No Drills

No, not a post about losing a drill from my toolbox, but about sustainable and more efficient ways of farming.

I was listening to a farmer on Radio 4 interviewing other arable farmers who have taken experimental approaches to their production.

One farmer he spoke to had moved to no drill agricultural production whereby, rather than ploughing an entire field prior to sowing seed, he used a slicer to cut very narrow channels into his field, into which the seed is laid and the turf folded back into position. Using this methodology, the field remains looking natural with a covering that looks like a hay field ready for cutting.

The farmer maintained he had much similar results overall, but substantially increased his profitability as he wasn't spending vast sums on ploughing, fertilising and weeding. He said yield was for vanity and profitability was for sanity. Additionally, rather than his contribution to nature being limited to the hedgerows, his entire field was a nature reserve.

Not only that, but he was always told to use a certain insecticide on his crop due to the prevalence of aphids, but leaving the field au naturel attracted beetles which predated on the aphids, so he saved on insecticide too.

He said that the internet allows experimental farmers to share their experiences, whether bad or good, for the benefit of all, rather than experimentation being restricted and filtered through normal channels, such as the Royal Agricultural College, which has only finite resources.

Apparently, some 40% of the world's crop goes to waste, 15% of that being before ever getting off the farm, which is an incredible amount.