Centre for Sustainable Cropping (CSC)
See the title in English.
Agricultural land must be managed in a sustainable way that maintains long-term ecological functioning and quality crop production with minimal environmental impact. At the CSC, long-term experimental platform, we aim to design, implement, and demonstrate a resilient arable cropping system that can meet all of these requirements. We do this by combining best practice options to achieve multiple benefits, using biodiversity (microbes, plants, and invertebrates) within, and surrounding arable fields to support ecosystem functions and increase the efficiency of crop production. Our low input system integrates management practices for improved soil biophysical quality (conservation tillage, organic matter amendments), sustainable crop nutrition (legume BNF, cover cropping, Soil Nutrient Supply) and enhanced biodiversity (targeted weed control, biofortification to minimise crop protection inputs, species rich field margins). The platform was established in 2009 with a 6-course rotation of beans, barley, wheat, oilseed rape and potatoes over 42 ha, using a split field design comparing low-input system with standard commercial practice. We have found a positive effect on a wide range of systems indicators including soil microbiome (rhizobia, mycorrhizae, antagonists), invertebrate communities (earthworms and carabids), insect pollinators (foraging activity and pollination rates), weed seedbank diversity and beneficial species with no significant impact on crop yields for the most crops. Increased resilience (reduced risk of yield loss) can be seen for varieties adapted to low input conditions. Long-term trends in biodiversity and system functions are being monitored to track changes with management and climate.
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Farmer Clusters for Realising Agrobiodiversity Management across Ecosystems (FRAMEwork)
Ongoing | 2020-2025
- Main funding source
- Horizon 2020 (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
- Geographical location
- United Kingdom