This research will generate new data and knowledge to answer challenges across whole rotations and provide information and tools to allow farm businesses to make rewarding and sustainable rotational decisions.
The James Hutton Institute
July 07, 2016
Four new projects addressing challenges in soil and water management across whole rotations have been awarded £1.2m in funding from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
The interrelated projects will form a five-year programme of research to help farmers and agronomists optimise soil and water management decisions and plan environmentally and economically beneficial rotations.
A partnership led by NIAB CUF, with Rothamsted Research, the James Hutton Institute and Lancaster University – among 14 other organisations from across the agricultural and horticultural industries – has successfully bid to deliver the research programme.
Covering a diverse range of topics contributing to crop performance – including soil quality indicators, optimal rotations, precision technology and water availability – the programme aims to improve understanding of soil structure and equip growers with the knowledge to build resilient, sustainable and profitable rotations.
It will tap into an established network of farm-based initiatives and also commercial sites to enable growers and agronomists access to trials and provide a forum for peer-to-peer learning.
Dr Mike Storey, AHDB Head of Resource Management, said: “There has been a lot of work on the impact of soil conditions, cultivations and management on individual crop performance but we believe this new programme is unique in its scale and ambition.
Read the full story on The James Hutton Institute news page
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