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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 91 - 120 of 161

Legume Futures

resource Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) Outputs from an international project that looked at forage and grain legumes in cropping systems; management and environmental impacts.

Rotations, Crop nutrition & fertility building
Cover Crop and Living Mulch Wiki

resource OSCAR project partners including the Organic Research Centre The AgroDiversity toolbox wiki; an interactive website to help spread knowledge about legume and non-leguminous species and machinery and practices.

Rotations, Crop nutrition & fertility building
Grass-clover ley in organic rotations

resource Institute of Biological/ Environmental & Rural Sciences (IBERS) Grassland Development Centre/ Aberystwyth University A factsheet with useful tips to help you assess and plan grass and legume ley rotations; includes rules, examples and management guidance.

Rotations, Grasslands & forage crops
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
Manure use efficiency

resource Duchy College A SWARM Hub webpage to help you maximise on available nutrients in organic manures, make savings and reduce environmental losses.

Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Organic matter, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Regulations, standards & policy
Diverse legume leys: pollinator benefits

resource Organic Research Centre The important role of legumes as a food resource for pollinators and species that can help provide the forage reserves throughout the year.

Organic matter, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Roots & horticulture, Pollinators & ecological services, Biodiversity
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
Sowing and Management of Multi-species Leys to Encourage Pollinators

resource Institute of Organic Training & Advice (IOTA) Guidance on selecting species and managing leys to benefit pollinators, linking to the LegLink project and Countryside Stewardship options.

Organic matter, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Regulations, standards & policy, Markets & food systems, Pollinators & ecological services, Biodiversity
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
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
Filter fences: catching sediment to prevent run-off

resource Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) LEAF Demonstration Farmer Nick Bragg from Frogmary Green Farm talks about his experience of tackling soil erosion and run-off problems, with the help of CSF.

Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Organic matter, Natural resources & waste, People & skills
Forage Legumes: Difficult for Farmers to resist?

resource Cotswold Seeds Video highlighting the benefits of growing and combining legume species and potential effects on your farm soil, livestock, and finances.

Type, texture & structure, Grasslands & forage crops
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
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
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
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
Living Soils - A Call to Action

resource Centre for Agroecology/ Water and Resilience and Soil Association The causes and implications of soil degradation explained, with a plea to adopt agroecological approaches to help tackle the problems.

Regulations, standards & policy, Compaction & cultivation, Organic matter, Soil biology
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
Biodynamics

resource Biodynamics; what is it, what are the biodynamic preparations, how is biodynamic farming and soil health and fertility intrinsically linked?

Biodynamic farming, Organic matter, Soil biology, Animal health & welfare, Crop nutrition & fertility building
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
Soil: Improving Structure and Function

resource Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) LEAF Demonstration Farmer Chris Baylis discusses measures put in place to help improve soil structure and drainage on his farm with agricultural advisor Philip Wright.

Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Rotations, Organic matter, Soil biology, People & skills
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
Intensive Grazing: Boode Farm

resource Natural England Catchment Sensitive Farming farm case study on the business and environmental benefits of maximising grazing efficiency and improving slurry and soil management.

Natural resources & waste, People & skills, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Animal health & welfare, Dairy cattle
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
Using green waste compost as a soil management tool

resource Duchy College A grower’s experience and insights on using green waste compost within a rotational farming system to improve soil structure.

Organic matter, Crop nutrition & fertility building
Simply Sustainable Water at Overbury Farms

resource Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) A 7-minute video explaining how the Six Simple Steps of Simply Sustainable Water are implemented at Overbury Farms.

Drainage, Natural resources & waste

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