| News
Taking the initiative to deliver Soil Health
for uk agricultural soils
UK Soil Health initiative launched.
ith wide backing, a
new initiative for
Soil Health is
bringing together
scientists,
academics,
industry farm advisers and farming
bodies to take a long-term
approach to understanding and
improving the health of soils
across UK farmland for
generations to come.
The new body is being formed
as a direct response to the
Government’s ambition that ‘all
England’s soils should be
managed sustainably by 2030,
supporting profitable and
productive farming, and
underpinning targets for clean
water and air…’ (Defra 25 year
environment plan)
The new initiative aims to work
with all devolved governments to
deliver this aspiration across the
UK. Working closely with
Government, through voluntary
actions the approach will help
farmers and growers to pass on
soils under agricultural
management to the next
W
www.farmingmonthly.co.uk
generation protected and
enhanced.
Initial backing has come from a
range of research and advisory
organisations, agrisupply
businesses and soil laboratories
as well farmers and growers. (Full
list- see Notes for Editors).
However, the partnership is keen
expand to ensure as wide a
representation of interests and
disciplines as possible.
Developed over a series of
industry gatherings, the initiative
recognises that much is already
being done to address the issues
of soil health from research to
practical field demonstrations. This
renewed emphasis on soils will
continue to build on the existing
knowledge and skills base
bringing together information, best
practice and develop new
approaches. Identifying
knowledge gaps and encouraging
research into such areas will be an
important part of the early work.
Elizabeth Stockdale of NIAB, an
academic closely involved in the
partnership comments: “From
visits to innovative farmers and
AHDB Monitor Farms, I have seen
lots of research in action to deliver
site-specific husbandry that treats
soils as a living part of the farming
system. This initiative is the
opportunity to bring together the
best science and practice to
improve soil health.”
Work will also be undertaken to
establish the characteristics for soil
health and on-farm approaches to
monitor them over time. While
some measures, such as
earthworms, can change quite
rapidly, others such as soil organic
matter change slowly, often over
many years. Therefore, those
involved are committed to a long-
term approach to measuring soil
health improvement.
Dave Freeman Chair of the
Professional Agricultural Analysis
Group (PAAG) says: “We want to
focus on defining measures that
help farmers understand soil
health. As all soils differ, an ability
to measure key factors is essential
for good management and
achieving improvements over
time.”
On-farm advice will play a
critical part. There will be no one-
size fits all blueprint as improving
soil health will be, in part, built on
existing practice, soil type, climate,
etc. Whether growing combinable
crops, field vegetables or grass
and forage crops there will be
options to enhance productivity
and soil health. The new initiative
seeks to help farmers and growers
understand how to manage soils
for both improved productivity and
increased sustainability, based on
healthy soils.
Through initial meetings, the
partnership recognised that work
to address soil health is quite
extensive. However, to date all this
effort has lacked coordination.
Working with the farming
community, the emerging initiative
will look to deliver a consistent and
coordinated approach to
improving soil health across the
UK.
In the coming months, partners
will promote the importance of
measuring soil physical condition
and topsoil organic matter
alongside routine indicators for
improved nutrient management.
Case studies of best practice that
already exist on farm will be
developed alongside clear
evidence that enables the
agricultural industry to improve soil
husbandry to support profitable
and productive farming.
July 2018 | Farming Monthly | 07