Soil specialists from Kellogg’s Origins programme will speak at this year’s Groundswell farming conference on June 29th to advise farmers on how to boost crop productivity.
Kellogg’s Origins farmer Phil Jarvis and NIAB soil expert, Nathan Morris, will be speaking at the event, sharing their experiences and the results of the Origins-funded cover crop trial. This is one of the UK’s largest on–farm cover crop trials looking at improving soil management, with the ultimate aim of enhancing the quality of grain.
Nathan Morris will share his insight into how farmers can use cover crops to develop their farming systems and improve their soil structure and stability, whilst maintaining crop productivity. The NIAB soil specialist will explain how the farmer-led research looked at a range of cover crop techniques and focussed on best practice for soil management on a range of sites and scenarios.
Also speaking at the conference on June 29th is farm ecosystems expert Phil Jarvis.
Manager at the Allerton Project, Loddington Estate, Phil will share a wealth of his practical research-based experience in making soil more resilient and sustainable. He will discuss practises from Loddington, a 333 hectare farm growing winter wheat, winter oilseed rape, winter and spring oats and winter and spring beans, including wheat for Kellogg’s. These practices include widening rotations, introducing cover crops and making the transition towards direct drilling.
Speaking ahead of Groundswell, Phil Jarvis, said: “I am really looking forward to speaking at the event on behalf of the Kellogg’s Origins Programme, it is important farmers and big businesses work together to help those in the industry adopt productive, sustainable ways of working.
“Sustainability is really important. All in all, some 10 per cent of the land I work at Loddington is out of production and is for environmental enhancement to achieve benefits to water, pollinators, plants and other wildlife.
“Landscape management is about a balance and a partnership. All sides have to recognise the importance of the need to deliver economic and environmental benefits.”
A spokesperson from Kellogg’s Origins, Haaye Boonstra, said: “At Kellogg’s we’re very proud of our Origins programme. It brings us closer to farmers and the grains they produce, much of which goes into our food. Our purpose as a company is to nourish families so they can flourish and thrive and we believe that all starts with healthy soil and what grows in that soil.”
For more information or images please contact the Kellogg’s press office on pressoffice@kellogg.com or 0161 8695500.
