A systems-level evaluation of conservation agriculture within the UK

Soil degradation is one of the greatest challenges facing us today. Conservation agriculture is proposed as a means of reducing soil degradation associated with food production. Conservation agriculture is predicated on no-till management practice with direct drilling of seeds to achieve minimal disturbance of the soil combined with cover crops and the return of crop residues to the soil. The aim is to disturb the soil and its biological communities as little as possible, while facilitating them to do work that traditionally the plough and agrochemicals would otherwise do.
This project aims to take a systems-level approach, comparing the performance of two agricultural management systems in a replicated and randomised experiment in which the agronomy is specifically designed for each system by experts in each management practice. This project will then investigate the impacts on soil health, both at the macro and micro-scales, as well as impacts on water flow, soil erosion, greenhouse gas emissions, and carbon footprints of the two management systems. Costs and returns will be analysed to economically evaluate risks and externalities of the two systems. This multidisciplinary approach will allow an objective investigation into the environmental and economic impacts of conservation agriculture for UK farmers and society.