Turning a risky crop into a resilient one takes some doing, but that is exactly what Staffordshire grower Tim Parton has done.
Tim was speaking at a recent United Oilseeds OSR Reboot event, where he explained his “soil first” approach was reducing risk and adding resilience. In the best seasons, yields have hit 7.0 t/ha in ideal growing conditions.
It all started back in 2012. Despite a healthy dose of nitrogen and chemicals, something was amiss as combinable crop yields had plateaued and he needed to understand why.
He suspected intensive tillage with excessive synthetic nitrogen and chemistry was strangling the life out of soils. Tim is not someone who leaves things to chance, so he started to investigate.
Farming microbes
This unearthed James White’s rhizosphere study, it explains how plants ‘farm’ microbes. This circular process where bacteria and fungi enter plant root cells, are stripped of their cell walls, and release nutrients before being expelled back into the soil to repeat the process.
“Behind every nutrient is a microbe,” explained Tim. “My aim is to create the ideal environment for them to thrive. The right balance of macro and micro nutrition is critical to ensure plants efficiently convert nitrate and ammonium into amino acids.”
Tim noted that most plants form mycorrhizal associations and 30% of a plant’s photosynthetic energy is directed at feeding microbes. Unfortunately, OSR is a non -mycorrhizal species so it needs a helping hand. Plants feed off biology, but it isn’t as straightforward as that; it’s a complex, symbiotic relationship.”
At the heart of the system is a cover crop in every field/per year to get the exudates back into the soil. Typically, this is a 10-way mix. “It’s been proven that different plants feed different microbes,” he noted. “I haven’t got livestock but that is what I’m trying to replicate but with microbes breaking the crop down.”
Cover crops are supplemented by a natural microbial brew, composts, foliar biostimulants and the switch to direct drilling.
Living soil benefits
A living soil all year round is the feed source for protozoa. These microscopic organisms do a huge lot of good for soils. “For every single bacterium they eat, they put back a molecule of nitrogen,” he noted.
As a result, soil organic matter has increased by 0.2% per annum for several years now. Infiltration rates of 1” water from minutes now down to 37 seconds. Put a fork in the ground and he’ll regularly find 37 worms.
Tim undertakes extensive soil and tissue testing. When drilling OSR, magnesium, sulphur, molybdenum, boron and humic acid are often applied. “Any mineral deficiency will be reflected by a deficiency in the enzyme required for that mineral to operate. It will compromise development, yield and resilience.” Silicon is also used to strengthen cell walls.
To do that, Tim modified his John Deere 750 drill, adding a liquid system at the back and a road sweeping brush to the front to clear away chopped straw or deal with trash. “We drill OSR shallow and the acidity as the straw broke down compromised establishment.”
The liquid system adds biology into the rhizosphere of the seed, where it begin the process of feeding the plant. “There’s some 9m microbes on one seed. Adding extra microbes makes sure those endophytes are working immediately.”
The crop is also sown with a companion to help protect against cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB), although again, the first line of defence is down to soil and plant health. “I’m sure part of the problem with CSFB is poor nitrogen utilisation. Pests don’t attack healthy plants.
Significant input savings
In some seasons, Tim has reduced synthetic nitrogen in OSR by as much as 80 %, replacing it with amino acids. This is because it takes a lot of energy from the plant to convert nitrogen into amino acids and proteins.
Where once 240kg/N/ha was applied to winter wheat, now it is 50. “Biology will provide all the nutrients plants need,” he added.
It isn’t just synthetic nitrogen that has been cut. Tim doesn’t use P & K fertiliser, fungicides, pre-em herbicides or PGRs.
Healthy plants can fend for themselves he said. Tim showed an image of brown rust in wheat.
To test his approach, he ran trials comparing foliar applications of potassium silicate with untreated plots, brown rust soon invaded the untreated area. He has also did the at the T3 timing. “I can achieve 90% Fusaria control through a biological treatment, that’s better than any fungicide and a fraction of the cost,” he explained.
Biology and nutrition do the job perfectly well in OSR too. Tim doesn’t rely on fungicides to control phoma, light leaf spot or sclerotinia.
Open to new ideas
For good measure, many biological treatments are applied at night. “With the climate these days, daytime temperatures can be too hot, so plants shut down. Plants do 80% of their growth in the dark,” Tim explained.
Cover crop destruction is also done without the use of glyphosate. Tim will use it if he has to but if he can achieve it through other means he will.
Illustrating his openness to new ideas, Tim gets up at 3.00 am to run a set of Cambridge rolls through, when it is – 4°C and below. Tim came up with this idea as the mid-tier restricted glyphosate use, meaning the cover crop had to be destroyed using mechanical means. “There was no way that I was going to use the plough, as that would undue all the good work achieved by the cover crop!”
At first attempt, the rolls would not unfold as the oil was too cold and he questioned himself for trying something so different, but a cup of coffee and the tractor warmed up giving 90% control of the cover crop. “Every problem can be overcome… we just need to think about it, rather than giving up at the first hurdle.”
If it is milder, he turns to a crimper roller instead, where he can adjust the pressure to tickle the crop or apply more pressure if needed.
The system offers more resilience. It isn’t a silver bullet and Tim acknowledged dry springs present challenges. Even in his system, too little or too much moisture can still compromise crop performance.
With climate volatility unlikely to go away, the importance of resilience cannot be understated, he said. Before his switch to biological farming, following an extreme rain event a swollen River Lugg washed away >200,000 tonnes of soil. “That’s the equivalent of 1 ft of topsoil from a 26-hectare field.”
The longer-term benefit of resilience has also been matched by the short-term gain of improved margins. Reduced passes and lower input like biological brews are paying dividends. High-yielding wheat crops have seen production costs of under £100/tonne.
“I don’t consider myself a low input farmer, if I have to spend I will. But if I can achieve the same result through a more cost-efficient and more sensitive means, I will.”
