Resources
Browse our library of the best technical guides, research papers and videos on sustainable agriculture below. You can also filter by topic.
Filter by farming theme:
- Crops, forage & horticulture (26) Apply Crops, forage & horticulture filter
- Farm management & economics (23) Apply Farm management & economics filter
- Weeds, pests and diseases (13) Apply Weeds, pests and diseases filter
- Environment & wildlife (10) Apply Environment & wildlife filter
- Agroecological approaches (5) Apply Agroecological approaches filter
- Livestock husbandry (3) Apply Livestock husbandry filter
Filter by format type:
Filter by key farming practices:
- Soil monitoring (20) Apply Soil monitoring filter
- Cover crops (11) Apply Cover crops filter
- Minimum Tillage (11) Apply Minimum Tillage filter
- No Till (10) Apply No Till filter
- Green manures (8) Apply Green manures filter
- Mulching (8) Apply Mulching filter
- Organic fertilisers (8) Apply Organic fertilisers filter
- Leys (6) Apply Leys filter
- Direct drilling (5) Apply Direct drilling filter
- Diverse leys (5) Apply Diverse leys filter
- Pasture fed livestock (5) Apply Pasture fed livestock filter
- Intercropping (4) Apply Intercropping filter
- Rotational grazing (4) Apply Rotational grazing filter
- Mob grazing (3) Apply Mob grazing filter
- Diversified rotation (2) Apply Diversified rotation filter
- Mixed farming (2) Apply Mixed farming filter
- Undersowing (2) Apply Undersowing filter
- Aerobic digestion (1) Apply Aerobic digestion filter
- Anaerobic Compost Tea (1) Apply Anaerobic Compost Tea filter
- Biopesticides (1) Apply Biopesticides filter
- Companion crops (1) Apply Companion crops filter
- Habitat creation (1) Apply Habitat creation filter
- Low input varieties (1) Apply Low input varieties filter
- Low input varieties (1) Apply Low input varieties filter
- Mechanical weeding (1) Apply Mechanical weeding filter
More filters
Filter by organisation:
- Soilmentor app (4) Apply Soilmentor app filter
- Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) - produced as part of the AHDB-BBRO Soil Biology and Soil Health Partnership (ahdb.org.uk/greatsoils) (2) Apply Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) - produced as part of the AHDB-BBRO Soil Biology and Soil Health Partnership (ahdb.org.uk/greatsoils) filter
- Garden Organic (2) Apply Garden Organic filter
- Innovative Farmers (2) Apply Innovative Farmers filter
- Institute of Organic Training & Advice (IOTA) (2) Apply Institute of Organic Training & Advice (IOTA) filter
- Organic Growers Alliance (2) Apply Organic Growers Alliance filter
- Organic Growers Alliance (OGA) (2) Apply Organic Growers Alliance (OGA) filter
- Soil Association (2) Apply Soil Association filter
- Agricology / Oxford Real Farming Conference (1) Apply Agricology / Oxford Real Farming Conference filter
- Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) / EBLEX / DairyCo (1) Apply Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) / EBLEX / DairyCo filter
- Centre for Agroecology/ Water and Resilience and Soil Association (1) Apply Centre for Agroecology/ Water and Resilience and Soil Association filter
- Duchy College (1) Apply Duchy College filter
- Farmerama (1) Apply Farmerama filter
- FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (1) Apply FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture filter
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research Germany & Humboldt University Berlin & University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Austria (1) Apply Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research Germany & Humboldt University Berlin & University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Austria filter
- Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) (1) Apply Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) filter
- Newcastle University (1) Apply Newcastle University filter
- ORC / GWCT / LEAF / OF&G / Soil Association / SRUC / Agricology - as part of Defra Project OF03111 Organic Management Techniques (1) Apply ORC / GWCT / LEAF / OF&G / Soil Association / SRUC / Agricology - as part of Defra Project OF03111 Organic Management Techniques filter
- Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) (1) Apply Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) filter
- Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) as part of the Fertilcrop project (1) Apply Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) as part of the Fertilcrop project filter
- School of Agriculture/ Food and Rural Development at Newcastle University (1) Apply School of Agriculture/ Food and Rural Development at Newcastle University filter
- Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) (1) Apply Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) filter
- Soilmentor app consortium (1) Apply Soilmentor app consortium filter
- The Oxford Farming Conference (1) Apply The Oxford Farming Conference filter
- University of East Anglia / Wensum Alliance (1) Apply University of East Anglia / Wensum Alliance filter
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39
-
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 -
Earthworms - Architects of fertile soils
resource Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) Earthworms; their biology, ecology, and multiple services they provide, and what we can do to ensure they thrive and benefit soil fertility.Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Organic matter, Soil biology, People & skills, Pollinators & ecological services -
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 -
Organic Amendments
resource Organic Growers Alliance (OGA) Video footage of a session that formed part of the Organic Growers Alliance's Organic Matters conference held in October 2021. It focuses on improving soil...Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Organic matter, Soil biology, Weeds, Roots & horticulture, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Natural resources & waste, People & skills, Climate -
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 -
Film: Three farmers come together to research no till and cover crops
resource Innovative Farmers One of a series of Innovative Farmers films shining a light on a field lab - this one focuses on no till and cover crop...Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Organic matter, Soil biology, People & skills, Pollinators & ecological services -
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 -
Ley of the Land: Integrating Leys in the Cropping System - Lydia Smith, NIAB
resource Agricology / Oxford Real Farming Conference Video footage filmed at the ORFC 2019 of Lydia Smith from NIAB explaining a project helping to explore soil quality through re-integration of leys and...Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Organic matter, Soil biology, Beef cattle & sheep, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Markets & food systems, 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 -
Use of green waste compost
resource ORC / GWCT / LEAF / OF&G / Soil Association / SRUC / Agricology - as part of Defra Project OF03111 Organic Management Techniques Using green waste compost to help manage reductions in soil organic matter in arable soils; reducing fertiliser use, improving soil health, and reducing landfillType, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Organic matter, Soil biology, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Regulations, standards & policy, Buildings & machinery, Natural resources & waste -
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 -
No-till for growers: realising the promise of soil health in organic horticulture. Part 1 - Helping growers who want to make the change
resource Organic Growers Alliance Part one 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, Drainage, Organic matter, Soil biology, Roots & horticulture, Crop nutrition & fertility building -
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 -
No-dig techniques & soil management to suppress weeds & unexpected results aerating the soil
resource Farmerama No-dig market garden expert Charles Dowding tells of his findings over the years, experimenting with digging and not digging his soils.Compaction & cultivation, Organic matter, Soil biology, Weeds, Biodiversity -
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 -
Soil Saviours
resource The Oxford Farming Conference A short must-watch video highlighting the importance of protecting and enhancing our topsoil and featuring a couple of inspirational farmers.Natural resources & waste, Compaction & cultivation, Organic matter, Soil biology, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Biodiversity, Climate -
The Spade Test
resource Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) as part of the Fertilcrop project A useful video with a detailed description of how to take a soil sample and interpret it using the spade test.Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Soil biology -
Making the Most of Green Manures
resource Innovative Farmers Improve your understanding of how to use green manures and the many potential ways in which they can benefit your farm business with this audio...Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Organic matter, Soil biology, Weeds, Crop nutrition & fertility building -
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 -
Nutrient Wise Demos
resource Duchy College Farmer focused guidance on managing nutrients on your farm, with information on trials run through the Nutrient Wise project.Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Organic matter, Soil biology, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building -
TILMAN - the final report
resource School of Agriculture/ Food and Rural Development at Newcastle University The impacts of reduced tillage methods on crop yield, fertility building and weeds; some key messages from the TILMAN-ORG project.Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Rotations, Organic matter, Soil biology, Weeds, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Roots & horticulture, Crop nutrition & fertility building -
Healthy Grassland Soils pocketbook
resource Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) / EBLEX / DairyCo A practical guide giving pictorial advice on assessing, maintaining and improving grassland soil structure and soil biology levels.Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Organic matter, Soil biology, Weeds, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Business management, Buildings & machinery -
Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure
resource Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) Assess soil structure out in the field and identify where changes in management may be required with the help of a visual reference tool.Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Organic matter, Soil biology, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building -
Working with Soil
resource An article published in Star & Furrow exploring the biodynamic approach to working with soil... “With what and how do we feed this soil life?”Biodynamic farming, Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Organic matter, Soil biology, Crop nutrition & fertility building, People & skills