Soil health incentive ‘not to be missed’

• Payments for organic matter test

• Increase in nutrient management

• More profitable farming practices

More farmers are taking advantage of Defra’s Sustainable Farming Incentive to better understand soil health.

Defra’s soil testing incentive CSAM1 is part of the wider SFI scheme and offers £6 per hectare and £97 per SFI agreement to farms willing to test the organic matter of soil on an annual basis.

Soil scientists say the incentive has spurred a sharp rise in laboratory tests – and led to more farms applying for the CNUM1 £652 payment to request nutrient management plans from FACTS certified advisors.

“Our labs in England and Scotland have been very busy,” says Eurofins Agro’s Shane Brewer. Many farmers are seeking to go a level deeper by learning more about the characteristics of soil, he adds.

Soil structure

The Eurofins fertilisation manager test measures the chemical values of macro and micronutrients, soil acidity and soil overall structure – alongside biological components such as fungi and bacteria.

Mr Brewer says: “We have seen growing interest in the Soil Life Monitor test which determines the total microbial biomass, fungi, bacteria and protozoa. It also identifies some physical characteristics such as pH and the quality of organic matter.”

A better understanding of soil structure makes it easier to judge which crops are better suited to both the soil and growing conditions. It also acts as an indicator for how well soil can retain water, explains Mr Brewer.

“Weather extremes can damage soil nutrient levels through leaching and leave soil less able to deal with rainfall. Testing soil each year helps to build a picture of how the soil is reacting to weather, crop choice and fertilisation decisions.”

Management plan

Mandy McAulay, head of product sustainability at Origin Soil Nutrition, says more farmers are asking FACTS certified advisors to create nutrient management plans under the CNUM1 option.

“Having soil samples that are no more than four years old is key to managing your nutrient usage more efficiently and effectively, says Ms McAulay – especially amid increasingly variable weather from season to season.

“Knowing the expected yield and crop offtake, and calculating the nutrients required after optimising organic sources, will produce a nutrient management plan that maximises nutrients and minimises waste.”

Growers and agronomists keen to optimise margins are using the combination of more regular soil testing and detailed nutrient management planning to improve soil health whilst reducing input costs.

Reminder to stay compliant with SFI rules

Farmers are being reminded to comply with Sustainable Farming Incentive rules – and make sure they can show there are meeting their obligations.

Growers and livestock producers who sign up to the SFI could face a hefty penalty if they are  later unable to show the Rural Payments Agency they are meeting its full requirements, say farm business consultants Strutt & Parker.

Soil plans

One of the simplest SFI actions is to assess soil, produce a soil management plan and test soil organic matter (CSAM1). The assessment must be carried out and a written soil management plan produced within 12 months of an agreement start date. Schedule in your soil tests over the course of your agreement, so you meet the requirement that within the last five years all land parcels have had their soil organic matter measured.

Without a reminder in the diary, it can be easy to forget which land parcels need soil tests in years two and three of the agreement. Growers should also  check that any old soil test results you may be relying on actually include soil organic matter – not all do. The soil management plan should be reviewed each year.

Requirements are similar for nutrient management plans (CNUM1). As with the soil management plan, the nutrient management plan needs to be completed within the first 12 months and then reviewed each year.

The nutrient management plan must, however, be completed by a FACTS-qualified adviser. This means that an existing management plan for the Red Tractor scheme may not be adequate.