This guide intends to highlight to farmers and crofters who are considering sowing a grassland herbal lay what species to consider.
What is chosen will depend on individual circumstances and soil types.
Herbal leys provide a diverse range of grasses and species with benefits to soil structure, soil health and drainage.
Increasing the diversity between four functional groups (e.g. grasses, legumes, tall herbs and short herbs) has also been seen to increase biomass production.
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Field drainage is installed to rapidly remove excess soil water to reduce or eliminate waterlogging and return soils to their natural field capacity. Drains can be used to control a water table or to facilitate the removal of excess water held in the upper horizons of the soil.
The intricate web of relationships between physical, chemical and biological soil components underpins crop and livestock health and productivity.
Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) was established in 2012 through the merger of the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) with Barony, Elmwood and Oatridge Colleges. Through these institutions, we can trace our lineage back over 100 years.
Grass in farming is interconnected with livestock systems for their feed, in the form of grazing, haylage and silage, and is also used as 'leys' (short-term grasslands) to regenerate soil structure and quality.
Good soil structure is vital for optimising water and nutrient use efficiency; and for sustaining profitable cropping systems. Poor soil structure and compaction can reduce yields, restrict access for field operations, increase fuel use and, for high value root and vegetable crops, increase reliance on irrigation. Where there are clear signs of soil compaction, cultivations to remove the compaction may result in a yield benefit. Visual soil assessment is important to assess the extent and depth of compaction and to inform decisions on the most appropriate course of action.
