What?
According to AHDB*, 'a cover crop is a non-cash crop grown primarily for the purpose of ‘protecting or improving’ between periods of regular crop production.' Put simply, cover cropping is using a crop to cover land that would otherwise be left empty, and this can have its own benefits.
Land might be left empty or 'fallow' between other main rotational crops, for example our rotation is Barley, Oats, Beans and Wheat. What many farmers are doing now, is filling the gaps between these conventional rotations with unconventional 'cover crops' such as mustard or clover.
Why?
But why would farmers choose to grow a not-for-profit crop when they are already being squeezed for every penny? The answer is simple. The healthier the soil, the happier the land. The happier the land, the higher the yields (amount of crops produced), ad ultimately the happier the environment which in turn helps farmers (and the world!).
Cover cropping is a key element in the push for Net Zero within British Agriculture by 2040. Here is how cover cropping can help:
keeps the soil ‘covered’: [ploughed] fallow land (land which is ’empty’ or has nothing planted in it) can lead to more gases from the soil transferring into the atmosphere. A cover crop traps these elements in the soil while also allowing nutrients to re-enter the soil through their roots. Without a cover crop, nutrients and water are less easily absorbed so the soil quality can become poorer.
nourishes the soil: by planting an alternative crop between seasons, the land is given a rejuvenating break. A field which has been on a rotation of wheat and beans, for example, might be planted with an alternative crop such as mustard to break down the soil and create new tunnels unto the earth for nutrients and water. These tunnels are created by the cover crop roots, which are in some cases deeper than the usual wheat, beans or other conventional crop. When the standard crops are reintroduced the following year, the soil is richer, rejuvenated and broken down. Cover crops are like spa treatments: there are many different ones which serve different purposes for that particular soil and what a farmer wants to achieve with it- they can be powerful tools!
Cover crop roots also help break down the soil without the extensive use of machinery which has its own environmental benefits such as encouraging worm populations who in turn help to break down soil.
Finally, cover crops can be grazed by livestock such as sheep. This not only gives the farmer a source of income, but also natural fertiliser left behind by our wooly friends!
The future of cover cropping
Although not everyone will agree with me, there are still adaptations to be made to cover cropping, and one size does not fit all. Some farmers find that the amount of spray they have to use to kill off the cover crop and keep weeds down, outweighs the benefits of having the cover crop, particularly environmentally and financially speaking.
However, it is techniques such as this which are forging the way towards a new agricultural future in the UK, and with time our understanding of how to use these methods will only grow.
Farmers have always cared for the environment; we rely on working alongside it every day. An increased focus on soil health and using natural methods of rejuvenating our land, is just one of the many ways that we continue to evolve, protect and improve our landscapes in a sustainable way, which we hope will bring us closer to our Net Zero ambition in 2040.
Further reading:
*Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) on Cover Cropping https://ahdb.org.uk/cover-crops
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs on Cover Cropping https://www.gov.uk/guidance/use-cover-crops-or-green-manure
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