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Considerations when incorporating environmental crops in a commercial rotation
This content was previously published in our AGRONOMY newsletter, you can read the full issue here.
As many of you have entered the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme for 2023 and others are now entering SFI 2024, I feel it's important to emphasise that you should consider the whole rotation when deciding on the actions you want to implement on farm.
There is no doubt that SFI actions can produce valuable benefits such as improved soil structure and biology, increased organic matter and nutrient capture and retention. They also have the ability to reduce soil pests and weeds, improve yields and offer a grazing opportunity while providing natural habitats to encourage wildlife and beneficials onto your farm.
However, you need to take care when introducing new seed and species mixtures onto your farm to ensure they don't pose a risk to cash crops.
Planning is key
There are many advantages to growing cover crops, but if not thoroughly planned, unfortunately there can be disadvantages too. It's important to use high standard and clean seed mixtures from a reliable supplier to avoid inadvertently bringing weeds or pests onto the farm.
We're seeing more SFI actions being used as part of the crop rotation, so we need to be aware of the wider impacts on agronomy. That means knowing the species that may be included in mixtures used as a break, cover or companion crop.
For instance, legumes like clover and vetch; and brassicas such as radish, mustard and kale, can act as hosts for pests and diseases such as foot rot in vining peas, or can increase clubroot or nematode risk with other species. As a result, end markets for some crops may impose restrictions on their use elsewhere in the rotation.
If you're growing beet, potatoes or carrots in your rotation, carefully consider the choice of radish. Choosing a multi-resistant variety can help reduce beet-cyst nematodes and free-living nematodes.
In addition, different varieties of radish flower at different times and an early flowering variety can set seed and become a weed issue, while later flowering types can still be leafy when you want to destroy them. It depends on drilling date of the variety so talk to your advisor before ordering your radish seed mixtures to ensure you have selected the correct mix for your individual scenario.
Companion crops
When it comes to companion crops, there is a lot of variability in crop species, establishment techniques and sowing depth. Although trials of pre-emergence herbicides continue, the use of any herbicides in companion cropping situations will be at the growers own risk.
If you're planning on using beans as a companion crop in wheat, the beans may need testing for stem nematode as drilling untested beans could potentially bring problems to your land. You may be testing your spring bean cash crop seed vigorously, but are you doing the same with your companion crop seed or just taking some off the heap? Something to bear in mind.
Destruction
Where you have above ground biomass to destroy, initially you may want to consider topping and look at higher rates of glyphosate. Remember to match the dose rate to the most challenging species. Avoid applications during the stem extension stage of growth as activity is likely to be compromised. Consider the weather at time of application too.
You might consider glyphosate + 2,4-D. If doing this, you'll need to ensure you adhere to the following crop planting intervals required after application. However, some actions such as multi-species spring and summer cover crops (SOH2 and SOH3) prevent you destroying them more than two weeks before drilling the following cash crop, so you need to involve your agronomist from the outset.
Think about management requirements
Timing is a key consideration in choosing the right action for other reasons too. For example, if action CAHL2 food mixes are not established before 30th June, they must be in place for two winters rather than one. You need to get the crop in the ground in a timely manner in order to achieve the action aims.
It's important to consider that herbicides used in the previous cash crop could influence establishment of environmental crops. Other treatments used on preceding crops can also limit your options. For example, sugar beet seed treated with neonicotinoids cannot legally grow flowering crops for 32 months.
As a result, we have made a specific mix which contains species that are permitted, but it limits options to mostly cereals and some brassicas.
If a pesticide input is necessary on an environmental crop, it's essential you ensure that the crop is listed on the label or has an EMAU (Extension of Authorisation for Minor Use). For EMAU's, crop safety should always be considered.
Winter cover crops can also act as a green bridge for pests. Aphid survival is strongly dependant on temperature and the increasingly warmer winters we've been experiencing mean more aphid survival. Cover crops can increase these numbers but certain species like brassicas, legumes are also very good hosts. However, crops like potatoes and lettuce are good hosts too, along with weeds like chickweed, poppy, groundsel, orache and pansy. Therefore, thorough destruction five-to-six weeks prior to spring drilling your cash crop is essential.
The species you choose will affect which plants are most attractive to pests such as peach-potato aphid or slugs. The ability to control grassweeds may also be a consideration if you have a high black-grass burden.
You can cut a legume fallow in the spring for black-grass control, whereas a pollen and nectar mix, which is similar, can be grazed or can be cut with more flexibility.
Summary
There is absolutely room for these SFI actions on farm, but you need to make sure you are not sacrificing yield in your main crops. You need to consider the implications of the actions. Think about what's best for your rotation and your farm; look beyond the payment. Getting the correct advice is critical.
For more information about the topics covered in this blog, please contact your local Frontier agronomist or Kings technical advisor. Alternatively, you can get in touch or attend a Frontier winter meeting to discuss grain markets, funding opportunities and trials insights. More information can be found at www.frontierag.co.uk/events
Anna Ramsay
Kings Midlands Technical Advisor
Hannah Clarke
Kings Central Technical Advisor & SFI Delivery Lead
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