game cover mixtures - Countrywide Farmers

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28Make the Most of Environmental StewardshipNatural England is here toconserve and enhance thenatural environment, for itsintrinsic value, the wellbeingand enjoyment of people andthe economic prosperity thatit brings.Environmental Stewardship has aproven track record of helping farmers delivera range of environmental benefits on theirland. Scheme options that require seed mixesinclude pollen and nectar strips and wildflowermixtures to encourage pollinating insects andother beneficial wildlife, grassland mixes tohelp conserve soil and water and forage mixesfor farmland birds. Other options can protectthe historic environment of your farm, helprestore traditional meadows and pastures andhelp adapt and mitigate the effects of climatechange.Why your farm is importantfor farmland birds and wildlifeFarmers and the farming community play avital role in reversing the fortunes of farmlandbirds and wildlife across England. The landmanagement skills and knowledge that farmersuse to run their farm businesses are crucial tothis. Farmland birds and wildlife need yourcontinued help and expertise.The birds on your farm are a good indicatorof the overall health of biodiversity, as they sithigh up the food chain. If bird populations aredoing well then it indicates that the plants andinsects on which they feed are thriving too.Research and past experience of schemesshows that farmland bird populations canrespond positively and quickly when thesesimple measures are put in place across thefarmed landscape. These measures can workalongside existing farm practices and fit withinthe needs of your farming business.Making a differenceThrough the use of EnvironmentalStewardship, or voluntary options of theCampaign for the Farmed Environment (CFE),a number of simple management measures canbe put in place that will make a huge differenceto farmland birds and wildlife.For instance, by adopting the Farmland BirdPackage you will provide the three main thingsneeded by farmland birds to survive and thrive:winter bird seed, nesting habitat, and springchick feed source.If you provide the following three things per100 hectares of arable farmland, then farmlandbirds will thrive on your farm:1. Nesting Habitat. For example, 20Skylark plots per 100 hectares of arableland would halt the decline of Skylarks, andlapwings would benefit greatly from a 1 hectarefallow plot.2. Winter Seed Food. For example,overwintering of stubbles, or using wild birdseed mixtures in cases where farming policyis unable to allow for this, would provide foodduring the winter and early spring.3. Summer Insect Food. For example,using nectar-rich flower mixtures to provideinsect-rich habitats across the farm, vital tomany birds during the breeding season.The benefits of EnvironmentalStewardshipRegular farm income:Financial incentives are available throughEntry Level Stewardship (ELS) to provide a 6monthly income for environmentally friendlyland management that supports farmland birdsand wildlife.Realise the wildlife potential of lessproductive areas:Make awkward corners, small fields and wetareas of farms work better by entering theminto ELS options. The least productive areas ofa farm are often (with the correct management)the best for birds and wildlife.Contribute to climate change mitigationThose options which involve creating grassbuffers and field corners in arable fields willlead to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.This is due to reduced nutrient inputs andincreased temporary carbon storage within thecreated grassland.Need further helpand information?To arrange a farm visitfrom an adviser or bookon to a farm event in yourregion, please contact:Natural EnglandTel: 0300 060 1695Email: farmevents@naturalengland.org.ukwww.naturalengland.org.uk/farmeventsFor further information on EnvironmentalStewardship and to apply for any of theschemes:Tel: 0300 060 0011www.naturalengland.org.uk/esCampaign for theFarmed EnvironmentTel: 024 7685 8892Email: cfeonline@nfu.org.ukwww.cfeonline.org.ukOur Stewardship mixtures are plantedat Hailes Farm Gloucestershire to beused for training days
“We have used the Pollen and Nectar mixfor 3 years now as part of HLS and foundit surprisingly easy to establish. Themanagement is very simple on-going, butit is essential to top in the first year.It contains a good variety of speciesproviding a variety of nectar-rich flowersand the crops are alive with insectsthrough the season.”JPF Clay Farms, Herefordshire November 201129Higher Level StewardshipHigher Level Stewardship (HLS) will be combined withEntry Level Stewardship (ELS) or Organic Entry LevelStewardship (OELS) options and aims to deliver significantenvironmental benefits in high priority situations andareas. HLS is discretionary and concentrates on the morecomplex types of management, where land managersneed advice and support and where agreements need tobe tailored to local circumstances.The five primary aims of Higher Level Stewardship are:• Wildlife conservation• Maintenance and enhancement of landscape qualityand character• Natural resource protection• Protection of the historic environment• Promotion of public access and understanding ofthe countrysideThere are two secondary objectives where spin off benefitsare sought from management designed to achieve the fiveprimary aims. These are:• Flood management• Conservation of genetic resourcesThe majority of sections which will involve the use of sown seed will be advised by the Natural England project officers, who willdesign mixtures to promote the particular environmental object which has been identified as being in need of protection, or ofimprovement or replacement, so as to redress the balance within the environment.The options which come into this will be found in the sections that follow.HE, HF & HG Options for arable land which includeFloristically enhanced margins, Enhanced wild bird plots,low input scenarios, Brassica over wintered stubbles andoptions for the re-creation of a more varied arable mosaic.HJ Options for Soil and water protection, which includesreversion mixtures for erosion prevention and this can becoupled to a low fertiliser input version. The prevention ofsoil erosion is a major part of the Environmental concept;this prevents the blocking of water channels and in highfertiliser input situations helps to reduce the leaching ofnitrates into major water courses.HK Options are broken down into three basic sections,Species Rich and Semi Natural Grasslands, Themanagement of Wet Grasslands and the Management ofGrassland for target species.HK6, HK7 & HK8 Options cover the maintenance,restoration and creation of species rich semi-naturalgrassland. The creation of such habitats is usuallyprescriptive and it is always worth asking if there areoptions within the plant species required because ofseasonal problems with native production.HK9, HK10, HK11, HK12, HK13 & HK14 are optionsfor wet grassland beneficial to wading birds and wildfowl.Once again the maintenance, restoration and creation ofthese habitats are covered by the above options.HK15, HK16, HK17 are options for the management ofgrassland for target species. This covers the maintenanceof existing grasslands, the restoration of grasslands andthe creation of new grassland for specific target species.HK18 provides a haymaking supplement which if to bebeneficial to stock may have to be created and this maylead to an opportunity to use a more traditional mixture,based on the less aggressive grass species such as fescue,meadow grasses, timothy and some older native species.HE11 option for target species on intensive grassland isused to provide additional wildlife habitat by managingbuffer strips in intensive grass leys. Management involvesusing a specified seed mixture of wildflowers and grassesand is tailored to each site based on the species targeted.The HLS Scheme is in the main prescriptive as we havementioned before, especially where the need for newestablished grass or legumes is concerned. Many of thespecies of plants used in the ELS scheme will also be usedin the higher scheme. For this reason we have for your helpand guidance included wherever possible dual referenceswithin our tables as we feel this will help simplify some ofthe possible options.
Page 2 and 3: 2WelcomeYOUR COUNTRYSIDE 2012WELCOM
Page 4 and 5: 4Game Cover SelectorCropPageNo.Pack
Page 6 and 7: 6Evaluation of New CropsBIOMASS CRO
Page 8 and 9: KEYSOLAs Game CoverLTAEU OKOK to ap
Page 10 and 11: 10Pests & Diseases in Brassicas & M
Page 12 and 13: 12Game Maize“Choosing the right c
Page 14 and 15: 14KaleKale is still one of the most
Page 16: 16SunflowersSunflowers traditionall
Page 19: Miscellaneous Crops19ArtichokesProv
Page 22: 22Game Cover Mixtures“We have had
Page 25: Environmental Stewardship Selector2
Page 30 and 31: 30Stewardship Schemes For ScotlandS
Page 32 and 33: 32Glastir Welsh Environmental Schem
Page 34 and 35: 34Forage RapeForage Rape has the ad
Page 36 and 37: 36Kale“Another year on and I am o
Page 38 and 39: 38SwedeCREATE sauce pan iconSwedes
Page 40 and 41: Green Manuring Selector40Green Manu
Page 42 and 43: 42Green Manuring Cropsfor Spring So

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