A special relationship
Plants depend on microbes and microbes depend on plants. Direct Driller explores this special relationship and asks whether novel biological amendments can supplement natural processes.
Soil Health
The vital role of humus
After a wet winter, Steve Holloway, Soil Fertility Specialist with Soil Fertility Services, considers what can be done to breathe new life into sad soils. When soils sit wet over extended periods consequences can arise, including the development of anaerobic conditions in the soil. This is because water-logged soils lack sufficient oxygen supplies to allow …
The unknown offers a new approach
Feed the soil to nurture new thinking in farming, suggests Grant James, business development manager at Sea2Soil Agriculture has landed at a very interesting turning point. The last 50 years are marked by a heavy reliance on NPK fertilisers. Industry evolution has been steady, and change has been minimal. The times ahead for all of …
Co-creation Unearths the Course to Profitability
Transitioning clients towards more sustainable farming practices has become a passion for one Dorset contract farming business — with soil and plant health forming a key part of the resilience strategy. Long before regenerative farming became fashionable, the A&R Fraser family in Dorset realised adopting more sustainable farming practices was crucial for the long-term viability …
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Why a French farm has turned predominantly to livestock
On a recent BASE-UK trip to France, a visit to Christophe Piou’s farm showed how you don’t have to follow the herd to be successful By Mike Abram Surrounded by high value vegetable production and arable farms in the Loire Valley is what is now predominantly a livestock farm. It wasn’t always that way. When …
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Who owns regen?
It is clear that the term ‘Regen ag’ is now becoming as confused and meaningless as ‘min-till’. The question of ‘what is Regen’ now happens with regular occurrence. Worryingly there now seems to be, in the UK at least, organisations who are keen to control the narrative and take ownership of the term regen for …
Clemson/Michelin study impact of tyre pressure on soil compaction in South Carolina
Written by Denise Attaway from Clemson University, South Carolina Clemson and Michelin researchers are studying to determine if low-pressure tires can help increase yields in cotton and peanut rotations. “We know the researchers at Clemson University will make every effort to determine what data and information is going to best serve our regional farmers. Their …
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Farmer Focus – David Aglen
Dec 2023 So it’s back down to earth with a bump this year. We have had a run of favourable summers that have helped us succeed with our direct drilling and progress with cover cropping across the farm. Essentially the harvests have been earlier and drier, allowing timely straw baling and cover crop establishment. However, …
An award-winning advisor’s path to no-till agronomy
Todd Jex won Arable Advisor of the Year at the Farmers Weekly Awards by being at the forefront of the latest regenerative and no-till farming practices. The award is the culmination of a journey he began almost a decade ago when his eyes were opened to a different way of farming following a visit to …
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Farmer Focus – Phil Bradshaw
Dec 2023 We have had a very busy few months since my last article, with non-farming activities sometimes compromising the day job of farming. The beans and mustard planted in the spring established well, and we also planted some home-made wild bird seed mix on the old stewardship plots. With a reduction in farmed area …