Wainfleet Monitor Farm meeting: Managing soils for better productivity

Managing soils for better productivity 

In this meeting we will look at what soil health means, why it is important, and what you can do to improve it. We will start at the farm with a demonstration of how to assess your soils using the newly developed soil health scorecard. We will then move to the village hall to consider the findings of the soil health review already completed at the monitor farm. In particular we will discuss how to use the results and what changes in soil management might be needed. 

Speaker: Anne Bhogal, Soil Scientist, ADAS 

To include: 

• Defining soil health 
• Good soil structure 
• Role and benefits of soil organic matter 
• Assessing and benchmarking soils 
• The soil health scorecard 
• Procedure for using the scorecard in the field 
• Interpretation of results based on Wainfleet Monitor Farm soil health review 
• How to improve soil health

Strategies for improving soil organic matter: 

• Rotations – grass leys 
• Organic materials 
• Cover crops 
• Tillage 
• Livestock 

Discussions also to consider: 

• Manure management, timing and legislation 
• How to reducing fertilizer costs