Above Ground Biodiversity
Improving our biodiversity is central to our 2030 strategy and our ambition in relation to regenerative agriculture.
Through our transition to regenerative agriculture and habitat creation across all our farms we will build ecosystems that will maintain active and diverse populations of beneficials.
Our approach will build on local farm and site action to improve habitats and ecosystems and implement a consistent recording and reporting format. We will use our data to inform our decisions and drive our work to improve biodiversity on all the land that we own or control..”
IPM - Integrated Pest Management
We are developing biodiverse areas across the farm, both within and between cropped fields, increases the health of our on-farm ecosystem.
These areas serve as refuge, feeding and breeding sites for farmland birds, mammals and insects all of which regulate pest numbers by directly feeding on pest organisms.
Across our farms, 13% of our total area has been designated to developing biodiverse habitats in order to benefit the health of our farm, in-time reducing our need for pesticides.
Sustainable Wireworm IPM
Over the past two seasons, we have been working with Fera in a multi stakeholder study to understand the impact of wiremorm.
Current work is on continuing life history studies, monitoring click beetles across spring and summer, and filling in some gaps in the data around time from oviposition to larvae appearing and the duration over which oviposition takes place. We also continue to DNA barcode any different species which are found.
Our Approach to Biodiversity
To improve our biodiversity we will follow a continuous improvement cycle based on developing habitats to enable ecosystems which will support diverse species and organisims to thrive.
Not forgetting quality improvements related to taste, texture and visual improvements that enhance overall consumer enjoyment of our crops.
We will improve our local biodiversity, through active habitat management development and reporting of habitat management, building to ecosystem reporting through a three-step process.
- Establish Habitat Baseline
- Target and Track Habitat Improvement
- Establish Species Counting & Reporting Capability
