Intensive farming is very demanding for soils. They need to deliver a very high crop production, and if the soils are not well managed, this may lead to several problems. First, soils may suffer from compaction due to intensive use of machinery. This reduces water infiltration and increases the leaching of nutrients and other substances such as chemicals. All these problems related to the soil structure will also affect soil fertility and organic matter content, which are very critical for high levels of crop yields.

In the Netherlands, a dairy farm has successfully tested a combination of rye grass with corn, to increase fertility and soil organic matter, reduce water runoff and improve soil structure.



The practice consists of seeding the grass when the corn is well established (between 30-60 cm height). Seeding is done in strips around 0’5m wide, and in between the corn rows, thus leaving some bare soil around the maize plants.

The grass will germinate, but it will grow slowly due to the shadow of the corn. When ready, the maize will be harvested as usual and the grass will then keep growing as a winter catch-crop. Grass will be cultivated into the soil in early spring, around 5 months after taking out the maize. It may be useful to fertilise the grassland in some specific years.

After a few years of application, several benefits of combining corn with rye grass were observed. The catch-crop increases the fields` organic matter, favouring both soil structure and fertilisation. Furthermore, it has a direct impact on the health of the soils and the environment, diminishing the compaction, increasing the water infiltration, and also reducing the runoff and leaching.



To apply this technology, the farmer needs to learn some specific techniques, but it should be noted that the main challenge is the equipment needed. As the grass is introduced within standing maize, a specific seeder for this purpose is required.