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 - 29 of 29
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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 -
It’s not just about the bees
resource Organic vegetable farmer Andy Dibben puts forward the case of allowing complex insect ecosystems to develop or be proactively encouraged on farms, describing ways in...Compaction & cultivation, Weeds, Pests & diseases, Roots & horticulture, Crop nutrition & fertility building, People & skills, Pollinators & ecological services, Biodiversity -
Establishing summer cover crops before winter cereals in low tillage systems on sandy soils
resource Chamber of Agriculture Lower Saxony Abstract created as part of the DiverIMPACTS project outlining some of the benefits that can be attained from establishing summer cover crops on sandy soils...Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Organic matter, Weeds, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Buildings & machinery, People & skills -
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions at Farm Level The Go-To Guide
resource Produced by Innovation for Agriculture in association with Eunomia Research and Consulting on behalf of the WWF/Tesco partnership Practical, easy-to-use guidance to help farmers reduce their greenhouse gas footprint. Offering actions for all UK agricultural sectors, it aims to be both environmentally and...Compaction & cultivation, Organic matter, Animal health & welfare, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Business management, Buildings & machinery, Natural resources & waste, People & skills, Biodiversity, Climate -
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 -
Nitrogen supply for organic winter oilseed rape
resource Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) Abstract created as part of the DiverIMPACTS project providing practical guidance of how to maximise on N in a sustainable way when growing oilseed rape.Compaction & cultivation, Organic matter, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Crop nutrition & fertility building, People & skills -
Diversification of silage maize cultivation by using winter cover crops enabled by ultra-early maize varieties
resource Wageningen University & Research (WUR) Abstract created as part of the DiverIMPACTS project based on a long-term Dutch field trial, outlining practical recommendations, advantages, and challenges of combining winter cover...Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Weeds, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, People & skills, Pollinators & ecological services, Biodiversity, Climate -
Herbal Leys Webinar Series
resource AHDB Beef & Lamb & British Grassland Society Footage of four webinars exploring issues surrounding herbal leys; a collaboration between the AHDB and British Grassland Society.Compaction & cultivation, Organic matter, Weeds, Animal health & welfare, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Business management, People & skills, Climate -
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 -
Good agricultural practice in irrigation management
resource Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) This FiBL guide will help farmers, growers and agricultural consultants improve irrigation practices and manage water sustainably.Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Organic matter, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Business management, Natural resources & waste, People & skills, Pollinators & ecological services, Climate -
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 -
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 #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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
Above and below the ground: building resilient, productive and profitable soils
resource Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust This Nuffield Report is the result of arable farmer David Walston's explorations of why some soils are more productive than others and the best ways...Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Rotations, Organic matter, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, People & skills -
Silage sorghum, an alternative to silage maize
resource Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) & Wageningen University & Research (WUR) Some practical recommendations for producing silage sorghum based on research carried out as part of the DiverIMPACTS project.Compaction & cultivation, Weeds, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, People & skills, Climate -
Cover crops help to reduce diffuse water pollution
resource University of East Anglia / Wensum Alliance An update from research undertaken as part of the Demonstration Test Catchments research platform established to investigate the extent by which on-farm mitigation measures can...Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Organic matter, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Business management, People & skills, Pollinators & ecological services -
Transition to agroecological approaches
resource Scottish Natural Heritage / GWCT / ORC / Land Use Policy Group A case study focusing on Douglas Christie, a farmer in Scotland, who has been experimenting with direct drilling and growing cover and companion crops in...Organic matter, Soil biology, Beef cattle & sheep, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Business management, People & skills, Biodiversity -
Cover crops in a no-tillage system
resource AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds One of the AHDB 'Farmer Experience' profiles providing insights into how and why Jake Freestone of Overbury Farms uses cover crops.Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Rotations, Weeds, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building -
Opportunities for cover crops in conventional arable rotations
resource AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds An introduction to the potential environmental and agronomic benefits of cover crops in arable systems.Compaction & cultivation, Rotations, Organic matter, Weeds, Pests & diseases, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Crop nutrition & fertility building -
Fertility Building
resource Duchy College Using legumes and farming practices to maximise on free nitrogen (N); improve N availability, increase the amount fixed, minimise losses.Rotations, Crop nutrition & fertility building