Cocksfoot has on multiple occasions been highlighted as valuable from both a productivity and environmental perspective, yet its use in herbal leys is very limited – perhaps because it does not typically require reseeding and is therefore of limited commercial interest to seed companies. In an effort to understand the value of cocksfoot within the ‘ideal ley’ and challenge the normal approach to re-seeding with fertiliser hungry leys, ten farmers in the Rye catchment will look at how to practically fit cocksfoot leys into the cutting/grazing platform, their tolerance to drought or boggy conditions and different approaches for establishment. They will be supported by independent grassland consultants, advisors and the University of Leeds to analyse yield, forage quality, rooting depth and percentage coverage whilst keeping records on stocking rates, grazing and soil health.
Ten farmers in the North Yorkshire Moors are working with independent grassland experts and researchers from the University of Leeds to better understand the value of an under-utilised option for leys - cocksfoot.
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Innovative Farmers was established in 2012 by the Soil Association with the aim of bringing scientific rigour to on-farm trials co-designed by farmers and researchers. With a focus on sustainability and resilience, groups come together on discrete topics and on-farm trials addressing the topics that matter to them.
The Farming and Land Use Team at the Soil Association have a specialist knowledge of all UK agricultural sectors as well as in depth understanding of organic and agroecological food production systems. Our goal is to support organic and non-organic farmers alike to transition towards more sustainable practices.
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.
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