Reducing soil acidity by increasing its pH before drilling winter crops will improve nutrient availability – and boost yields. More than half of all arable fields are below the target pH 6.7 recommended in AHDB’s Nutrient Management Guide (RB209), suggest results from NRM laboratories which analysed more than 50,000... Read more

EXPERT VIEW Soil testing will mean a more informed choice when ordering new supplies, says Natalie Wood We’re well into harvest and it’s also the time of year when growers are planning and ordering supplies for the new season. When crop nutrition companies release new season prices, it can... Read more

Growers are advised to test soils soon after harvest and start putting right damage caused by months of wet weather. Record-breaking rainfall has washed away nitrogen, phosphorus and other essential nutrients, leaving soil health in tatters. Some soils are also likely to contain worrying levels of contaminants like aluminium... Read more

Almost one in five farmers now test their soil for organic matter content – with more growers recognising the importance of carbon sequestration. Nearly 90% of farmers undertake some form of soil assessment, with 78% of those using three or more methods and 6% using six or more methods,... Read more

Measuring soil carbon content is providing growers with valuable insights for farm management – while helping to generate income from the government’s Sustainable Farming Incentive. “There’s so much evidence of a direct and linear relationship between soil organic matter and soil function that carbon content is rapidly becoming one... Read more

Growers are advised to assess soil conditions before deciding whether waterlogged crops are still viable – or fields should be left to recover for next season. Tough questions may need to be asked when it comes to choosing between managing struggling crops already in the ground, redrilling fields altogether... Read more

Soil with minimal cultivation holds more nutrients and water than fields which have been ploughed – benefiting crops and ultimately farm profitabilty, suggests a study. The study conducted by researchers at University of Leeds Farm compares soil health, crop production, greenhouse gas emissions, and profit of different farming systems... Read more

Growers looking to get more out of their soils and improve productivity should start with a field-by-field nutrient analysis, say experts

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Better for light and heavy soils

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