The Sustainable Farming Incentive SAM2 and SAM3 actions bring opportunities and potential benefits for farmers, says ForFarmers Product Manager Mel Digger. Here she outlines her thoughts and advice for dairy farmers.
Leaving soils bare over the winter is not considered good practice. Not only does it leave the ground vulnerable to leaching and run off, it is also a missed opportunity to improve soil health and grow an additional forage crop.
Overwinter crops can also add organic matter to the soil and increase biological activity. They improve soil structure and increase the supply of nutrients to plants while also helping with weed suppression.
After maize, many farmers look to drill grass leys for overwintering, with the new leys either cut or grazed before the land is used for maize again the following spring. However by upgrading those leys it’s possible to make use of the SAM2 option under the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) says Mel Digger.
The SAM2 option pays farmers £129/ha for protecting the soil surface with a multi-species cover crop over the winter months.
To comply, the mix must contain at least two species from one or more of these plant families: brassicas, legumes, grass or cereals and herbs.
“This flexibility gives farmers the opportunity to choose a mix that works for their own farm and system,” says Mel.
The guidelines require the multi-species cover crop to be established early enough so it can reasonably be expected to meet the SAM2 aim of protecting the soil surface and providing root growth to benefit soil structure, support soil biology and minimise nutrient leaching, soil erosion and runoff.
This means there should be leafy vegetation that is sufficiently well established to protect the soil surface over the winter months. As long as this remains the case it can be grazed however you cannot mechanically apply any fertiliser or manure during the months of December, January and February.
“If the land is going back into maize production farmers are permitted to destroy the cover crop if they choose,” explains Mel. “The proviso is that this cannot be done more than six weeks before the early-sown spring crop needs to be established.
“Obviously care should be taken to minimise risk of compaction, poaching, or erosion in the process,” she adds.
ForFarmers offers a range of SAM2 compliant mixes, but for farmers wanting to maximise their grass and minimise costs Mel advises a simple approach.
“Using Westerwold or Italian Ryegrass with 10% legumes is an economical way to meet the scheme’s requirements while providing some useful extra grazing and the benefits of legumes.”
With £382/hectare on offer for farmers drilling herbal leys within the Sustainable Farming Incentive, many are considering adding them to their reseeding plans. Recent changes within the scheme which see the requirements move to one grass species, two legumes and two herbs make it more appealing, says Mel Digger.
Herbal leys can be very beneficial, but the correct option needs to be selected for the right situation, she warns. It is not advisable for farmers wanting to cut their ley to include chicory, but the reduced requirement of herb numbers means other options are fully available.
With herbal leys now only requiring one grass species, it allows the use of all perennial ryegrass based leys. This means yield and quality will be maximised and should maintain productivity for resulting milk and meat production. However it should be noted that there are new restrictions on the use of artificial fertilisers.
Reseeding should still be top of the agenda where there are older leys, Mel advises. She says: “Older leys contain more weed grasses which reduce nitrogen efficiency and overall quality of the leys. Also, the newer varieties used in mixes are more productive than older ones, so will perform much better.”
In particular, hybrid grasses such as ForFarmers Ryegrass PLUS combine properties of fescue with ryegrass. The fescue contributes resistance to cold, drought tolerance and disease resistance while the ryegrass brings high yields, good spring growth digestibility, sugar content and palatability. “The resulting Ryegrass PLUS hybrid is known for high seedling vigour, very early spring growth and fantastic yields,” says Mel.
Reseeds also give the opportunity to break disease cycles and address any compaction and weed issues. “This year we are seeing some bad compaction issues from all the wet weather we have had.” Those who postponed reseeding plans last year should make sure they catch up in 2024, she concludes. “Although it is an added cost, I strongly recommend catching up with the overdue reseed as well as whatever was planned for 2024, otherwise everything gets pushed back and both quality and quantity will suffer.”
To discover the options available, request a copy of our Environmental brochure here.
Contact our dedicated team of forage specialists for advice and how we can help your business.
