Growers who signed up for herbal leys as one of the 23 options from the 2023 Sustainable Farming Initiative programme should seek competent advice on the suitability of mixtures being sold as ‘SAM3 compatible’, Barenbrug UK says, as seed decisions loom.
The UK grass-seed breeder points out that while Defra has issued guidelines as to what will properly constitute a ‘herbal ley’ under the scheme, those guidelines are not yet mandatory.
“A seed mixture that has been constituted only to tick boxes against the SAM3 guidelines is perhaps not the best approach,” suggests Janet Montgomery, Barenbrug UK’s Agriculture Product Manager.
“While it may serve to meet the bare minimum required by the guidelines, it risks doing little or nothing to achieve the full intention of a herbal ley, environmentally or agronomically.
“The best herbal leys deliver improvements in soil health, structure and fertility, and increased biodiversity, while remaining agronomically productive,” Janet says.
“That’s the true spirit of the SFI: delivering environmental benefits with approachable principles that continue to deliver productivity as part of a conventional farming system,” she points out.
“Yet some mixtures labelled ‘SAM3’ might be little more than a standard mix with a ‘top-up’ of legumes and herbs.
“It’s a bit like buying an unknown brand of cola: while the label shows all the same ingredients as the top brand, there’s always a difference in taste. It’s all about know-how - knowing how to blend to get the best results.”
Similarly, a below-par seed blend is likely to result not just in a poor herbal ley, but unsatisfactory agronomic performance to boot, she warns.
“A herbal ley is a really approachable, accessible way to enter SFI,” observes Janet. “Done well, it will deliver – and will demonstrate that SFI doesn’t have to be difficult, or result in lower productivity, if the right agronomic decisions are made.
“Yet if someone’s had a bad experience as a result of a sub-standard mixture, who’ll want to come back to the idea of a herbal ley?”
Janet acknowledges that while the absence of firm guidelines makes it more difficult to ‘second-guess’ what will be deemed acceptable under SAM3 measures, Barenbrug’s approach has been to review its own experience of herbal leys and select species that are known to perform well when grown together, and which offer secondary benefits such as sward resilience.
“What’s more, when designing the SFI mixture, we made the decision to go ‘all out’ for the maximum recommended number of species. That’s five grasses, three legumes, and five herbs.
“We don’t yet know how SFI claims like SAM3 will be checked and enforced, but we believe pursuing the highest quality route ensures top-notch agronomic performance without compromise, while meeting all the environmental requirements that the scheme is designed to address.”
SAM3 promises payments of £382/ha through the planting of a herbal ley.
