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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 121 - 150 of 471

Use of diverse rotations

resource ORC / GWCT / LEAF / OF&G / Soil Association / SRUC / Agricology - as part of Defra Project OF03111 Organic Management Techniques This abstract explores how the organic practice of using diverse rotations to reduce pest and disease levels in following crops can be applied on non-organic...

Weeds, Pests & diseases
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
Livestock on diverse leys: a return to the past for a promising future

resource Organic Research Centre ORC Bulletin article reporting on farmers that have been combining diverse leys with livestock and some of the pros and cons of this practice revealed...

Drainage, Rotations, Organic matter, Weeds, Animal health & welfare, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Natural resources & waste, People & skills, Pollinators & ecological services
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
The animal welfare and environmental benefits of Pasture for Life farming - interim findings

resource Pasture-Fed Livestock Association Pasture for Life (PfL) standards can result in improved animal welfare, ecosystem resilience, healthier soils, and increased biodiversity.

Drainage, Animal health & welfare, Dairy cattle, Beef cattle & sheep, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Regulations, standards & policy, Markets & food systems, People & skills, Biodiversity
Family farming, compost tea, agroforestry & community-owned farms...

resource Farmerama Family farm conflicts, benefits of compost teas, preventing disease in apple orchards, how community-owned farms can work - it's all here in this podcast from...

Agroforestry, Pests & diseases, Roots & horticulture, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Biodiversity
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
AGFORWARD best practice leaflets

resource AGFORWARD project consortium Invaluable guidance for farmers from the AGFORWARD team on how to plan, create and manage an agroforestry system.

Agroforestry, Natural resources & waste, People & skills
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
Livestock and the arable rotation

resource Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) This detailed AHDB publication looks at how an arable business can work with livestock businesses to optimise both enterprises.

Pigs, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses, Grasslands & forage crops, Crop nutrition & fertility building
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
Sustainable grazing strategies that meet ecological demands

resource Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust A Nuffield report exploring the role of grazing animals in maintaining and enhancing the ecosystem function and striking a health balance between economy and ecology.

Animal health & welfare, Grasslands & forage crops, People & skills
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
An Integrated Weed Management Framework

resource Wageningen University and Research & Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna di Pisa A framework consisting of 5 pillars for IWM to support farmers in defining IWM strategies; each containing a list of tactics able to affect one...

Weeds
Guide to Farmers’ Crop Trials

resource This useful guide, published by ADAS, describes the processes leading to successful on-farm trialling while avoiding the possible pitfalls.

Business management, Buildings & machinery, People & skills
Creeping Thistle Technical Guide

resource Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) & Organic Research Centre (ORC) An essential guide for organic farmers outlining ways to prevent creeping thistle from taking hold and the most effective control measures.

Weeds, Cereals, oil seeds & pulses
Invertebrate conservation

resource Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) - University of Oxford Research highlights and useful information on encouraging invertebrates on farmland.

Pests & diseases, Pollinators & ecological services, Biodiversity, People & skills
Agricology Defra Consultation Response

resource Agricology's response to the Defra consulation paper 'Health and Harmony: The Future of Food and Farming in a Green Brexit'

Regulations, standards & policy, Business management, People & skills
Trees for shade, shelter, survival and body maintenance

resource AFINET project Trees and hedgerows can improve livestock welfare by providing shelter and scratching posts.

Agroforestry, Animal health & welfare, Natural resources & waste, Biodiversity
Browse, preserved tree fodder and nutrition

resource AFINET project Trees and hedgerows are good sources of protein, vitamins and minerals for livestock.

Agroforestry, Animal health & welfare, Crop nutrition & fertility building, Pollinators & ecological services, Biodiversity
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
Managing for mammals

resource Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) - University of Oxford From harvest mice to hares, practical conservation advice for some of farmland’s best known mammals.

Pollinators & ecological services, Biodiversity, Natural resources & waste, People & skills
Managing the tree understorey

resource AFINET project The area under the tree canopy in agroforestry systems should be seen as an opportunity for crop diversification / additional income rather than being dismissed...

Integrated farming, Agroforestry, Markets & food systems, Biodiversity
Increasing wild pollinators on your farm: a low cost approach

resource Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership Wild pollinators need you! This new resource looks at low budget ways you can provide more food, nesting and overwintering sites on your farm without...

Pollinators & ecological services, Biodiversity
Policy, practice and organic matter

resource Farmerama Farmerama podcast that includes ADAS soil scientist Lizzie Sagoo talking about soil health and soil organic matter at the Agricology Field Day in January.

Biodynamic farming, Organic matter
Why are soil minerals so important and how can we use biofertilisers to remineralise our land?

resource Organic Growers Alliance Insights into biofertiliser production emerging as an important tool in the remineralisation of soils.

Organic matter, Soil biology, 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
Mixing it up: ORFC 2018 insights

resource Farmerama Farmerama podcast presenting some interesting reflections from ORFC 2018; including the benefits of making sainfoin an essential part of your ley farming system.

Grasslands & forage crops, Markets & food systems, Natural resources & waste

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