To complement the cover crop work at the grass-weed trial sites, soil restructuring and soil health improvementis the key focus on Agrovista's Northern cover crop trial sites at Blagdon in Northumberland and Southesk in Angus. There is a bewildering array of cover crops being marketed to cure a range of ills, including poor soil structure, resistant weeds, nutrient leaching and soil pests. To add to the confusion, these are often backed by impressive claims that are lacking in hard facts. Whilst it is widely accepted that growing cover crops can improve both soil structure and health, there is very little quantified data to back this up, and Agrovista are looking to address this ensuring Agrovista's cover crop recommendations are based on sound science. Across these sites Agrovista are exploring how they can use 'sun powered' roots rather than iron to bring soils back to life again. A range of cover crops chosen for their different but complementary rooting systems are being monitored to see what impact they can have on soil structure and soil health.
The whole field has been sampled for its overall organic matter content prior to the cover crops being established using the companies VERIS machine which is also able to create soil organic matter, soil conductivity, pH and leaching risk maps. The field will then be re-sampled throughout the project to assess any improvements on overall organic matter. Furthermore soil health checks will be carried out across the field to look at the effect of different cover crops on soil health. This will include soil bulk density measurements at different depths, earthworm counts and also comparisons of soil life looking at soil fungi: bacteria ratios and protozoa types. In addition to this, when the next commercial crop is sown across the various cover crops, tractor output will be measured to determine differences in power requirement and fuel consumption required to cultivate across the different cover crops against a fallow standard.
Can companion plants replace steel?
Over a number of years we have demonstrated the considerable benefits in crop establishment and yield from growing oilseed rape with companion plants - but can companion plants replace steel and further drive down the costs of establishment? At our Stoughton site (a heavy soil) near Leicester as part of the extensive companion plant development work, the crop was either direct drilled or drilled behind the leg of the Great Plains 00 planter on 27th August.