Platforms to test and demonstrate sustainable soil management: integration of major UK field experiments

Studies on soil tillage and the associated impacts on crop productivity and soil quality have generally been performed on single sites and frequently over a limited number of seasons; this means sites have had insufficient time to develop and restricts the value of comparisons and conclusions. We overcome this in an AHDB/HGCA funded project that studies the oldest established contemporary UK tillage experiments, with all sites sharing ploughed and shallow non-inversion tillage treatments. The sites provide a range of geographic locations and soil types and are located at Mid-Pilmore and the Centre of Sustainable Cropping (Perthshire, Scotland), STAR (Suffolk) and New Farm Systems (Norfolk); established in 2003, 2005 and 2007 respectively. Soil physical conditions and other production characteristics are being assessed under contrasting tillage regimes. Crop yields and farm gate economics are also measured. Early soil assessment data have identified pans under shallow non-inversion tillage that will limit root growth at all sites. Aggregate stabilities also vary, with plough soils at shallow depth being less stable than non-inversion tillage, but greater stability in plough soils at greater depth due to incorporated organic matter. Ongoing research is also examining soil structure temporal dynamics in greater detail, including seedbed resilience to structural degradation through weathering and the action of plants. Analysis of long term yield data from the sites is also being undertaken and is the primary focus of this paper. This is revealing system differences; with ploughing tending to produce the highest mean wheat yields but typically the highest margins have been associated with deep non-inversion tillage systems.