Unlocking the Benefits of Cover Crops Cover cropping has become an integral part of arable rotations, delivering significant benefits to soil health, nutrient retention, and biodiversity. Beyond this, cover crops also enhance soil structure, prevent erosion, and create
2. VESS Score (Soil Structure Assessment) Remove a small square of soil and assess its structure, scoring from 1 (friable) to 5 (very compact). Conduct a test before and
Timing is Key For maximum nitrogen uptake, sowing date is critical. Cover crops established in August benefit from longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures, allowing for stronger early growth and a more developed root system. The longer they remain in the ground, the more nutrients they can capture. Improving Soil Structure & Reducing Compaction Different cover crop species offer varied root structures—lateral, fibrous, and taproot—each playing a role in breaking up compaction and improving soil structure. A well-designed mixture targets multiple soil layers, enhancing aeration and water infiltration. How to Measure the Impact of Your Cover Crop Monitoring your cover crop’s effectiveness doesn’t have to be complex. Here are three simple methods to assess their impact: 1. Fresh Weight Cut Down Take a 1m 2 biomass sample, send it for analysis, and determine how much N, P, and K is stored in the plant material. Recent studies have shown nutrient capture varying from 30kg to 200kg N/ha, depending on factors like drilling date, species mix, soil type, and previous cropping.
after cover cropping to measure improvements.
Please visit AHDB topic sheet on our website for further information.
3. Worm Counts
valuable habitats for beneficial insects and wildlife.
Dig a 20cm spadeful of soil and count the earthworms present. Earthworms are a great indicator of soil health, with an optimal population being around 400/m. Numbers may be lower in dry or very cold conditions, so consider the timing of your assessment.
Nutrient Capture & Soil Protection Leaving land bare over winter greatly increases the risk of soil erosion from weather events leading to transportation off the field of expensive and environmentally damaging phosphates and without any living roots Nitrate leaching will almost certainly be increased as well. On average, they cut nitrate leaching by around 60%, making them a key tool for nutrient management. When cover crops are incorporated into the soil, they decompose and return nutrients and organic matter, improving soil fertility for the following crop. Additionally, their root structures stabilise the soil, reducing erosion and surface run-off, which helps keep valuable topsoil and nutrients in place.
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Please visit AHDB topic sheet on our website for further information .
Final Thoughts If you haven’t tried our cover crops before, now is a great time to consider them. They capture carbon and nutrients, improve soil health, and support biodiversity, all while helping you reduce input costs. Already using them? Try assessing their performance with a spade, a biomass sample, or a worm count—your soil might be doing more work than you realise!
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