Morley/Wensum
Background
Morley (Attleborough, Norfolk) is a c.800 ha arable farm owned by The Morley Agricultural Foundation (TMAF) and farmed commercially by Morley Farms. Soils are sandy loam or sandy clay loam and rotations involve wheat, barley, oilseed rape, sugar beet and pulses. The site has hosted field experiments and knowledge exchange activities with the farming community for c.50 years and also has strong links to the local Wensum Demonstration Test Catchment (DTC) project. A key challenge for East Anglian arable farms is how to modify systems to improve productivity/profitability and reduce consumption (energy and inputs). Soil management and fertility are critical, and are key components of the Morley based New Farming Systems (NFS) project (supported by TMAF and the JC Mann Trust).
SIP research at Morley
The SIP platform will work closely with NFS research, Wensum DTC and local farms to evaluate arable interventions around three systems (as follows) and assess their impact sustainable intensification:
- System A:
Deep non-inversion cultivation with cover crops, plus other modified management practices as necessary. - System B:
Low intensity soil disturbance with cover crops, plus other modified management practices as necessary. - Conventional (C):
'standard' (typically plough-based) cultivation and management practices, with no cover crops.
Farm walks and discussions are scheduled at Morley Farms throughout the year. View our calender to see upcoming events.
Demonstrations
Links to related sites