New in the mix – CPM – Ed Brown

For those wanting to strike a balance between improving soil health and providing better forage for grazing, MaxiGraze is the ideal choice, explains Ed.

“While single species forage crops, grown over-winter could technically be called cover crops, they deliver very few of the key soil health benefits that a multi-species cover crop does.

“That said, generating forage for sheep or cattle is important for some, so with this mix you have the option to do both. As growers start to explore more the potential of regenerative agriculture and how livestock may become an important part of arable rotations, this mix could help to tick a number of boxes.”

Forage rape, smart radish and stubble turnip are the three brassica species which provide the bulk of the forage in this mix and due to their three different growth habits, canopy, and root types, they still satisfy the requirement for diversity within the mix, he adds. “Smart radish has a thick tap root but also has lateral roots which explore the soil horizontally. It also produces a large amount of top growth for forage.

“Winter vetch and crimson clover provide quality forage as well as nitrogen fixation and further diversity of root growth. Linseed, while not as palatable as the other species, can be grazed and provides the all-important soil stability from its fine, fibrous root system.”

Species include: Linseed; fodder rape; smart radish; stubble turnip; winter vetch; crimson clover.

As it alludes to in the name, MaxiSpectrum delivers maximum diversity with 15 species, says Ed. “The plants in this mix will provide many different types of canopy architecture, root structure and growth habit which in turn provide a multitude of benefits to the soil, the environment, and the following crop.

“Every root type explores the soil in a different way and to different depths which helps to create excellent friable soil.

“The range of species all have their strengths in terms of extracting nutrients from the soil which means that overall nutrient cycling should be enhanced for the benefit of the following cash crop. Each species also produces slightly different root exudates and therefore interacts with soil microbes in their own unique way. This should result in an uplift of the total microbial population as well as supporting a more diverse population.

MaxiSpectrum also includes the “magic five” species recommended by Dr Caligari, a Brazilian scientist and leading expert on cover crops, who suggests that these five species (cereals, grasses, chenopods, brassicas, and legumes) grow symbiotically together and produce a mass of phenolic compounds. “It’s Dr Caligari’s belief that these compounds are powerful antioxidants, they stimulate soil life and fast track the formation of humus and therefore soil structure,” notes Ed.

Species include: Linseed; buckwheat; phacelia; sunflower; quinoa; daikon radish; fodder radish; brown mustard; fodder rape; hairy vetch; crimson clover; small blue pea; spring oat; forage rye; Japanese reed millet.

Regardless of the crop type or farming system, the health of the soil is always essential to deliver high quality produce in a sustainable way.

Cover crops are used in combinable crop systems to improve soil function, raise organic matter, improve fertility, and build biological activity. This in turn supports healthy, nutrient dense crops which are better able to fight off pests and diseases and cope with extremes in weather.

So why should fruit crops be any different?

The added challenge in orchards, hop yards and vineyards is that the soil between the fruit rows is run on by machinery frequently through the growing season, which can cause compaction problems, explains Ed. “With this in mind, the new MaxiFruit mix has been developed to provide all the soil benefits mentioned above, as well as hold up machinery better through its deep and diverse root types.

“It’s a perennial, grass-based mix but includes a number of legume and herb species. It’s also made up of species which do not grow too tall, to avoid potential agronomic issues. During the growing season it can be mown to manage the height which gives the opportunity to throw the cuttings under the fruit trees, providing a weed suppressive mulch and also contributing nutrients and organic matter.”

Species include: Creeping red fescue; crested dogstail; sheep fescue; sainfoin; ermo aliske; iona white clover; hairy vetch; birdsfoot trefoil; ox eye daisy; yellow rattle; yarrow; sheeps burnet; black medick.