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Every farm and field is different, with a wide interplay of different factors impacting on optimum soil management between them.

Summary

Every farm and field is different, with a wide interplay of different factors impacting on optimum soil management between them. But there are fundamental principles of good soil management which are broadly applicable in any situation. The challenge for individual farm businesses, now and in the coming years, is to harness available income streams to assess which land use and soil management techniques are best suited to their situations to safeguard the future of their most valuable asset.

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Biodiversity, Cover Crops, Soils, Farmer698.05 KB

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Soil

Soil is an essential natural resource for all farmers. Over recent years many initiatives have sought to provide information and advice on soils and Soil Health, notably AHDB Great Soils. 

Regenerative Agriculture

Regenerative farming looks to optimise the use of the ecological system and environment, in order to benefit from the natural ecosystem services that they provide.

Enhancing Soil

Tell us how you are improving your soils. Share useful resources, organisations and initiatives.

Soil Health

The intricate web of relationships between physical, chemical and biological soil components underpins crop and livestock health and productivity.

Agroecology

Agroecology is a holistic and integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable agriculture and food systems. Definition from FAO.

Cover Crops

Cover crops are grown primarily to ‘protect or improve’ soils between periods of regular crop production. They can be effective at improving soil functions by increasing soil nutrient and water retention, improving soil structure/quality, reducing the risk of soil erosion, surface run-off and diffuse pollution by providing soil cover and by managing weeds or soil-borne pests.  

Biodiversity

Biodiversity encompasses all the variety of life on Earth from genes to species, populations, communities and ecosystems. In ecological and environmental sectors, we mostly refer to the biodiversity of plant and animal communities within particular habitats.