Arable and improved grasslands

VERY DRAFT TEXT – NEEDS TO BE MORE POSITIVE ON BENEFITS OF ARABLE – SEEDS, NECTAR, NESTING SITES ETC ETC

What we need to do and where

Snapshot for arable and improved grasslands

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 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 that provide shelter and wildlife habitats and improve soils and water quality.

Focus Species:

Birds: farmland birds, especially cirl bunting, linnet, yellowhammer, skylark and woodlark.

Bats: especially greater horseshoe, lesser horseshoe, grey long-eared and barbastelle.

Plants: including cornflower, mousetail, prickly poppy, small-flowered catchfly, narrow-fruited cornsalad and broad-fruited cornsalad.

UK significance:

UK priority habitat: Arable field margins that are managed for wildlife (see Key pressures and opportunities below).

Statutory irreplaceable habitat: (Y/N).

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, where rainfall is lower and summer temperatures are higher than in the rest of the county. Grasslands that 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 use of fertilisers, herbicides, insecticides, clean crop seeds and new grassland seed mixes, and 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 have also led to huge declines in plants and insects, and the birds and bats 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 around Dartmouth and Kingsbridge where species such as small-flowered catchfly and cornflower can be found.  

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 below for more information.

ARABLE VALUABLE HABITAT – SEEDS, POLLEN ETC.

Sustainable agricultural businesses depend on healthy soils and wildlife (insects are natural pest controllers and pollinators). Many farmers across Devon now use approaches that ensure both productive farming and a healthy environment. These approaches have various names including Integrated Farm Management, integrated pest management and regenerative agriculture. Critically, 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 active agrochemical ingredients 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, the continued loss of products that protect plants and rising levels of resistance mean that the options for pesticides are shrinking. Integrated pest management (IPM) is a coordinated farm strategy that includes the use of insects as a natural pest control. See Find out more below for more information.

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Integrated Farm Management and regenerative farming

Integrated Farm Management and regenerative farming approaches aim to increase the health of crops and livestock through healthy soils, improved animal husbandry and farm planning while benefiting wildlife through less use of pesticides and fertilisers. There’s growing appreciation of how species-rich grasslands help to produce high-quality and high-nutritional value meat and dairy. See Find out more below for more information.

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Minimum tillage: pros and cons

Over much of the UK, methods of cultivation have changed from ploughing to minimum tillage. While this can minimise fossil fuel use and keep 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 spring cropping still happens in these areas.  

While since the late 1990s, agri-environment schemes have offered considerable benefits to farmland birds and arable plants, the inappropriate use of management options has led to the loss of important arable plant sites. Do we have any 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 because its very large area makes it hard to survey. However, it’s also because crop types, agricultural inputs and the timing of operations vary between years, which creates very different conditions. Rare arable plants can be dormant as seed in the soil for many years, only appearing 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 and payments

Agree text for current/future farm business context – markets/ changes to crops grown in Devon? / ELM

Arable and grasslands are basic elements of the agricultural landscape and 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 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 value for arable plants, are often undersubscribed. It would 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.

See Find out more below for links to detailed guidance and sources of funding and advice.

Actions for arable and improved grassland

Note: we’ll make the wording of the actions consistent across the LNRS (with farmland birds, arable plants etc.) and will number them before the public consultation.

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

Actions should be based on an understanding of existing and potential wildlife value (such as rare arable plants and birds) 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).
  • Establish and maintain pollen and nectar flower mixes for invertebrates and seed mixes to provide food for birds during the winter (known as ‘bumblebird’ mixes). Ensure that this does not impact on rare arable plants.
  • Where possible grow spring cereals with weedy winter stubbles. Allow a green cover to regenerate naturally 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 and species-poor permanent grasslands

  • Create and manage unploughed flower-rich field margins. Ensure that this does not impact on rare arable plants that need cultivation.
  • Sow legume and herb-rich mixes to improve the wildlife value of species-poor grass leys.  
  • Sensitively introduce legume and herb-rich mixes to species-poor permanent grasslands.
  • Reduce and target the use of fertilisers and pesticides by adopting Integrated Farm Management (IFM) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approaches.
  • Increase tree cover through agroforestry systems, and by allowing hedge trees to grow, to provide shelter for stock, improve water and soil health and provide wildlife habitat. See Trees outside woodlands.
  • 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 below for suggestions on how to improve the definition of arable field margins and improve systems for monitoring arable wildlife.

Other relevant actions

More detailed actions are set out for the following Focus Species:

  • Flowering plants and ferns: Arable plants
  • Birds: Lowland farmland birds

Follow the links below to the relevant Focus Species pages as well as to relevant habitat and wider theme pages:

Where to focus action

Wildlife will benefit from these actions being implemented across Devon. However, actions are prioritised to the following High Opportunity Areas (in bold). See Mapping for the LNRS Viewer and information on how areas have been mapped.

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

3. Inspiration

Case studies

Case studies and Where to visit will be agreed following discussion through public consultation period and then finalised.

There’s lots of great work going on across Devon for arable and improved grasslands. For example:

Include case studies of south Devon farmers taking action for arable plants and cirl buntings.

Where to visit

Always follow the Countryside Code and keep to footpaths and sites which are managed for public access. A few examples of places to go are given below, for information on visiting these and other sites see the Explore Devon website.

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

4. Find out more

Add more links and tidy up, and finalise following discussion through public consultation.

Baseline assessment tools / survey

LandApp

Soil Association Exchange

FWAG

A review of Devon Farm Advice was 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
  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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