Regenerative Principle Four
Grow a Diverse Range of Crops
Rotational cropping is nothing new and something that arable farmers have been doing for centuries. It can keep pests and disease at bay and ensures that the soil isn’t stripped of nutrients. This also includes evolving the varieties of barley used, with increased disease resistance too. For example, over the past few years we have first trialled winter barley variety (approved for malting), and now use it as part of our rotation, alongside a spring barley variety.
By using cover crops, we’re taking it further though. Previously, post-harvest, a field might have lain fallow until spring planting and the rotation would have been annually (e.g. year 1 wheat, year 2 barley, year 3 Oil Seed Rape, year 4 peas, etc…)
Now, by using cover crops, we’re ensuring that the soil is being used by plants in a good way for 12 months of the year, rather than 16 weeks. This has an impact on what inputs then need to on to the soil and it also introduces nutrients back into the ground.
Currently on the farm (August) we have fields of Winter Wheat, Winter Barley, Cover Crops and a 2 year ‘Legume Ley*.’ No field was ‘brown’ over winter.
Anecdotally, we’ve seen an increase in wildlife on the farm since using cover crops (particularly deer and raptors), though have no official data to back this up!
*This is part of a Countryside Stewardship scheme.
