Don’t cheat your fields
The balance of nutrition in an organic farming system is vital to make sure your crop is getting everything it needs - and there is no easy fix.
Good planning is often the key to growing a good quality forage and all the elements in the soil need to be balanced.
A lot can affect the balance, from the natural bedrock to adding muck and slurry which has not been tested leaving the elements unknown, or at best taken from the AHDB’s RB209 Nutrient Management Guide.
Our Head of Grassland and Soil Agronomy, Lisa Hambly said: “The muck from each farm differs depending on the diet of the livestock so when planning cropping for next year you first need to know what you have.
“Test the muck, test the soil and then work towards balancing the soil within the nutrient plan. If some fields are in excess of nutrition that can be as damaging to the balance of the soil as undersupply.”
Too much magnesium will make the soils tight preventing water from percolating through the soil, particularly following the last hot, dry summer.
Ms Hambly said: “If the soil has a deficit of moisture, it’s important to get the soil back into a balance with air and water in order for the soil microbes to do their job.
“When the soils are tight, roots are also restricted which means they can’t provide all the plant needs to grow at optimum levels. This results in bare patches where weeds can take hold, meaning replacing leys sooner than might have been necessary.”
Ms Hambly also warned surface compaction from grazing animals should be addressed to prevent restricted growth and soil damage.
She added: “A grassland sward slitter could be used and if you missed the opportunity in the autumn, it can be done in the spring, if conditions allow.
“Winter is the perfect time to plan for next year and walking the fields throughout the seasons allows time to correct any problems. Getting healthy soil to work in balance will ensure it provides great crops and will gain resilience to a changing climate.”
