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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 61 - 90 of 90

Cover Crops

resource NIAB TAG and Kellogg’s OriginsTM Guidance on selecting and managing cover crops according to your requirements, outlining financial, agronomic and environmental benefits.

Rotations, 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
Organic Arable Production: Rotations

resource Soil Association All you need to know about organic arable crop rotations; why they are necessary, how to plan one, and some examples to get you started.

Rotations, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Crop nutrition & fertility building
Organic Arable Production: Pest & Disease Control

resource Soil Association How to control arable pests and diseases organically; develop healthy soil and natural predator habitats for healthy, pest-free plants.

Rotations, Pests & diseases
The Use of Compost and Digestate on Organic/Converting Land

resource OF&G Useful guidance from OF&G to help you comply with regulations for using compost and digestate on organic land.

Organic matter, Regulations, standards & policy
Field drainage guide

resource ADAS Improve your farm productivity and environment with field drainage; principles, methods, assessment, maintenance, renewal and installation.

Drainage, Business management, Pollinators & ecological services
The Farm Crap App Pro

resource Duchy College & Rothamsted Research Duchy College and Rothamsted Research’s mobile manure management app; find out how you can use it and access the app from this webpage.

Organic matter, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Natural resources & waste
Practical recommendations on reduced tillage systems

resource Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) Video footage of a member of the TILMAN-ORG project outlining some of the problems and potential solutions associated with reduced tillage.

Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Rotations, Organic matter, Weeds, Roots & horticulture, Crop nutrition & fertility building
Impact of cover crops on yield and soils in the New Farming Systems programme

resource NIAB /TAG Research evaluating how cover cropping systems can contribute to soil structural improvement, fertility enhancement and yield responses.

Rotations, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses
Improving Soils for Better Returns

resource AHDB This AHDB manual provides information to help you manage your soil for the good of the environment, your animals, and your pocket.

Type, texture & structure, Beef cattle & sheep, Grasslands & forage crops
Using legume-based mixtures to enhance the nitrogen use efficiency and economic viability of cropping systems

resource Organic Research Centre/ Scottish Rural College/ University of Reading/ Aberystwyth University/ Institute of Biological/ Environmental & Rural Sciences (IBERS)/ Institute of Organic Training and Advice/ Duchy College/ NIAB TAG/ Rothamsted Research The Legume LINK final report, with pointers to help you improve the efficiency of your leys, benefiting crop production and pollinators.

Rotations, Crop nutrition & fertility building
Reduced Tillage: Farmer’s motivations and problems

resource Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) A video from the TILMAN-ORG project providing useful insights from farmers who have have adopted reduced tillage on their farms.

Compaction & cultivation, People & skills
Manifold green manures Part 2: Alsike and crimson clovers

resource Organic Research Centre Details on alsike and crimson clover that will help assess suitability for inclusion in fertility-building mixes, as defined in Legume LINK.

Rotations, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building
Manifold green manures - Part I: Sainfoin and birdsfoot trefoil

resource Organic Research Centre An article outlining properties of two species that could be considered for fertility-building mixes, trialed in the Legume LINK project.

Type, texture & structure, Grasslands & forage crops
Getting to the Root of Rhizobia to Improve Agricultural Yields

resource The Naked Scientists (University of Cambridge) A podcast focusing on the role of nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria rhizobia in improving legume crop yields and specific research into lucerne.

Type, texture & structure, Crop nutrition & fertility building
Illustrated guide to water courses beside grassland

resource Natural England Practical guidance to help you manage watercourses and livestock in ways that will cause the least harm to water quality and wildlife.

Drainage, Natural resources & waste
Compost: The Effect on Nutrients, Soil Health and Crop Production

resource Institute of Organic Training & Advice (IOTA) Practical guidance to inform your use and management of compost, using it to its full potential to improve soil properties and crop yields.

Rotations, Organic matter, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Regulations, standards & policy, Natural resources & waste
Crop Protection in Reduced Tillage Systems

resource Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) Pest, weed and disease management in reduced tillage cropping systems; factors to consider and actions you can take.

Compaction & cultivation, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses
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
Measuring and managing soil organic matter

resource Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) - produced as part of the AHDB-BBRO Soil Biology and Soil Health Partnership (ahdb.org.uk/greatsoils) This GREATSoils factsheet explores different ways in which organic matter can be added to soil and how you can measure how much organic matter is...

Type, texture & structure, Organic matter, Soil biology, People & skills
Short-term green manures for intensively cultivated horticultural soils

resource AHDB Horticulture A GREATsoils factsheet detailing the main green manure species suitable for use in high value vegetable and salad rotations and summarising benefits they can bring

Type, texture & structure, Rotations, Organic matter, Roots & horticulture, Crop nutrition & fertility building, People & skills
Reduced till - is it a viable option for organic systems?

resource Garden Organic Potential benefits and problems with using reduced tillage in organic systems and how it impacts on weed control.

Compaction & cultivation, Weeds
Fallowing in organic systems - a last resort?

resource Garden Organic A leaflet looking at the pros and cons of leaving land fallow in organic systems to help manage weeds,

Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Soil biology, Weeds, People & skills
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
Soil assessment methods

resource Organic Research Centre / Soil Association / Earthcare Technical Tips to help you choose the most appropriate methods to assess and manage your soil health - provided by the GREATSoils project team.

Type, texture & structure, People & skills
Sort out your soil

resource Cotswold Seeds / Garden Organic This Cotswold Seeds / Garden Organic publication provides detailed, practical information to help you select and use green manure crops.

Organic matter, Animal health & welfare, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building
Manifold green manures - Part 4: Large birdsfoot trefoil, meadow pea and white clover

resource The Organic Research Centre An article outlining properties of three species that could be considered for fertility-building mixes, trialed in the Legume LINK project.

Organic matter, Crop nutrition & fertility building
Garden Organic’s Soil Information Pack

resource Garden Organic A pack introducing some essential basics for growers, helping promote understanding and improve the management of soil

Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Organic matter, Soil biology, Roots & horticulture, Crop nutrition & fertility building
A Guide to Better Soil Structure

resource National Soil Resources Institute The National Soil Resources Institute’s practical guide to understanding, assessing, maintaining and improving soil structure.

Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Organic matter, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Climate, Natural resources & waste

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