AHDB Launches Research to Predict Nutrient Release From Cover Crops
A new four-month initiative, funded by AHDB and three water companies, aims to forecast nutrient release from cover crops. The project will involve evaluating decision support tools that predict the nitrogen and nutrient release patterns of various cover crop species.
An online survey and a stakeholder workshop will gather feedback and determine the resources needed to enhance nutrient management planning across rotations.
The adoption of cover crops on UK farms has been spurred by payment incentives and the growing shift toward regenerative agriculture, which advocates keeping soil covered.
Joanna McBurnie, an environment scientist at AHDB, highlighted that one of the major knowledge gaps lies in understanding legacy effects.
She explained: "Some benefits of cover crops are clear, such as reducing soil erosion and nitrate leaching risks. This project will provide evidence on the amount and timing of nutrient release from cover crop residues.”
The creation of reliable nutrient release data is challenging due to the vast number of cover crop species, including blends.
The wide variety of agroclimatic conditions across the UK - such as soil types, crops, and weather - also presents obstacles.
Countries like France and the United States have already developed decision support tools that use predictive models to estimate nitrogen availability from a range of cover crops to the next cash crop. AHDB noted that its project will build upon these tools.
A brief survey, open until the end of the month, is collecting input from individuals who grow or provide advice on cover crops.
The survey aims to understand how people manage nutrients from cover crops and explore the potential for developing a UK-specific decision support tool. An online stakeholder workshop will be held on April 29, 2025, to discuss preliminary findings.
