Use SFI as catalyst for change – Farmers Guide
Farmers have been urged to use the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) Soils Standard as the catalyst to "raise the game" for soil health and crop productivity ...
Speakers at a recent meeting of Essex growers organised by Farmacy acknowledged that SFI uptake had been below expectations thus far, possibly because some growers regarded the payments of £22/ha (Introductory level) and £40/ha(Intermediate) as being insufficient.
Indeed, Defra announced in early January plans to make the SFI more financially attractive by introducing a new SFI Management Payment of £20/ha, for up to 50ha of land entered into the scheme, to cover the administrative costs of participation.
While this would be a welcome addition to the amount available, Farmacy agronomist Jim Woodward said growers should still regard the SFI as “seed money” to invest in stimulating wider efficiency improvements, rather than a back-pocket payment to compensate for BPS cuts.
“The Introductory level may only be £22/ha, but many farmers are already doing much of this anyway, so why not get recognition for it and challenge yourself to invest that money on things that will build productivity and deliver greater benefits to the bottom line. Consider it as a catalyst to raise the game.”
The SFI’s soil testing requirements were a good starting point, head of soil health Ian Robertson said.
“Rather than just going for a basic soil test to tick a box to get the payment, why not undertake more detailed testing that provides useful information to allow proper management decisions to be made on farm?”
The Healthy Soils Gold test, for example, examined a host of factors, from soil structure, pH (active and buffer pH), cation exchange capacity, and bulk density, to carbon, organic matter, biology and nutrient availability in kg/ha.
Baselining these complex chemical, physical and biological properties was essential to evaluate the effectiveness of current management practices, and to make educated decisions about any improvements needed, he said.
The Omnia digital farming platform made it far easier for farmers to pull soil and crop data together in one place, formulate management plans, and demonstrate compliance with SFI requirements, he noted.
“If we don’t understand the baseline we’re working from, it’s very difficult to manage resources and improve efficiency,” Mr Robertson continued.
Take nutrient use efficiency for example. Getting soils into a condition where nutrients were cycled more effectively could have big benefits in terms of fertiliser savings and crop yield, but it required a clear understanding of existing biology, soil structure, chemistry and plant-available nutrition, he said.
“A typical wheat crop contains about 300-400kg N/ha by GS 87, and most soils in good condition can deliver 200-300kg N/ha, but only if they have the microbial activity to breakdown and cycle nutrients effectively. That in turn is dependent on a host of other factors.”
Results from Helix trials presented by Farmacy agronomist Andrew Spackman showed it was possible to replace some bagged nitrogen by using smaller amounts of more efficient foliar-applied fertiliser, but only if base levels in the soil had set a sufficiently strong foundation.
He showed how methylated urea products, such as N-Durance, applied at T2 delivered 7kg N/ha to the crop, equivalent to replacing 30kg of bagged granular nitrogen fertiliser, with no detriment to yield.
“There may well be a place for products like this for improving nitrogen use efficiency, particularly in drier eastern counties where uptake of granular fertilisers can be challenging in dry seasons. But soils need to be in the right condition to see a response.”
There were other impressive results from a placement phosphate fertiliser trial at Helix East last season, where Primary-P and Crystal Green showed a worthwhile yield response of 0.6-0.8t/ha, Mr Spackman added.
“There’s sound logic behind the theory that placing phosphate around the seed and root zone where it’s needed will lead to better efficiency than broadcasting granular fertiliser, so it’s encouraging to see this supported in this trial. It may be another opportunity growers can consider to improve nutrient efficiency on their farm.”
Mr Robertson said regenerative agriculture principles played a big part in improving soil health, but regen should not be seen as the only answer.
“Generally, the more soil is disturbed with fertiliser, agchems, or cultivations, the less contribution there’s likely to be from microbes.”
Research also showed that for 100kg/ha of applied nitrogen fertiliser, 1.6t of carbon was potentially oxidised from the soil, so there could be significant benefits from reducing the reliance on artificial fertilisers, he said.
“But the key is to understand what you need to do to your soil to make it right, not just follow trends or copy what others are doing.”
He noted an AHDB survey in 2018 that found 10% of land that was deep cultivated did not actually have any deep compacted layer, but 40% of soil with a deep pan layer was not cultivated. Don’t be scared of cultivating, but only do what’s actually required by the soil.”
- Identify your aspirations for soil health, crops and the wider business
- Decide if these can be delivered by the existing farming system
- Baseline the current situation to show the starting point and highlight shortcomings
- Plan what needs to change to meet aspirations – be open-minded
- Do what is right for your business, don’t just follow trends
- Avoid trying to do everything at once
- Be realistic about the speed of change (soil biology needs time to change)
Baselining financial performance was similarly important, especially as higher costs and commodity prices had “raised the stakes” considerably for harvest 2023, Hutchinsons farm business consultant, Gwilym Jenkins told the meeting.
“A conventional rotation still has opportunity to make as much money as previously with measured management practices, but your attitude to risk must be calculated as there is much more ‘skin in the game’ due to increased input prices.”
He outlined three key steps:
- Understand the figures – update budgets, cashflow forecasts and gross margins as prices change. Recognise that the higher cost of borrowing may impact on buying and selling decisions
- Measure and analyse performance – use yield maps to identify profitable areas; use soil sampling (including carbon analysis) to set a baseline for soil management policy; and analyse fixed costs, especially machinery (consider costs/ha, replacement policy, changes to strategy, grant funding, etc)
- Identify opportunities – growing crops is still the main opportunity, but consider other ways to build income and drive future productivity or efficiency gains e.g. diversification activities, grant funding, stewardship opportunities (CSS/ELMS).
- “There are some good opportunities from schemes like ELMS, but look at it as an investment vehicle, and ask whether you can use that money to benefit the bottom line in other ways, rather than just as a way of propping up finances without BPS.”
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