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 - 30 of 32
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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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
DIVERSify's Recommendations
resource Taskscape (Diversify Consortium Partner for Communication Knowledge Exchange and Participation) Last in a series of mini-documentary films; this presents recommendations from the DIVERSify project and asks what have we learnt in DIVERSify that will help...Compaction & cultivation, Weeds, Pests & diseases, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Roots & horticulture, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Markets & food systems, Buildings & machinery, People & skills, Pollinators & ecological services, Biodiversity, Climate -
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 -
DIVERSify - From The Ground Up, Managing Complexity & Cultivating Knowledge
resource Taskscape (Diversify Consortium Partner for Communication Knowledge Exchange and Participation) Three mini-documentary films presenting findings from the DIVERSify project, focusing on impacts of crop diversification and challenges and ideas for growing crop mixtures as a...Weeds, Pests & diseases, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Roots & horticulture, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Business management, Markets & food systems, Buildings & machinery, People & skills, Pollinators & ecological services, Biodiversity, 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 -
Getting Started with Agroecological Farming
resource There is increasing recognition of the benefits of integrated agroecological farming systems but it can be hard to know where to start. In this podcast,...Agroforestry, Animal health & welfare, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Business management, Markets & food systems, Natural resources & waste, People & skills, 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 -
The four principles of weed control in organic growing
resource Oxford Real Farming Conference Footage recorded at the ORFC 2020 session on 'The future of agroecological weed management.' Mike Mallett of Maple Farm Kelsale shares insights into approaches to...Organic farming, Compaction & cultivation, Weeds, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Roots & horticulture, People & skills, Climate -
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 -
Viruses in cereals and oilseed rape
resource AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Information focusing on the options available to farmers to help manage Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) and Turnip yellows virus (TuYV).Weeds, Pests & diseases, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, People & skills, Biodiversity -
Plant Teams for the Future: Intercropping in Research & In Practice
resource Agricology / Oxford Real Farming Conference Video footage filmed at the Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC) 2019 of Andy Howard of Bockhanger Farms discussing the potential of 'plant teams' in theory...Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, 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 #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 -
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 -
Using agroecology to enhance dietary diversity
resource Drawing on global research this article demonstrates how agroecology contributes to enhancing biodiversity and dietary diversity.Crop nutrition & fertility building, Pollinators & ecological services, Biodiversity, Nutrition & public health, Markets & food systems, People & skills -
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 -
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 -
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 aloneIntegrated farming, Compaction & cultivation, Pests & diseases, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Roots & horticulture, Biodiversity, People & skills -
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 -
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 -
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 -
Reduced tillage trials aim to improve soil sustainability
resource University of East Anglia / Wensum Alliance Interesting results from a 5-year reduced cultivation trial that took place at the Salle Park Estate, Norfolk, to assess the impact of contrasting tillage regimes...Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Organic matter, Soil biology, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Buildings & machinery, People & skills, Pollinators & ecological services -
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