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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 31 - 60 of 115

Improving water quality on the River Wensum

resource Norfolk Rivers Trust A case study describing the process of installing silt traps to capture soil and water run-off on a farm near the Blackwater, Norfolk, and the...

Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Natural resources & waste, Pollinators & ecological services
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 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
AFINET - Agroforestry in the UK

resource A video produced for the AFINET project exploring some of the practical considerations for agroforestry systems and potential benefits.

Agroforestry, Type, texture & structure, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Roots & horticulture, Business management, Buildings & machinery, People & skills, Pollinators & ecological services
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 #7: The Respiration Test

resource Soilmentor app (Based on an AHDB GREATsoils video created by Soil Association & Earthcare Technical) Use this soil test to learn how active microbes are in your soil. Monitoring respiration rates indicates the soil’s ability to support living roots and...

Organic matter, Soil biology, Crop nutrition & fertility building, People & skills, Climate
Undersowing of leys in arable crops

resource ORC / GWCT / LEAF / OF&G / Soil Association / SRUC / Agricology - as part of Defra Project OF03111 Organic Management Techniques A comprehensive guide to the use of undersown leys in arable cropping systems and the potential benefits.

Drainage, Weeds, Animal health & welfare, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Crop nutrition & fertility building, People & skills, Pollinators & ecological services
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
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 landfill

Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Organic matter, Soil biology, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Regulations, standards & policy, Buildings & machinery, Natural resources & waste
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 links

Rotations, 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 #5: How well can your soil hold onto nutrients?

resource Soilmentor (featuring video by Catchment Sensitive Farming & Innovation for Agriculture) Find out how good your soil is at preventing precious nutrients from washing away with the rain and what you can do to reduce nutrient...

Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Organic matter, Crop nutrition & fertility building
Great Soils: Soil management for horticulture

resource AHDB Horticulture Good soil management can save you time and money. This leaflet gives you a practical overview of what to do.

Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Organic matter, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Roots & horticulture
The animal welfare and environmental benefits of Pasture for Life farming - interim findings

resource Pasture-Fed Livestock Association Pasture for Life (PfL) standards can result in improved animal welfare, ecosystem resilience, healthier soils, and increased biodiversity.

Drainage, Animal health & welfare, Dairy cattle, Beef cattle & sheep, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Regulations, standards & policy, Markets & food systems, People & skills, Biodiversity
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
Why are soil minerals so important and how can we use biofertilisers to remineralise our land?

resource Organic Growers Alliance Insights into biofertiliser production emerging as an important tool in the remineralisation of soils.

Organic matter, Soil biology, Crop nutrition & fertility building
Soil Summary 2016-2017

resource NRM Laboratories A useful summary from NRM Laboratories on soil sampling and data collected on soil nutrients over the course of a year.

Type, texture & structure, Crop nutrition & fertility building
Integrated slug control

resource Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) Know your enemy - an integrated approach to slug control is more effective than using chemical slug pellets alone

Integrated farming, Compaction & cultivation, Pests & diseases, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Roots & horticulture, Biodiversity, People & skills
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
No-till and mob-grazing

resource Farmerama John Cherry talks about his experiences of converting to no-till and mob grazing - with regard to managing black-grass and renewed fertility in the soil.

Compaction & cultivation, Organic matter, Weeds, Crop nutrition & fertility building
The Role of Soil Biology in Crop Nutrition

resource Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust A detailed review to help you recognise farming practices that will encourage soil biota.

Organic matter, Soil biology, Crop nutrition & fertility building
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
Companion cropping

resource Farmerama Jake Freestone talks about his experiences of growing oilseed rape with buckwheat and vetch and highlights benefits he has observed.

Type, texture & structure, Organic matter, Pests & diseases, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Markets & food systems, People & skills

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