Most cost effective way to build soil carbon

[IEM]

Trying to work out the most cost effective way to build soil carbon on our farm. I have 3 obvious methods available:
1: green waste compost which I can haul and spread for £5.50/t
2: cover crops before DD Spring barley
3: grass ley grazed by sheep.

Currently I am doing a bit of all 3
Spreading compost at 50t/ha 1 year in 5
Cover crop 1 year in 5
2 year ley in rotation

I feel that the compost is the fastest way to up carbon, but then again there are no obvious benefits in the following crop
The cover crop seems the most expensive as I can't see its fixing that much carbon for a cost of about £60/ha currently
Grass ley intensively grazed seems to add a lot to the soil but total costs are about £350/ha per year and I could pick up other grazing land much cheaper than this so there need to be tangible benefits.
I know there will be benefits to all 3 methods and to having a combination but what u want to know is what is the most cost effective route?
Would I be better saving money on a cover crop and spending it on compost etc?

 

[Clive]

cover crops are the most cost effective as long as you keep seed spend sensible - they deliver and spread themselves and and are far more biological than compost which has been subject to high heat

Cover crops and muck are my preference followed by compost but only when its free

 

[IEM]

cover crops are the most cost effective as long as you keep seed spend sensible - they deliver and spread themselves and and are far more biological than compost which has been subject to high heat

Cover crops and muck are my preference followed by compost but only when its free

How much carbon would you be able to fix from a cover crop between wheat and Spring barley do you think?
Is there any useful data quantifying it? I know it's partly muck and magic but can the benefits be measured in a tangible way?
The compost is free to collect but I am hauling it 9 miles and spreading it. Interesting you prefer muck to compost, I'd have thought compost better overall for soil as more stable, higher carbon than FYM.

 

[balbirniefarm]

I think the key to building soil organic matter is not just a matter of what you do but also what you don't. If there are periods of fallow, it'll be very difficult to build as the symbiotic relationships and feedback loops will be stopped. Keeping something growing at all times will be the key including cover crops, livestock and compost/manure.
In the long run compost has to be better than manure if you can make it yourself as you create the environment for soil microbes whereas manure is often anaerobic and in a soil already deficient in microbes, adds nothing but bulk for a short time.
Given that it's difficult to grow arable crops without sprays, id say that a medium term pasture break with no inputs other than the livestock themselves and an occasional quad will do most for soil carbon.

 

[Farmersdaughter]

There are many types of soil carbon, from undecayed plant material, various soil biology and hummus, to name a few. I think what you do will give you different types of soil carbon and be of different use to future crops. In a way I think that we should be aiming for a health soil ( however that is definited) and maybe not just increasing soil carbon. Low soil carbon is associated with poor soil but are all soils with high carbon equal? Though I am yet to put into practice I am think of improving soil biology with good quality compost then making sure it has a food source by having a constant green cover, as a way to improve my soils.

 

[Ysgythan]

Where abouts are you?

 

[IEM]

There are many types of soil carbon, from undecayed plant material, various soil biology and hummus, to name a few. I think what you do will give you different types of soil carbon and be of different use to future crops. In a way I think that we should be aiming for a health soil ( however that is definited) and maybe not just increasing soil carbon. Low soil carbon is associated with poor soil but are all soils with high carbon equal? Though I am yet to put into practice I am think of improving soil biology with good quality compost then making sure it has a food source by having a constant green cover, as a way to improve my soils.

I will certainly carry on with a mix of all 3 and I agree with what you say about there being different types and different benefits of carbon at different stages etc.
I suppose I wonder what is the best next step?
More compost? More sheep/leys? More cover crops?
I don't know how to compare these different methods in a useful way

 

[IEM]

Where abouts are you?

I am in Essex so not a livestock area.

 

[conor t]

Dung/slurry doesnt really add much carbon to soil as majority of it'll be broken down. A low input diverse ley is probably the best way

 

[SilliamWhale]

I'd say mob grazing first because you will be growing a taller sward.

And trees.

 

[IEM]

I'd say mob grazing first because you will be growing a taller sward.

And trees.

I can do mob type grazing fairly easily, already rotational grazing on leys and will increase stocking density next year. Not sure sheep are heavy enough to get the 'trample' that is supposed to be key to mob grazing though.
Are you using it successfully?

 

[Ysgythan]

Are you on Twitter or Facebook? If so look up James Logan, Pirntaton, he can tell you all about rotational grazing of sheep - top operator.

 

[Tim May]

I can do mob type grazing fairly easily, already rotational grazing on leys and will increase stocking density next year. Not sure sheep are heavy enough to get the 'trample' that is supposed to be key to mob grazing though.
Are you using it successfully?

Don't worry about sheep being heavy enough they don't really need to be heavy to trample down the grass. you aren't looking to press the stems into the soil, all you need to do is bend them over. sheep can do this fine, and in a herbal ley they get their quality from the clovers and plantains at this time of year, and less from that grasses.

 

[Raynard]

Legumes.....

 

[IEM]

Are you on Twitter or Facebook? If so look up James Logan, Pirntaton, he can tell you all about rotational grazing of sheep - top operator.

Thanks yes I follow him on Twitter. I am happy with rotational grazing just trying to think if I am doing it the best way to improve soils as well as produce sheep. No livestock here since the 30s so sheep do very well of the leys

 

[IEM]

Don't worry about sheep being heavy enough they don't really need to be heavy to trample down the grass. you aren't looking to press the stems into the soil, all you need to do is bend them over. sheep can do this fine, and in a herbal ley they get their quality from the clovers and plantains at this time of year, and less from that grasses.

What sort of stocking rate can your herbal leys sustain over summer Tim? Ewes and lambs/ha

 

[IEM]

Legumes.....

Agree but already growing gras/clover leys, combining peas and legumes in cover crops so not much scope to increase this!

 

[martian]

I regret not testing som before putting this herbal ley in, but soil is completely diifferent after 3 years and amazing amount of plant growth

interested to know whether chicory acts like litmus paper. One in foreground is pink whilst most are blue. Any ideas?

 

[Tim May]

What sort of stocking rate can your herbal leys sustain over summer Tim? Ewes and lambs/ha

I'm still learning, and this year s defiantly different to last year but I think 1480 ewe's (NC mules) plus 2200 lambs on 140 ha would work this year. Although I'm going over a bigger area and trampling more in for the soil, so this is just a gut feel it could probably be pushed more than that but at what cost to future production? The 3rd year leys are a completely different beast to the 1st year ones the Clover is really starting to work.

 

[Clive]

How much carbon would you be able to fix from a cover crop between wheat and Spring barley do you think?
Is there any useful data quantifying it? I know it's partly muck and magic but can the benefits be measured in a tangible way?
The compost is free to collect but I am hauling it 9 miles and spreading it. Interesting you prefer muck to compost, I'd have thought compost better overall for soil as more stable, higher carbon than FYM.

got no data - just what feels right and I can see big improvements in a relatively short time

a spring crop without a winter cover is a wasted chance to do a lot of good IMO

compost is good but it doesnt cart and spread itself - UK produced compost is also basically biologically dead due to the heat they use to keep the EA happy, its just carbon where as covers are full of life