Potato Review

32 POTATO REVIEW NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 COVER CROPS The big cover-up L OOKING again at using cover crops to build soil structure and mitigate the e ects of increasing weather extremes could reap bene ts for growers in Scotland, it has been claimed. Zach Reilly of SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), is working with the Scottish Government- funded Farming for a Better Climate Soil Regenerative Agriculture Group. As facilitator of the three-year regenerative project, he said many growers in Scotland have been put o by the expense or extra work of establishing cover crops, combined with a short, often wet, weather window for it to gain ground. However, in recent months SAC Consulting has received a lot of enquiries from those reconsidering it. “We are increasingly seeing extreme weather patterns which can challenge crop growth as well as milder wetter winters and the pests and weed species that come with this. Cover cropping builds resilience in the soil to cope with extremes and, over Revisiting cover cropping in Scotland could be a saviour in increasing weather extremes. time, improves the chances of the crops that follow. Although growing cover crops will never be completely free, focusing on the benefits and driving down the costs can provide good justification for implementing it.” Cover cropping can reduce erosion and nutrient leaching, while also improving biodiversity and soil structure, all key principles of regenerative agriculture, said Zach. Of the ve growers involved in the Soil Regeneration Group, each growing di erent crops and trying di erent approaches, one is potato grower Hugh Black. Hugh farms in partnership with his father James at J & R Black at Carmyllie. e two farms imanaged by Hugh have been in the family since 1986. eir business extends to around 400 ha, 50 ha of which is rented ground. Although there is some variation in soil type, most soils at Backboath are sandy loams. As well as potato crops, James and Hugh produce winter wheat, winter and spring barley and “Cover crops are something we have started working with … It’s something we are finding is bettering the soils.” Hugh Black, J & R Black Carmyllie grower Hugh Black says potatoes are his most invasive crop.