Clover Companion Pulse PEP Trial at Woodend Farm: Boosting Beans, Oats, and Wheat

[Denwood]

This thread is posted by John Seed, a partner in the Woodend Farming Partnership and a member of Pulse PEP.
We are currently conducting an innovative trial aimed at enhancing crop performance through the integration of white clover as a companion crop into our crop rotations.

At Woodend Farm, we focus on sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices. Our farm is in the Scottish Borders, spanning 160 hectares. We have a strong commitment to improving soil health, increasing biodiversity, and reducing chemical inputs.

Background:

• Beetle Banks: We have established several beetle banks and 5m multi-species grass margins around every field perimeter. These habitats support beneficial insect populations, including pollinators and natural pest predators, which play a crucial role in enhancing crop yields and reducing the need for chemical insecticides.
• Alternative Feed for Free Range Hens: We are dedicated to sustainable farming practices, which include using homegrown protein sources for our livestock. Our flock of 32,000 free-range laying hens is fed beans grown on our farm as an alternative to imported soya. This not only reduces our carbon footprint but also ensures a reliable and sustainable protein source.

Trial Overview: At Woodend Farm, we are focusing on over-sowing white clover into spring and winter beans and spring oats using the Skippy Scout drone. The primary objective is to establish an understorey of white clover that will enhance nitrogen sequestration, yield, and quality in subsequent winter wheat crops.

• Sowing Date: Friday, 17th May
• Crops Involved:
  • Spring Beans: Victus (4.5ha)
  • Spring Oats: Conway (1.0ha)
  • Winter Beans: Vespa (5.8ha)
• Clover Seed Blend:Sown at 4.7kg/ha, consisting of:
  • 50% Aberlasting
  • 20% Aberace
  • 15% Aberpearl
  • 15% Rivendel

Implementation:

• Skippy Scout Drone: Used to broadcast the clover seed into the standing crop, ensuring even distribution and efficient sowing.
• Monitoring and Assessment:
  • Nitrogen Sequestration: Testing tissue and soil samples to measure nitrogen levels before and after the establishment of the clover understorey.
  • Yield and Quality: Assessing the yield and quality of the subsequent winter wheat crops to determine the benefits of the clover understorey.

Post-Harvest Management:

• Direct Drilling: Winter wheat will be direct drilled into the established clover understorey after the beans and oats are harvested, promoting soil health and reducing the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilisers.

Holistic Benefits: This trial is part of a broader strategy to substitute beans for soya in our hen feed, aiming for holistic outcomes that include:

• Sustainable Manure Use: Integrating chicken manure into our crop rotations to enhance soil fertility and organic matter.
• Regenerative Farming Techniques: Employing practices that support long-term soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem resilience.
• Biodiversity Support: Creating habitats for beneficial insects and wildlife, which contribute to natural pest control and pollination.
• Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions: Minimising synthetic fertiliser use and adopting practices that sequester carbon in the soil.

Expected Outcomes:

• Improved nitrogen sequestration
• Enhanced yields and quality in winter wheat
• Greater biodiversity and soil health
• Reduced reliance on imported soya
• Lower greenhouse gas emissions

This trial serves as a practical example of how innovative agricultural practices can lead to both ecological and economic benefits. We will continuously monitor the progress and adapt our practices based on data and research findings.

Discussion Invitation: This thread is dedicated to discussing methods and approaches to assess the performance of pulse-based systems. How might we best do this? Whether at the field level, within a rotation, or for the on-farm use of pulses, please share any thoughts or recommendations you may have. We welcome insights on system performance indicators related to economic, environmental, or biodiversity factors. Thank you!

 

[skye @ bofin]

Wow - this is really interesting John! Thank you so much for sharing! I wonder if any other farmers are doing something similar?

 

[APearce]

Hi John,
Was the clover broadcast on 14th May? It will be interesting to see how it works with the winter beans, as they have quite a big canopy by then, for making sure the clover has soil contact. Do you have a plan for knocking the clover back a bit before you drill the wheat so that the clover does not drown out the wheat? It is particularly small / low white clovers that you are using? It will be interesting to see how the beans & clover interact, eg if the clover is fixing nitrogen, will the beans feel that they don't need to? Sorry, another question. The Sitona weevils notch the bean leaves, but they also love to eat clover leaves. Have you had much damage with the weevils eating the emerging clover seedlings if they are already eating the beans?
Thanks, Anna

 

[Denwood]

Hi Anna,
Yes, the clover was broadcast on 14th May. Here are some pictures taken this week of the clover emerging in the winter beans, spring oats, and spring beans, followed by a picture of the bare soil under the spring beans that wasn't oversown with clover. The clover emergence is particularly good, and the recent rain should help it get established.
Regarding the competition, the canopy is starting to close in all three crops, so I'm not sure how much growth the clover will achieve before harvest.
As for the weevils, they haven't found the clover yet. It's encouraging to note that we have several natural predators in place which may help keep the weevil population in check. The weevils tend to be less active from June onwards due to several factors, including natural predation, environmental conditions, and the completion of their life cycle.
I will keep an eye on it, but since we don't use any insecticides as a matter of policy, we'll have to rely on native predators and the weevils' natural life cycle to mitigate the risk.
The beetle banks and multi-species margins we've established around our fields support a healthy population of natural predators, such as ground beetles, rove beetles, spiders, and birds.
See the picture of our typically splendid multi-species beetle bank attached.
We will monitor the clover's progress and decide on our sowing strategy for wheat in the autumn based on its establishment.
Best regards,
John

 

[Denwood]

Maximising Yields with Pollinators at Woodend Farm in the Farmers Weekly

This was featured in Farmers Weekly Magazine this week. It highlighted how we've managed to increase our spring bean yields by over 20% by using pollinators, without relying on insecticides or purchased P and K fertilisers.
By establishing flowering grass margins and beetle banks, we've boosted biodiversity, reduced chemical use, and supported natural predator populations.
You can read more about our approach and its benefits for sustainable farming here: https://www.fwi.co.uk/arable/pulses/why-pollinators-are-key-to-scottish-growers-6t-ha-bean-yield
Any thoughts on the impact of pollinators on crop yields and any experiences you’d like to share!

#SustainableFarming #Pollinators #Biodiversity #FarmersWeekly #restoreruralresilience