Soil Erosion advice needed

Probably best place to start is..... dig a hole (with a spade) to see if you can see how the soil feels and looks - is there a compacted zone? If there is then consider a pasture lifter to break compacted layer but only do when the soil is fairly dry and not saturated. If you did need to use a lifter drive it across the slope, not up and down. (This digging hole step is the bit that can tell you a lot before you start jumping around looking at solutions).

Then take care of stocking rates depending on grass availability and soil moisture - to not overgraze and stop poaching.

Well rotted farmyard manure (stuff that's heated up well to kill weed seeds) would also help with organic matter and nutrients to compliment what your soil analysis is telling you about fertiliser needs.

Once you've got the soil structure sorted and soil nutrient at the optimum levels then could consider stitching in new grass seed. Herbal leys have good potential to compete out weeds too, but that's another topic.....
Thank you :)
 

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A picture of the issue. Not too bothered by some thistles, but concerned about the state of the soil with heave and erosion. Thank you everyone for your thoughts.
 
A picture of the issue. Not too bothered by some thistles, but concerned about the state of the soil with heave and erosion. Thank you everyone for your thoughts.
 

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N.Yorks.

Member
A picture of the issue. Not too bothered by some thistles, but concerned about the state of the soil with heave and erosion. Thank you everyone for your thoughts.
Two ideas on top to add:

1) If it's important to maintain a continuous field area grade off the lower slope and reseed as it 'looks' like the sudden change in gradient makes that bottom slope unstable etc. plus all the other suggestions around managing stocking rates etc.

2) If you can manage without that area you could consider planting a hedge or establish a wooded area as that takes stock off it and may stabilise the soil if the soil was a reasonable depth for rooting. Could be a useful bit of land when ELMS is here.....?
 
That peat erosion looks like it's happened because trees have been cleared?

Land like that is best left under mature trees and avoid disturbing it. No doubt in my mind some of the black peaty dirt around Somerset would be the same except it can't move because it's either dead flat or sat in a slight dip anyway.
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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