Helping farmers achieve best practice

"Soil is a complex living biological entity and focusing too closely on just one aspect of soil would put others out of balance, leading to a fall in farm profit. The welter of legislation, including NVZs and IPPC, which impact directly on soil management, must be incorporated into a whole-farm approach to maintain and improve soil quality for the long-term profitability and productivity of the farm. The main threats to soil from climate change and human activity are erosion, loss of soil organic matter, contamination, compaction and sealing. Good soil management is essential for healthy, productive and functional soil. Farmers are generally very aware of this and of the importance of soil organic matter, but want clear practical information and guidance on best practice and how to track the health of their soils."
 (Professor Keith Goulding,  Rothamsted Research, at the ARF workshop: Manage your soils: grow your business)

The ARF is developing strategies to help provide this information and guidance and have commissioned the University of Newcastle to develop a plan that addresses both cross-sector and sector-specific needs for KT on soil management.

This report has now been published and can be downloaded:

Improved knowledge transfer for better soil management   (270kb), 30 June 2006

A presentation giving highlights of this report was made and can be downloaded:

Soil management - a review of knowledge transfer activity   (37kb)

A report Impacts of climate change, implications for soil management 2009, written by E. A. Stockdale and M. W. Palmer, School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University; e.a.stockdale@ncl.ac.uk was commissioned by the Agriculture and Horticulture Research Forum (AHRF)  Knowledge Transfer Group.The information in this report was used to create the Farming Futures Soil Management Fact Sheet 20.

Impacts of climate change: implications for soil management   (154kb)