Let’s be honest — there’s hardly a farmer in Britain today who doesn’t feel like they’re paddling upstream. Whether it’s arable, livestock, dairy, or horticulture, the pressures are coming thick and fast. Soaring input costs, labour shortages, unforeseen legislative changes, wild swings in the weather, and post-Brexit market uncertainty are combining into something many are […]
For a generation, farmers have taken for granted their most valuable resource, often considering it to be simply ‘dirt’. The focus has been on force-feeding the crop and beating the soil into submission, driven by an ethos of yield over profit, with little respect for the aftermath. Inputs for many have typically increased since the
For The Love of Soil… Read More »
Unmoved stubbles can often be the driest land on the farm after heavy rainfall. Yet we are told that cultivation helps to dry land out. What are the factors that allow stubbles to move water downwards faster than cultivated ground? It’s now apparent that many cultivated soils are not draining recent deluges fast enough. Crops
Three practical days featuring US soil biology researcher Dr Elaine Ingham about unlocking the power of soil were run by Soil Ecology Laboratory last November. Direct Driller visited the one held in Norfolk The promise of a day with Dr Elaine Ingham and her team is always likely to attract a crowd and that was
Unlocking the power of soils Read More »
Written by Nick Adams, Wildlife Consultant, Lower Pertwood Farm The winds of change are blowing strongly through the Agricultural sector. Leading the charge is the word “wilding” with all its different permutations and options. Lower Pertwood Farm has always had a strong commitment to its wildlife and is fortunate in that it has many acres
Balancing Wildlife and Farming at Lower Pertwood Farm Read More »
10 years ago now in the early days of TFF we ran a trial here on my farm for some of the direct drills that were available at that time. The thread that blogged that can be founds here ……….. the result was interesting ! Read the original thread here Since then the direct drill
TFF Direct Drill Demo day 2025 Read More »
Another year, another set of problems? I can only feel at the time of writing that we are getting kicked yet again with what I can only describe as the worst budget I have ever seen in my life! Aside from what they are doing to farming; what on earth are they doing to the
Farmer Focus – Tim Parton Read More »
Written by Tim Smales from Humi-Cert.com Humic substances play a vital role in a healthy soil. We’ll review what humic substances are, their benefits, the various amendments that are available and some examples of how they are used in agriculture. Having an understanding of these substances and their properties is of great use in understanding
Soil sampling is an essential tool in understanding the nutrient availability of soils, but unless the results are interpreted correctly it could be a wasted exercise.
That’s according to Simon Francis, Technical and Services Manager for ProCam, who explains that not only is soil sampling required for farm assurance compliance purposes and to meet the statutory requirements of an increasing number of SFI schemes, but it is also time well invested in ensuring crops can perform to their full potential.
Plan ahead to get the most from soil sampling Read More »
Following on from a farm trial undertaken by Andy Cato’s Wildfarmed farms, (as mentioned in our Farmer Profile issue Nov’ 24) we’re drilling down (pardon the pun) into the technology behind a new technique for measuring soil health – ecoacoustics. Ecoacoustics is an emerging science which investigates natural and anthropogenic sounds and their relationship with
Ecoacoustics – a new underground horizon for soil health Read More »
