UK Soil Health Initiative

This information is from The Soil Health Initiative. The Soil Health Initiative aims to bring together the wealth of understanding of soil health and management to help farmers improve their soil health and thus productive farming alongside environmental benefit.

All six soil health guides, covering most of the UK agricultural sector, can be found at:
cfeonline.org.uk

FIRST STEPS FOR IMPROVING SOIL HEALTH

Well managed and functioning soils are the foundation for all production systems. Soils with good structure that contain diverse and abundant flora and fauna, which can provide the nutrients plants need to grow, form essential building blocks for productive farms.

There is no one-size-fits-all blueprint to improve soil health. Effective soil management must build on existing practice, your farming system, soil type, climate, cropping etc.

Although managing soils well can be confusing and complex, this guide brings together some initial steps that can be implemented across lowland livestock systems and will help you understand your soils and plan your first steps to improving soil health.

3 THINGS TO CONSIDER

1

CONVERT HIGH RISK FIELDS TO PERMANENT PASTURE

2

MEASURE GRASS DRY MATTER YIELDS (PLATE METERING) TO QUANTIFY FIELD PERFORMANCE

3

INCREASE SWARD DIVERSITY

e.g. a variety of grass species, herbs and deep rooting species

3 THINGS TO AVOID

1

TRAVELLING ON GROUND WETTER THAN ITS PLASTIC LIMIT ANYWHERE IN THE TOP 40CM

2

OVER-GRAZING, AND STOCK GROUND WETTER THAN ITS PLASTIC LIMIT ANYWHERE IN THE TOP 15 CM

3

THINKING THAT PH 6 IS A GOOD ENOUGH TARGET FOR GRASS

WHERE YOU WANT TO IMPROVE SOIL HEALTH

EVERYONE SHOULD:

GOING BEYOND THE NORM MIGHT MEAN:

🗺️

KNOW YOUR SITE AND SOILS

Understanding the soils you have across your land, and how factors such as slope and proximity to watercourses can influence risks to soil.

Know the land use constraints of the farm, and consider the impact of variability – hydrology, slope, erosion risk etc

Know your soil texture (including subsoil)

Understand the catchment scale context – NVZ, diffuse P risks

Record your soil observations and data so you can refer back to them easily

Make sure everyone on the farm understands the importance of soils

Develop on-farm skills that promote effective management of your soils

Spend time in peer-to-peer learning and engage in research

Monitor the system as a whole e.g. grass production, livestock and crop quality, water quality etc

🌿

CROP MANAGEMENT

Having more diverse grasslands (and crop rotations) can support soil health improvement. Crops that support/replenish soil structure, organic matter and nutrient balance will help improve your soil.

Consider re-seeding regularly to maintain effective rooting and productivity

Appropriate varietal choice, particularly early maturing maize varieties

Reduce or exclude grazing pressure in vulnerable areas, allowing targeted natural regeneration of scrub and trees to protect soils

Targeted fungicide, herbicide and fertiliser applications – use precision approaches

Measure grass dry matter yields (plate metering) to quantify field performance

Convert high risk fields to permanent pasture

Increase sward biodiversity – e.g. variety of grass species, herbs, deep rooting species

Adapt grazing and forage system management to support pollinators and ground-nesting birds

Introduce trees as shelter belts, hedges and in wood pasture

⚗️

OPTIMISE NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT

Understanding your existing soil nutrient levels will help to apply the right nutrients in the right quantities, saving time and money while controlling pollution.

Use soil testing regularly to optimise fertiliser and lime use (pH, P, K, Mg)

Maintain pH (liming / gypsum as needed)

Use robust information to aid nutrient planning e.g. RB209

Match fertiliser type to soil type to increase N use efficiency and minimise NH3 emissions

Take care with the timing of slurry application – promote infiltration and plant uptake

Take care with the location of slurry applications; be aware of watercourses and how slope and soil type may affect run-off

Implement enhanced monitoring of soils – not just pH, P, K – and use the information

Take a wider approach to crop nutrition than just NPK

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IMPROVE SOIL PHYSICAL CONDITION

Well structured soils will usually be free draining and support good plant growth. Soils free from compaction help minimise the impacts of flooding and drought.

Ensure drains are present and maintained where needed

Assess soil structure regularly using visual inspection methodologies such as VESS

If you cause damage, put a remediation plan in place

Only outwinter on grassland where damage risk is low

Consider where livestock are fed overwinter to avoid poaching or compaction

Aerate pasture – if there is evidence of surface compaction – but choose the right machine

Use lightweight vehicles wherever possible

Minimise compaction – use appropriate tyres and tyre pressures

Minimise compaction – trafficking only when no risk (be very careful with the first silage cut and slurry application)

Minimise compaction – consider where troughs, feeders and gates are located

Minimise compaction by careful management of stocking rate

When cultivating, assess soil conditions regularly and stay within the workability window

Minimise / optimise cultivation intensity – you will need flexibility season by season

Use fencing to protect high risk areas (e.g. wet areas, watercourses and areas prone to erosion)

Consider using native breeds to utilise grass more effectively

Select appropriate grazing approach (pod grazing, mob grazing, tall grass grazing)

Install hard track systems for stock movement

Consider controlled traffic approaches

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MANAGE RUN-OFF IN THE FIELD

Water flowing across your fields is the primary way that soil erosion will occur, also transporting nutrients and pesticides away from where they are most valuable.

Incorporate designed buffer strips alongside watercourses, ditches and hedges

Minimise run-off / erosion risk through consideration of the direction of cultivation

Capture runoff and sediment in field

For maize, oversow with grass to provide soil cover at / after harvest

Consider the links to streams, ditches and other waterways and break the pollution pathways where possible

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MAINTAIN SOIL ORGANIC MATTER AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY

Soil organic matter and biology are crucial to many aspects of soil health, making soils more resilient to waterlogging and compaction.

Keep soil covered during the winter period, wherever possible – no bare ground

Make OM measurements – understand results and respond through action

Track your own biology – count earthworms

WWF

WWF is one of the world’s largest independent conservation organisations, active in nearly 100 countries. WWF-UK and Tesco have come together with a shared ambition to halve the environmental impact of the average UK shopping basket.

wwf.org.uk/basket-metric

WWF

TESCO

CFE

UK SOIL HEALTH INITIATIVE

The Soil Health Initiative aims to bring together the wealth of understanding of soil health and management to help farmers improve their soil health and thus productive farming alongside environmental benefit.

cfeonline.org.uk

The information in this leaflet is generated from a workshop which involved: ADAS, Agrovista, AHDB, AIC, Agrii, Anglian Water, British Grassland Society, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, CF Fertilisers, CLA, Cranfield University, East of England Agricultural Society, Environment Agency – soils, Gs Growers, Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, Hillcourt, Hutchinsons, Innovation for Agriculture, James Hutton Institute, Lancrop/Yara, NIAB, NFU, National Trust, Natural England – Catchment Sensitive Farming, Organic Farmers and Growers, Royal Agricultural University, SRUC, SectorMentor, Sustainable Soils Alliance, and the Universities of Lincoln and Sheffield. The workshop was made possible thanks to generous funding from Anglian Water.