Arable and improved grasslands

Pictures need changing.

What we need to do and where

Arable land, Veronica White

Snapshot

What wildlife rich looks like:

Healthy soils and management practices allow a wide range of plants to grow in margins and in-field. Rare arable plants thrive in areas of low-intensity arable. Plants provide pollen, nectar and seeds (especially in winter) for invertebrates and birds. Birds and bats in turn feed on the invertebrates. Adjacent hedges and scrub provide shelter, nesting sites and food for birds, insects and other wildlife.  There are more trees in fields and hedges providing shelter and wildlife habitats and improving soils and water quality.

Focus Species:

Farmland birds (especially cirl bunting, linnet, yellowhammer, skylark, woodlark), bats (especially greater horseshoe, lesser horseshoe, grey long-eared and barbastelle), arable plants (including cornflower, mousetail, prickly poppy, small-flowered catchfly and narrow-fruited cornsalad and broad-fruited cornsalad).

Status:

Arable field margins which are managed for wildlife are a UK Priority Habitat (see Pressures and Opportunities)

1. About

All needs discussing and editing with the farming group (most of actions relate to CS options)

Arable land in Devon is concentrated in the south and east of Devon where rainfall is lower and summer temperatures are higher than in the rest of the county.  Grasslands which are sown and managed for agriculture are found across all Devon’s lowland landscapes. Due to Devon’s mild, wet climate and rich soils grasslands are now the dominant land use.   

There have been huge changes in agriculture across Devon, particularly in the post war drive to increase food production. Changes such as increased fertilisers, herbicides, insecticides, clean crop seeds, new grassland seed mixes, the introduction of silage, larger machinery and autumn sowing of crops have all led to an increase in crop, livestock and dairy yields.  Unfortunately these changes also led to huge declines in plants and insects as well as  the birds and bats which they support.

The flora of many arable fields in Devon is now species-poor and dominated by a few species such as chickweed, scentless mayweed and fat-hen. Less common species such as small-flowered buttercup, and weasel’s snout are still widespread.  Some of the best areas for rare arable plants are fields near around Dartmouth and Kingsbridge with species such as small-flowered catchfly and cornflower.  

Formerly widespread farmland birds such as corn bunting, turtle dove, grey partridge and lapwing have virtually disappeared from south-west England, while others including yellowhammer and skylark are very localised. An exception is the cirl bunting which has recovered from very low numbers in the 1980s due to actions taken by south Devon farmers, see Inspiration. 

Healthy wildlife (insects are natural pest controllers and pollinators) and soils are critical for sustainable agricultural businesses. Many farmers across Devon are now using approaches which ensure both productive farming and a healthy environment. These approaches have various names including Integrated Farm Management, integrated pest management and regenerative agriculture. Importantly they combine new technology and research with traditional farming methods.  ????

Key pressures and opportunities

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Pesticides and integrated pest management

While the volume of agrochemical active ingredient applied to arable farmland has decreased and targeting has improved, the compounds used have become considerably more effective both in intensity and spectrum of activity. 

However rising costs, continued loss of plant protection products and rising levels of resistance mean that the options for pesticides are shrinking. Integrated pest management (IPM) is a coordinated farm strategy which includes the use of insects as a natural pest control. See Find out more for links.

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Integrated farm management / regenerative farming

Integrated Farm Management and regenerative farming approaches aim to increase crop and livestock health through healthy soils, improved animal husbandry and farm planning as well as benefiting wildlife through reducing the use of pesticides and fertilisers. There is growing appreciation of how species-rich grasslands help to produce high-quality and high-nutritional value meat and dairy.  See links in Find out more.    

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Minimum tillage – pros and cons

Methods of cultivation have changed from ploughing to minimum tillage over much of the UK.  While this can minimise fossil fuel use and retain organic matter in the soil, it can lead to soil compaction, reduced soil health and carbon storage, increased water and soil run-off and the accumulation of perennial and annual grass weeds at the expense of other arable plants.

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Loss and lack of appreciation of low-intensity arable

Arable land in the west of the UK, especially on poor soils near the coasts is being taken out of cultivation and converted primarily to intensive dairy pasture and silage production.  Arable fields in coastal areas of south and east Devon are hotspots for rare arable plants and farmland birds such as cirl buntings – often because these spring cropping still occurs in these areas.  

While agri-environment schemes have since the late 1990s offered considerable benefits to farmland birds and arable plants, the inappropriate use of management options have led to the loss of important arable plant sites.  examples?    Likewise low-intensity arable could be converted to grassland due to a misconception that this is better for wildlife.

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Problems with surveying for arable wildlife

In comparison with other habitats the wildlife value of arable is relatively poorly known.  This is partly due to its very large area causing surveying problems. It is also due to crop types, agricultural inputs and timing of operations varying between years creating very different conditions. Rare arable plants can spend years being dormant as seed in the soil and appear when conditions such as weather and crop management are right.  Farmland birds move around to find suitable habitats as cropping changes. 

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Delivery – cost savings, voluntary, payments

Agree text for current/future farm business context – markets/ changes to crops grown in Devon? / ELMArable and grasslands are a basic elements of the agricultural landscape and are of great economic value.  Any changes to their management must be evaluated within this context and if necessary financed as payments for public goods. Implementing actions for nature (such as integrated pest management) can lead to cost savings, especially in the long term. Some simple actions can be done voluntarily for the enjoyment of helping and seeing wildlife. Others will need funding either through farmers being paid more for products or through public funding.. Arable and grassland options are a key component of current agri-environment schemes, although some including those which are of most valuable of these for arable plants are often undersubscribed.  Be good to say more about ELM here……

2. What we need to do and where

Priority

Nature friendly and productive arable and agricultural grasslands across Devon, particularly providing habitat for Focus Species.

Actions for all Arable and improved grasslands

For more detailed information on the headline actions below see links in Find out more.

Note: we will ensure that wording of actions is consistent across the LNRS (with farmland birds, arable plants etc) – they will be numbered prior to public consultation.

Manage arable fields/margins and agricultural grasslands for plants, insects and ground nesting birds

Actions should be based on an understanding of existing and potential wildlife value (rare arable plants, birds etc) and include:

Arable

  • Create and manage cultivated field margins or plots for arable plants. Cultivate in the spring or autumn so that rare arable plants can grow from the seedbank. Leave until 31 August without applying fertilisers or pesticides (other than spot treating injurious weeds if needed).
  • Where possible grow spring cereals with weedy winter stubbles. Allow a green cover to naturally regenerate on winter stubbles and leave this in the ground for as long as possible to benefit farmland birds and prevent soil erosion.
  • Leave bare areas in and around crops in the spring and summer for nesting skylarks and woodlarks.
  • Create vegetated buffer strips (minimum 4m) to help protect wildlife habitats such as hedgerows, watercourses, ponds and  woodlands.

Arable / grass leys / species poor permanent grasslands

  • Establish and maintain pollen and nectar flower mixes for invertebrates / winter bird food seed mixes to provide small seeds for birds during the winter /  ‘bumblebird’ mixes.  Ensure that this doesn’t impact on rare arable plants.
  • Create and manage unploughed flower rich field margins. Ensure that this option doesn’t impact on rare arable plants that require cultivation.
  • Improve the wildlife value of species poor grass leys through sowing legume and herb-rich mixes.  
  • Improve the wildlife value of permanent grasslands through changing management and re-sowing with locally sourced seed where needed.
  • Reduce the use of fertilisers and pesticides by adopting Integrated Farm Management (IFM) / Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approaches
  • Increase tree cover through agroforestry systems to provide shelter for stock, to improve water and soil health and provide wildlife habitat.
  • Improve soil health – see Soils.
  • Enter land with existing or potential wildlife value into agri-environment schemes under appropriate options.

Survey and awareness

  • Increase awareness and understanding of the wildlife value of arable habitats among farmers and conservation professionals. 
  • Increase surveys and monitoring of arable wildlife, particularly arable plants.

See Find out more for suggestions for improving the definition of arable field margins and improving systems for monitoring arable wildlife.

Other relevant actions

Read more about relevant habitats and themes, and look for these Focus Species and groups

  • Flowering plants and ferns: Arable plants

In the following pages:

Where to focus action

Nature everywhere:  Wildlife (particularly farmland birds) will benefit from these actions being implemented across Devon.   

Mapped High Opportunity Areas are:

  • Cirl bunting breeding areas
  • Woodlark zone
  • South Devon coastal arable plants (the South Devon coast is a stronghold for arable plants)

See Mapping.

3. Inspiration

Case studies

To discuss and agree farmers case studies  – include case studies of south Devon farmers taking action for arable plants and cirl buntings. 

Where to visit

Footpaths near Kingsbridge and Dartmouth can offer good opportunities for seeing arable plants and farmland birds, in particular cirl buntings.

4. Find out more

List below to be finalised through discussion –which are the most useful / used farming and nature websites?

Baseline assessment tools / survey – add links

LandApp

Soil Association Exchange

FWAG

Others?

A review of Devon Farm Advicewas carried out by Ash Future in 2022 for the Devon Local Nature Partnership and Climate Partnership. This has a list of recommendations which are set out in the LNRS.

The Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board has information on Integrated pest management (IPM) hub | AHDB

The principles of Integrated Farm Management which include nine elements of the entire farm business, sets out a holistic approach to farm management. Each element combined can help to reduce the use of fertiliser and pesticides by increasing crop and livestock health through healthy soils, improve animal husbandry and farm planning. Integrated Farm Management | LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming)

Agri-environment funding:  Government grants through either revenue or capital funding can help and information on these can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/funding-for-farmers    Capital grant finder – GOV.UK 

Question:  Farming St Grp previously agreed that the LNRS shouldn’t list CS measures as these can change.  Which are the best links to include here?

Hurford C, Storkey J, Swan E, Wilson PJ (2024).  Reversing declines in arable biodiversity: challenges and opportunities.  British Wildlife.

Wilson PJ & King M (2003).  Arable Plants – a field guide.  Wild Guides.

Suggested national actions

Arable Field Margins are a Priority Habitat in Section 41 of the NERC Act 2006.  They are however poorly defined, and as described can include any area of land under arable cultivation managed with the intention of benefitting biodiversity.  The extent of this area is vast and no biodiversity criteria are specified.  The definition excludes land which although not managed specifically for wildlife, is of very high ecological value. 

This definition should therefore be changed, and a more explanatory name used.  The following criteria may be more appropriate and could be considered in Devon:

  1. Land that is regularly (but not necessarily annually) cultivated as part of an arable rotation.
  2. Can include field margins, parts of fields or whole fields
  3. Permanent perennial margins and field boundaries are excluded
  4. Land having an assemblage of arable plants scoring ≥5 on the Plantlife IAPA system (see Find out more below)
  5. Land containing a population of a single plant species scoring ≥7 on the Plantlife IAPA system
  6. Land forming part of the range of a population of a farmland bird of conservation concern
  7. Land forming part of the range of a population of another farmland species of conservation concern

Although arable habitats are included in The National Vegetation Classification (Rodwell, 2000), the data on which the accounts are based are very old, predating many of the recent changes in the arable flora.  A revision of this classification is needed to enable assessment of conservation priorities.  There are no currently accepted standard botanical survey or condition assessment methods for arable habitats, and no national register of biodiverse arable sites.  These are significant obstacles to the conservation of arable biodiversity.

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