Testing soil compaction

We have bought a rather rudimentary soil compaction tester to see at what the level in the soil we have soil compaction and how this could affect root establishment and plant development

Plots continue to grow

As the cover crops grow - the impact of soil compaction can be seen as some plants are much shorter than others.

Moles are busy

Now the soil has fully defrosted the moles have been very busy!

Soil washing away

I took this picture of a field drain at the weekend during the heavy rainfall. It shows the amount of run-off from the fields. The soil that is also being washed off is bad news for the farmer because we need the soil in the field to grow good quality crops. It is also bad news for the water companies if the soil fills up the reservoirs further downstream with silt!