CLM20-2 full issue-1 - Flipbook - Page 15
Measuring conservation success on farmland
The small population of lapwing, a recent arrival
at Lark Rise Farm, is increasing slowly, unlike
other species such as skylark and grey partridge,
which have responded quickly to changes in
management. Geoff Harries
of winter-sown crops since the 1970s has had
a major influence on farmland bird declines
(Shrubb 2003). Autumn ploughing removes a
major winter-food resource for resident birds
such as grey partridge, linnet and yellowhammer.
Furthermore, crops that are well established
by spring have a dense, impenetrable sward at
breeding time, reducing opportunities for groundnesting species such as lapwing, yellow wagtail
and skylark, whereas spring-sown crops allow
better access. Crop yields are higher with wintersowing owing to the longer establishment time,
so reverting to spring-sowing was very much seen
as a step backwards by neighbouring farmers –
although the lower input costs mean that the net
income is still acceptable, even if total yield is
below the maximum potential.
The model adopted in the early years has
largely been followed, but modifications have
been made as we have learned, failed and
succeeded with various initiatives, and as
crop prices, stewardship options, agricultural
technology and fashions have changed. Financial
support for most of the interventions has been
through the various stewardship schemes over the
years, ranging from Countryside Stewardship, the
Higher Level Stewardship and now Countryside
Stewardship version 2. Generally, these schemes
provide a useful incentive to move away from
purely commercial farming, but we have found
it necessary to mix options carefully and to
voluntarily carry out some additional measures,
such as the provision of spare grain through
hopper feeders to supplement the diet of grey
partridge over winter. Many options within
schemes do not deliver benefits for nature if they
are followed to the letter or if only a limited
number of interventions are used.
With regard to inputs, the main elements
are bagged inorganic fertiliser. Fungicides are
employed where disease threatens crop yield,
and herbicides are used routinely for preparing
fields for sowing and controlling pernicious
weeds. One factor that we consider important in
boosting farmland wildlife is to allow sufficient
intervals of time between herbicide applications
for low-growing broadleaved weeds to produce
seed, particularly on overwintered stubbles and
in fallow areas. Tolerance of abundant weeds is
possible if a judicious application of herbicide is
available when required. The downside to this
approach is that broadleaf-specific herbicides
cannot be used on broadleaved crops, so crop
diversity is impacted; we are thus limited to
cereal crops such as oat, wheat and barley.
Having spring- and autumn-sown versions of
these does provide six options for rotation, and
some minor crops such as canary seed have been
grown from time to time. The small size of each
field, the abundance of biological control agents
(e.g. beetles, hoverflies, lacewings and wasps) and
mosaic cropping mean that insect pests do not
become overwhelming, and so insecticides are
not used at all.
In terms of farming techniques, the intention
has been to reduce soil disturbance, including
by switching to direct drilling (sowing the seed
straight into the stubble of the previous crop).
Not ploughing land saves a large amount
of diesel, but it also helps to increase soil
biodiversity, and locks carbon into the ground
in the form of decaying plant roots and crop
debris which is pulled down into the soil by
earthworms. Seeing a plough followed by flocks
of rooks or gulls is watching a soil ecosystem
being demolished.
Conservation Land Management Summer 2022 | Vol. 20 No. 2 13
