Norfolk Hill Farmer
Member
As per title, often see it in fields decades after the hedge was removed.
It would be interesting to have a soil/tissue analysis done on soil/tissue from the hedgerow line and soil/tissue from the rest of the field and compare the two.As per title, often see it in fields decades after the hedge was removed.
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Stating the obvious but I suppose the old idea of catch crops ( now called cover crops ) was/is to try and emulate the organic matter you so rightly mention, but takes decades to have the same effect.Organic matter from decades of deciduous hedges dropping their leaves annually and the hedge I would guess used a different profile of nutrients therefore leaving behind more of what the crop needs?
I recently did exactly that, while searching for the source of water to a wet spot. The old ditch was easily spotted in the soil profile, different colour soils and you could even see small twigs etc that must have been in the ditch when it was filled. My guess is the improvement comes from the old ditch acting as a moisture reservoir which the crop uses. The alternative is that the ditch area retains nutrients from all the organic matter from the hedge, even after decades of continuous cropping. If the latter then what does that say about the current ballyhoo about putting manure on fields, the nutrients of which we are told will all be washed away within months.......Also if one is really interested to dig a soil pit in the old hedgerow line and the rest of the field and see if their is an visible difference.
That might be more to do with manganeseWe have noticed in recently reseeded grass fields (last year) that where tractors have since seeding crossed the fields a lot in the same area then that area is greener in colour, I wonder if the soil compaction helps retain moisture during drier times as maybe the case where hedgerows once were?
That is certainly true on the very brashly Cotswoldd land..I think a lot of this land is thin and therefore hungry ,and short of organic matter. Nothing that comes in a bag has the same effect.
I recently did exactly that, while searching for the source of water to a wet spot. The old ditch was easily spotted in the soil profile, different colour soils and you could even see small twigs etc that must have been in the ditch when it was filled. My guess is the improvement comes from the old ditch acting as a moisture reservoir which the crop uses. The alternative is that the ditch area retains nutrients from all the organic matter from the hedge, even after decades of continuous cropping. If the latter then what does that say about the current ballyhoo about putting manure on fields, the nutrients of which we are told will all be washed away within months.......
We have noticed in recently reseeded grass fields (last year) that where tractors have since seeding crossed the fields a lot in the same area then that area is greener in colour, I wonder if the soil compaction helps retain moisture during drier times as maybe the case where hedgerows once were?