cons of this practice revealed...Drainage, Rotations, Organic matter, Weeds, Animal health & welfare, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Natural resources & waste, People & skills, Pollinators & ecological services -
Know Your Soils #4: How to capture carbon in your soil
resource Soilmentor app consortium Know Your Soils #4: “If you want to capture carbon, you have to think like carbon!” hear from Napa RCD soil scientist & farmer Charles...Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Rotations, Organic matter, Soil biology, Natural resources & waste -
No-till for growers: Part 2 - Soil health practices for growers
resource Organic Growers Alliance Part two of two detailed informal articles looking at the practicalities of applying a no-till system in an organic horticultural operation and how it relates...Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Rotations, Organic matter, Soil biology, Weeds -
The Benefits of Sheep in Arable Rotations
resource The National Sheep Association How incorporating sheep within arable farming systems can rejuvenate soils, reduce problem weeds, improve biodiversity, & improve yields from following crops.Integrated farming, Type, texture & structure, Rotations, Organic matter, Weeds, Animal health & welfare, Beef cattle & sheep, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Biodiversity -
Digging the Dirt on Curlew Call Farm
resource Soil Association Invest in your soil & reap the returns; an arable farmer’s endeavours in improving soil health through using green manures & grass leys.Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Rotations, Organic matter, Soil biology, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building -
Crop rotation and its ability to suppress perennial weeds
resource OK-Net Arable project consortium (co-ordinated by IFOAM EU Group) Guidance from the OK-Net Arable project to help you manage perennial weeds effectively through crop rotations.Rotations, Organic matter, Weeds, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Crop nutrition & fertility building, People & skills -
Digging the Dirt on Honeydale Farm
resource Soil Association Insights into Ian Wilkinson's quest to create a system of mixed farming with diverse cropping and livestock, reducing external inputs and adding value to commodity...Compaction & cultivation, Rotations, Organic matter, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Weeds -
The basic low-cost infrastructure for mob-grazing cattle on 900 acres in Scotland
resource Farmerama Podcast looking at simple low-cost tools to support moving cattle in a mob-grazing system.Rotations, Beef cattle & sheep -
Digging the Dirt on Lower Smite Farm
resource Soil Association Improving soil health and enhancing wildlife on a mixed organic farm through using sustainable natural inputs and innovative cropping.Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Rotations, Organic matter, Soil biology, Weeds, Pollinators & ecological services -
The Basics of Soil Fertility
resource FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL booklet offering a view on soil fertility from different angles to stimulate new thinking about a sustainable relationship to the soil.Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Rotations, Organic matter, Soil biology, People & skills