DD RINGS LEAVE RIGHT IMPRESSION
A change in cultivation systems is helping one Nottinghamshire estate virtually eliminate soil erosion, so helping it protect a set of lakes on its own land and the National Trust land at Clumber Park, which it borders, all of which are Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
All the Welbeck Estate’s 2,600 acres of arable land – part of an overall estate of 4,500 acres – used to be ploughed until a couple of years ago, when they started to use reduced tillage systems.
That progression was taken further by new estate manager Richard Hopkins, who changed the equipment used and – even on land that has historically been prone to run-off – recorded no noticeable loss of soil this autumn.
Key to that achievement has been leaving the land well cultivated and consolidated, with a ridged surface that resists lateral water movement.
The Welbeck Estate is part of the River Poulter catchment area, and a partner in a project being led by the National Trust and funded by DEFRA’s England Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative. The project contracts the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group to provide farmers in the catchment with free advice and training.
It was started a year ago, explains Carl Hawke, Regional Nature Conservation Advisor for the Trust, and aims to work with farmers to help them reduce run-off, with specific advice for each farm being available:
“The water quality in both Welbeck Great Lake and Clumber Lake was falling below required standards, and diffuse pollution from farmland was one of the causes. We have started working with farmers in the catchment to reduce the amount of soil erosion, which we wanted to do without having to make radical changes”.
The nutrients and soil removed from farmland cause algal blooms and reduce the amount of sunlight penetrating the water, which suppresses aquatic plant growth and so disrupting the entire ecology of the lake.
Richard Hopkins, who took over management of the Welbeck Estate a few months before the project started, was already familiar with the machinery that could meet both his aims of quick, effective crop establishment, and the project’s needs for reduced run-off.
Cropping includes wheat, spring barley, oats, sugar beet and oilseed rape and beans as break crops. Most primary cultivations are performed with a Simba Solo cultivator, which combines discs and deeper working legs to perform a complete cultivation that leaves a weather-proof seed-bed in one pass.
“It incorporates the trash and crop residues really well, which helps build the organic matter levels in the soil. That gives it more body and makes it less prone to erosion.
“At the same time the DD press ring on the back leaves a well consolidated but ridges surface that is more resistant to water movement, and is also protected against wind erosion as well”
He also notices that land finished with the DD ring dries out faster after rain, enabling field-work to recommence several days earlier – an important practical benefit for a busy farm! They also use a Simba Unipress – also fitted with DD rings – to finish seedbeds and work down ploughing if needed.
Barney Parker, Regional Farm Conservation Adviser for FWAG, says one to one sessions with farmers in the catchment area are proving popular:
“We have also run a number of open days during which we have demonstrated ‘best practice’ to farmers, and explained the relevant legislation on issues like soil and nutrient management. ‘One to one’ visits enable us to tackle each farm’s circumstances, and make suggestions tailored to the individual farm situation”.
