TRIAL DRILLING GETS UNDERWAY

It has been four years since Limagrain first started a joint collaboration with BASF in order to highlight the value of ‘environmental’ crops and this year we are, once again, establishing some new plots at their trial site near Goole.
 

The diversity of living organisms and ecosystems – known as biodiversity – is essential if we are to have a continuing healthy life and it is crucial for sustainable agriculture and food production. The maintenance of a high level of biodiversity sustains vital ecosystem structures and processes such as soil protection and health, the water cycle and air quality.
 

BASF, the well-known and well respected chemical company, has been promoting biodiversity to farmers for many years and one of their key initiatives was to set up a long term project at Rawcliffe Farm which is close to Rawcliffe Bridge in South Yorkshire. The project was organised to demonstrate how commercial farming, pragmatic field margin management and managed woodland can combine to improve biodiversity.
 

In recent years Limagrain has been playing a role in the project by supplying wild bird seed mixtures which are then demonstrated to visitors – including farmers, landowners and land managers.
 

BASF traditionally open up the site in June for several days and, if past events are anything to go by, the farm will be receiving a substantial number of visitors later this year.

A ‘matrix’ has been sown this year which contains a comprehensive selection of plots.  Each plot contain two species so that we can determine those crops which are most compatible under commercial growing conditions. Those combinations which appear to work the best will then be trialled on a larger scale in the future. As well as the crops which establish from these new sowings the visitors will also be able to see a number of environmental plots which have already been in the ground now for the full 4 years!

May 2009

The photograph shows our trials being drilled at Rawcliffe in late April.