| Arable
Finnish systems could
stimulate UK arable efficiency
Finnish Drill
Greater take up of min-till or no-till arable systems could
help British farmers improve efficiency.
hat was the key
take out following
AHDB Cereals &
Oilseeds’ visit to
Finnish agricultural
institutions and
farms, where efficient systems
have been developed to deal with
the country’s short growing
season.
Vast expanses of the country
are snow covered in winter months
and Finland has an average
growing season, which varies from
100 – 180 days. To cope, farmers
have adopted simple, efficient
techniques to ensure that their
arable crop delivers, working with
a ‘no-till’ or ‘min-till’ approach for
environmental, cost and lifestyle
purposes.
Compared to the UK, the
country’s growing season is at
least 100 days shorter than the
280-day average reported by the
Met Office in 2016.
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AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds
Strategy Director, Martin Grantley-
Smith said: “The first snow starts
to fall in Finland in September, with
spring arriving as late as May.
These conditions may at first seem
challenging but it’s driven
efficiency in the country’s farming
systems.
“Currently around 45 per cent of
arable crop is grown using a min-
till or no-till method. As part of that
approach fertiliser is added below
the seed with a covering of soil
over it, to avoid the fertiliser
burning the seed.
“While lower machinery
purchase, running and fuel costs
are seen as a benefit of no-till or
min-till systems, they don’t ignore
the time savings made. Most
Finnish growers are part-time
farmers, with no-till using less time
to establish crops than
conventional cultivations; this
allows farmers more time to
pursue their ot her jobs – this
approach could benefit UK
farmers.”
AHDB also learned that Finnish
farmers look beyond simply
purchasing a seeding machine to
it becoming part of a no-till farming
system.
AHDB Arable Knowledge
Exchange Manager Harry
Henderson, said: “I was fascinated
to understand why Finland was
Europe’s biggest adopter of no-till
cereal production – perhaps
unsurprisingly, it comes down to
cost.
“The most pivotal element in the
till system’s success or failure is
the choices farmers make on the
ground. Considering and
understanding a number of
factors, from drainage, to soil
conditions, having patience with
ground temperature and making
sure their machinery is smaller,
with a system flexible to changes.
“However, while these
considerations are all important,
farmers are not evangelical about
no-till and will revert back to old
methods – meaning all farms will
have a cultivator and use it as and
when necessary – they also own a
plough.”
Currently the UK’s adoption of
no-till cereal production stands at
8 per cent, compared to 13 per
cent in Finland.
Harry added: “For British
farmers and agronomists
considering the move to no-till,
there’s definitely a lot we can learn
and share from the systems the
Finns have adopted to cope with
their climate.”
To find out more about no-till
methods visit:
cereals.ahdb.org.uk/notill. Harry
Henderson will be sharing more
information about the visit to
Finland in an AHDB Cereals blog.
Yorkshire Water launches ‘first of its kind’ programme
collaborating with farmers to improve soil health
Yorkshire Water and Future Food Solutions have announced plans for a collaborative land-based programme that will
see farmers, global food & drink brands, NGO’s & supply chain partners working together to improve soil quality in river
catchment areas around Yorkshire.
he utilities
company, which
serves 2.3 million
households and
130,000
businesses, and
the supply chain consulting group,
Future Food Solutions, have jointly
developed the programme, which is
set to be the first of its kind in the
UK.
Improving soil health is
recognised internationally as a core
requirement to maintaining
sustainable food production around
the world. With the involvement of
leading edge delivery partners, the
project will identify new ways to
improve soil management that
reduces erosion, maintains moisture
content and increases agricultural
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www.farmingmonthly.co.uk
productivity.
The programme, named
‘Sustainable Landscapes’, has
commenced in three trial areas
based around river catchments
close to the villages of Shipton by
Beningbrough, Elvington and
Topcliffe.
A key focus of the programme is
to collaboratively explore innovative
ways to prevent farmland soil being
lost to waterways. During the last
year, 23,000 tonnes of soil was
extracted from water treatment
facilities on the rivers Derwent and
Ouse. Retaining soil on the land
where it is needed to grow food is
one of the many ways the
Sustainable Landscapes
programme will improve the
sustainability of the UK’s food and
drink industry.
Yorkshire Water has proven the
value of collaborative-based
projects, most recently working
closely with communities and
landowners to deliver the
Governments Blanket Bog
restoration strategy. This initiative,
led by Andrew Walker, Catchment
Strategy Manager for Yorkshire
Water, protects and enhances the
Uplands from Exmoor to The
Borders, whilst improving water
quality for consumers in those
areas.
Andrew Walker said, “Developing
a collaborative partnership with
farmers that has a positive impact
on lowland soil quality, delivers for
both the environment and our own
water management goals”.
“If we can make agriculture more
profitable and the supply chain
more sustainable, whilst ensuring
better quality water in the rivers and
aquifers, farmers, businesses and
consumers, as well as the
environment, will all benefit, which is
why we are supporting the
Sustainable Landscapes
programme”.
By improving the health of
farmland soil through a combination
of practical precision farming
methods, proven cultivation
techniques endorsed by soil
scientists, and new pest and
disease solutions, Sustainable
Landscapes aims to pioneer a new
approach to collaborative working
in lowland areas.
July 2018 | Farming Monthly | 11