Soil Management 9- Crop Specific Guidelines: Soil Management 9 - Crop Specific Guidelines practical advice for land managers Supported by NFU, LEAF and CLA Environment Sensitive Farming


Slide2: Sustainable Soil Management - crop specific guidelines Environment Sensitive Farming practical advice for land managers


Slide3: Managing soils when growing cereals and other combinable crops Cereals can benefit soil structure: organic matter inputs (roots, stubble, straw) deep rooted and dry soil out normally harvested in dry conditions Good soil husbandry practices: Cultivate and travel on soils when ‘dry’ Remove compaction - loosening topsoil or subsoiling where necessary (dig a hole!) Drill early - good crop cover (slumping and capping) Tramlines - set up after crop emerged and if possible don’t use until spring (where safe establish across slope) Medium/heavy soils - maintain an effective drainage system Where organic matter is low, apply organic manures or introduce grass leys/green manure crops Environment Sensitive Farming practical advice for land managers


Slide4: Managing soils when growing potatoes, vegetables and salad crops Select naturally free draining soils or fields with effective drainage systems. Avoid planting on slopes in a way that channels runoff (erosion) or divide long slopes into smaller units by planting across slope - where safe and practical. Most soil damage occurs at harvest - cultivate as soon as possible after harvest to break-up compaction and ‘open-up’ the soil surface (particularly gateways and headlands) Where possible, use tied ridges and dykes in furrow bottoms to reduce runoff. Where organic matter is low, apply organic manures or introduce grass leys/green manure crops. Good soil husbandry practices: Environment Sensitive Farming practical advice for land managers


Slide5: Managing soils when growing sugar beet Sugar beet can benefit soil structure : deep rooting and dries the soil out, but damage can occur during harvesting (late) Good soil husbandry practices: Select naturally free draining soils or fields with effective drainage systems On light soils, leave the seedbed as coarse as possible (water and wind erosion) On peaty and light soils - use nurse crops to prevent wind erosion Plant across the slope - where safe and practical Manage irrigation water to prevent runoff and soil erosion Cultivate as soon as possible after harvest to break-up compaction and ‘open-up’ the soil surface (particularly gateways and headlands) Where organic matter is low, apply organic manures or introduce grass leys/green manure crops Environment Sensitive Farming practical advice for land managers


Slide6: Managing soils when growing maize and other forage crops Avoid growing maize and other forage crops on land where the chances of runoff and erosion are high (ELS options) On fields vulnerable to compaction and runoff (erosion), choose early maturing maize varieties Cultivate as soon as possible after harvest or grazing to remove compaction and ‘open-up’ the soil surface Manage grazing of forage crops and crop residues to minimising poaching and runoff: avoid slopes vulnerable to runoff and erosion limit periods of access start at the bottom of sloping fields and back fence cultivate strips across the slope to reduce runoff (if practical) Good soil husbandry practices: Environment Sensitive Farming practical advice for land managers


Slide7: Managing soils when growing fruit crops Select naturally free draining soils or fields with effective drainage systems Avoid planting and harvesting etc. in wet conditions Plant across the slope (where safe and practical) Use a straw much, established grass or allow natural regeneration of vegetation between rows - to protect the soil and prevent runoff (erosion) Manage irrigation water to prevent runoff and erosion Cultivate headlands and gateways to remove compaction Environment Sensitive Farming practical advice for land managers


Slide8: Managing soils when growing bulbs Select naturally free draining soils or fields with effective drainage systems Avoid sloping fields where runoff and soil wash (erosion) are likely Ridges should be planted across the slope (where safe and practical) Cultivate headlands to remove compaction following planting After harvest, cultivate as soon as possible to remove compaction and ‘open-up’ the soil surface Environment Sensitive Farming practical advice for land managers


Slide9: Managing soils during outdoor pig farming Avoid keeping pigs on slopes where runoff and soil wash (erosion) are likely to occur Plan and manage paddocks and tracks to avoid the channelling of water Develop a management system so that pigs can be moved onto grass and the sward maintained Established grass buffers to intercept runoff (in addition to above actions) When pigs have been moved to another paddock, loosen the compacted soil as soon as possible to ‘open-up’ the soil surface Environment Sensitive Farming practical advice for land managers


Slide10: Managing soils during energy cropping - short rotation coppice and miscanthus Energy crops can benefit soil structure: add organic matter provide good soil cover and bind the soil together Good soil husbandry practices: Select naturally free draining soils or fields with effective drainage systems Avoid sloping fields where runoff and soil wash (erosion) are likely Harvest under dry soil conditions to avoid soil compaction take care not to disturb nesting birds Miscanthus cane - can be a useful mulch in gateways during harvest Following harvest, cultivate the soil to remove compaction (tracks, headlands and gateways) Environment Sensitive Farming practical advice for land managers


Slide11: Managing soils under grass - improved grassland Grass can benefit soil structure: high organic matter input dense and deep rooting However, problems can occur through machinery damage and grazing activities: Avoid spreading manures under wet conditions Livestock poaching damage can occur when soil are wet through: grazing, overwintering, around supplementary feeders (move feeders) Maintain effective field drainage systems Use well drained tracks for vehicles and livestock Environment Sensitive Farming practical advice for land managers


Slide12: Managing soils under grass - natural and semi-natural grazings Adjust stocking rates to ensure that overgrazing does not result in loss of vegetation cover Shepherd the stock to prevent overgrazing in localised areas Manage supplementary feeding away from sensitive vegetation and move to avoid breaking the soil cover - keep away from watercourses Use low ground pressure machinery and keep to establish tracks and paths Where possible, install and maintain tracks so as to minimise runoff Avoid burning on blanket and deep peat, where subsequent erosion can be rapid and serious (GAEC 6 and 10 requirements), or base ground during bracken management Block existing grips and surface drains where erosion is occurring and do not dig new ones Environment Sensitive Farming practical advice for land managers