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 31 - 60 of 90
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Know your Soils #6: Soil Health Reading List
resource Soilmentor app Read these books to get up to speed on soil health and how to build it for your land.Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Rotations, Organic matter, Soil biology, People & skills -
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 landfillType, 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 linksRotations, Animal health & welfare, Dairy cattle, Beef cattle & sheep, Pigs, Poultry, Grasslands & forage crops, Natural resources & waste, 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 -
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 -
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 -
Know Your Soils #3: Monitor the impact of water run-off
resource Soilmentor app consortium (featuring video by Catchment Sensitive Farming & Innovation for Agriculture) How much topsoil and nutrients do you lose with rainwater run-off? This resource explains a test you can do to understand how much is running...Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Organic matter -
Know your Soils #2: Earthworm Quiz
resource Soilmentor app consortium Learn how to identify different types of earthworms and therefore how you may be able to improve your soil management in this quiz brought to...Soil biology -
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 -
Know Your Soils #1: Meet the bugs!
resource Soilmentor app consortium (featuring video by Catchment Sensitive Farming & Innovation for Agriculture) The first of a twelve part series called 'Know your Soils, where practical tips for monitoring soil health and simple tests you can do on...Soil biology -
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 -
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 aloneIntegrated 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 -
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 -
The contributions of organic additions on soil quality
resource Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust A useful report to help increase understanding of when and how to use organic matter to help improve soil quality on your farm.Type, texture & structure, Organic matter, Soil biology -
Economic and ecological benefits of reduced tillage in the UK
resource Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust A guide to potential benefits and implications of integrating reduced tillage into your farm management system.Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Drainage, Organic matter -
Valuing Your Soils
resource Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) 'Valuing Your Soils' will help Scottish farmers, crofters and land managers protect and manage their most valuable resource.Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation -
Making the Most of Green Manures
resource Innovative Farmers Improve your understanding of how to use green manures and the many potential ways in which they can benefit your farm business with this audio...Type, texture & structure, Compaction & cultivation, Organic matter, Soil biology, Weeds, Crop nutrition & fertility building -
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 -
Soils and biodiversity
resource Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Information on the importance of biodiversity of soil organisms, the services they provide and agricultural practices that promote them.Type, texture & structure, Organic matter, Soil biology, Biodiversity -
Tried & Tested Professional Nutrient Management
resource Tried & Tested - AIC / NFU / CLA / LEAF and British Grassland Society partnership Tools to help you improve your nutrient and manure and livestock feed planning and recording, and meet regulatory requirements.Organic matter, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Natural resources & waste -
Organic crop rotations
resource Soil Association This Soil Association PDF provides an overview of what you may need to take into consideration when planning rotations for field crops.Organic farming, Rotations, Roots & horticulture, Regulations, standards & policy -
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 -
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