Conserving the flora of arable field margins - how much does it cost?

Abstract

Arable plant communities have undergone considerable impoverishment in recent years, and their conservation is a priority. Management techniques are becoming better understood and more widely practiced, but there is a need to know how much they will cost the farmer. Experiments were carried out in 14 fields between 1992 and 1994, to determine the success and financial costs of three different field margin management methods; conservation headland, conservation headland without nitrogen and uncropped wildlife strip. The costs of all three methods were found to be within the amount payable under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme for arable field margins.