Agri-Environment Stewardship; improving performance and agronomic management through manipulating the rotation of in-field options.

Abstract

Pollen, nectar and seed mixes grown for the benefit of wildlife on farms under environmental stewardship often perform poorly because of weed competition and poor fertility, particularly where they are grown on the same sites, typically as field margin strips, for many years. On conventional farms fertilisers, seed treatments and herbicides can be used to assist the establishment and growth of these options whilst on organic farms these are precluded. The rules dictating that options remain static so that compliance can be checked are detrimental. The use of rotation where fertility building mixes which are pollen and nectar bearing are sequenced with seed bearing mixes may offer a useful means of enhancing the performance of both without the need for the use of inputs and the costs associated with their use.