Soil & Water
Improving soil health and water management
The intensification of agriculture over the past 60 years has severely degraded the UK’s soils. According to a recent government report, some of the most productive agricultural land in the country is at risk of becoming unprofitable within a generation as a result of soil erosion and loss of organic carbon. Poor soil health moreover increases the risk of flooding and threatens to undermine the UK’s efforts to mitigate climate change.
The IfA Soils team, led by Deborah Crossan, consists of passionate specialists who aim to reverse the depletion of our soils, while recognising and working with the pioneer farmers who are championing soil in the UK today.
In partnership with Farm Carbon Toolkit, Innovation for Agriculture runs the national Soil Farmer of the Year competition, which finds and champions farmers who lead the way in improving soil health and increasing the resilience of their farm business.
In addition, we discover what is exciting in research, applicable to the farm and desirable for the climate, promoting nature friendly farming which supports biodiversity, clean water and nutritional food.
By disseminating this knowledge within the farming community, IfA aims to bring about a lasting improvement in the management of the UK’s soil & water.
FREE Soil Testing Decision Support Toolkit
The decision support tool is designed to help farmers make informed decisions about where, what and how to test soils for specific areas of interest i.e if you are interested in soil biology, the tool will assist in what to look for, when to test, what tests to use and where these tests are available.
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