Know How / Regenerative agriculture

Regenerative farming, or conservation farming, was once considered a system for mavericks, but is becoming more mainstream now that farm payments will focus on environmental practices. At its heart, regen farming is all about soil health, encompassing practices such as no-till, cover cropping, mob grazing and livestock in the arable rotation. There is no one system-fits-all, rather a vision to rebuild degraded soil biodiversity to lock in carbon, improve the water cycle and encourage biodiversity.

Practical advice

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GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Managing soils to withstand wet winters and dry summers

Farmers could bolster production and farm resilience by focusing on soil health, rather than blaming the weather, soil type and location for waterlogging and drought. So says independent farm adviser…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How to companion crop successfully in winter wheat

Companion cropping is an emerging practice that is recognised in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) with an action that attracts a payment of £55/ha. In its most common form, it…

PLOUGHING AND CULTIVATION

How to introduce the SFI no-till action into cropping

The expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer for 2024 includes a no-till action which pays £73/ha for each of the three years of an agreement. Known as SOH1, the static…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

How to minimise soil compaction without steel and diesel

Increased occurrence of extreme rainfall events should prompt farmers to remind themselves of the dangers of compacted soils. However, plenty can be done to reduce the risk of declining productivity…

OTHER CROPS

How to maximise SFI herbal leys in arable rotations

About 175,000ha of SAM3 herbal leys are due to be grown in Sustainable Farming Incentive 2023 (SFI23) schemes, according to the figures released by Defra for agreements reached by the…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

How partial budgeting can help bale-grazing decisions

Livestock farmers considering a switch from winter housing to outwintering and bale grazing should ensure they factor in the costs of changing system when making their decision. This is the…

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Managing regen farming: Options for support and advice

Regenerative farming offers opportunities but requires a higher level of management and must be tailored to the land and farm in question, not followed dogmatically. However, there may be more…

PEST MANAGEMENT

How to introduce SFI 2023's no insecticide option

After another delay, applications for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) 2023 are due to finally open in mid-September, with the new no use of insecticide action being one of the…

Insights

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Regen farming videos

Groundswell 2022

See all our coverage from Groundswell 2022, the UK event for farmers interested in regenerative and conservation agriculture.
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Case studies

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PULSES

Why Scottish regen farming business added beans to rotation

A contract farming business bringing regenerative agriculture techniques to farms in Scotland has introduced beans into its rotations to improve soil health. Chris Leslie and his business partner James Hopkinson founded…

WHEAT

How to improve arable performance in challenging times

Reducing costs and emissions while maintaining food production was the focus of the recent Farm Carbon Toolkit's field day in Herefordshire. Having control over the use of fossil fuel-based inputs…

DAIRY

Ways to build resilience into high-yielding dairy herds

Sustainable dairy farming is not just about reducing emissions – it is about creating a balanced, resilient system that supports the farm, the animals and the environment for future generations.…

ARABLE

No-till provides zero cost way into support scheme

Kent grower Richard Day is set to use his adoption of direct drilling and precision fertiliser techniques under new environment schemes to gain more than 40% of his old direct…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How farmer uses biodynamic approach to establish crops

For the past two decades, Wiltshire mixed farmer Richard Gantlett has been using the power of biodynamic farming to grow crops completely free of chemicals and without the plough. With…

LIVESTOCK

How a 2,600-cow housed herd drove down carbon emissions

Integration of dairy and arable enterprises, targeted use of nutrients and a focus on feed sourcing have been the driving forces behind a 40% drop in emissions at Grosvenor Farms,…

BEEF

Why winter bird food option stacks up for cattle grazing

Exmoor beef farmer Tom Armitage is making the most of payments for providing winter bird food under the Sustainable Farming Incentive. By adding species to an off-the-shelf bird seed mix…

COVER CROPS

Cover crop trial reveals impact of grazing on nitrates

Since winning the title of Farmers Weekly Environmental Farmers of the Year, Emma and James Loder-Symonds have been busy trialling the impact of grazing cover crops. The cover crop trial…