Seminar hears of cover crop benefits
A background of increasing fertiliser prices and tightened regulations could push the positive agronomic benefits of cover crop systems into the limelight, a seminar organised by The Arable Group (TAG) has heard.
Held in conjunction with the HGCA, experts at the seminar debated the widely-accepted benefits that cover crops can deliver, such as improved fertility, better moisture retention and higher soil organic matter levels. These were likely to become increasingly important as fertiliser prices rose, and regulatory authorities sought to reduce surface run-off. But these key messages were also debated against the background of the potential agronomic implications of cover crop introduction and the impact of the European-wide push to include cover crop systems within NVZ regulations.
"There has been great deal of detailed European research on cover crops and it is very useful to be able to compare this with our own work," explains Ron Stobart, TAG Research Projects Manager. "We need to improve our understanding and make sure our growers get both the environmental and the agronomic benefits if this push toward cover crops continues."
The seminar, held at TAG Morley, brought experts from Arvalis in France, University of Aarhus in Denmark and the Danish Agricultural Advisory Service together with representatives from Rothamsted Research, Elm Farm and The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust.
Cover crops could be considered the backbone of any arable system which seeks to be sustainable by potentially contributing to available soil nitrogen, increased organic matter, soil humus and soil microbial activity. Used correctly, they play a vital role in crop rotations and can make a passive contribution towards pest management.
While acknowledging the extensive body of research being conducted into cover crops, the seminar expressed concern over a European-wide lack of understanding on how to maximise consistently the value of cover crops to both the grower and the environment. "The current reliance on mustard and radish species as cover crops is a key issue for consideration," says Mr Stobart. "Conceivably this could result in problems in other related species such as oilseed rape which play an important part in the arable rotation."
"TAG's New Farming Systems (NFS) project, which continues to look at ways of reducing energy inputs in farming systems, has been exploring the use of cover crops in some detail," he says. "But, as an ongoing project, we are always looking for new approaches. The seminar offered a great opportunity to compare the work that's been conducted in the UK with the European research on cover crops, and share our knowledge base."
