Healthy soil and clean water are the foundations of a productive farm. Good soil management boosts profitability, while smart nutrient use cuts fertiliser costs and protects the environment. FWAG South West advisers offer expert guidance to improve soil health, optimise manure use, and ensure compliance with regulations like NVZs and the Farming Rules for Water.
Soil Management Plans
Soil risks vary across a farm due to factors like texture, slope, rainfall, and cropping. We provide practical, user-friendly Soil Management Plans to reduce soil loss, manage flood risk, and improve soil structure. Our plans include:
- Field Risk Assessment – Highlighting the degree of inherent risk in individual fields.
- Cropping Risk and Soil Assessment – Understanding the level of risk associated with a particular crop to soil condition and soil information such as Soil Organic Matter.
- Action Plan – Tailored recommendations to improve soil health based on previous sections and existing issues recorded.
These plans meet the requirements for the SFI Soil Management Plan action and, if desired, include assessments such as Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS) and worm counts for deeper insights into soil health. Strategic land management and soil structure improvements included in these plans can also help mitigate flood risk by improving infiltration and reducing runoff.
Nutrient Management Plans
Optimising nutrient use is key to cutting costs and protecting water quality. Our Nutrient Management Plans offer:
- Field-by-field nutrient recommendations.
- A review of measures to improve nutrient use efficiency.
- Guidance on balancing manure applications with crop needs to prevent nutrient overloads.
These plans meet SFI nutrient management requirements and are particularly valuable for farms aiming to bring soil phosphate levels back to target levels. Effective nutrient management can also reduce the risk of diffuse pollution and help prevent regulatory action.
Our Nutrient Management Services:
- Soil sampling
- Manure nutrient sampling
- Manure nutrient loading assessments through estimation of manures generated vs farm nutrient requirements
- Manure Management Plans (timing & application strategies)
- Field-specific nutrient management plans and efficiency reviews to improve nutrient use & environmental standards – suitable for the SFI Nutrient Management Plan Action specification
- Farm Nutrient Balances (N, P, K imports vs. exports) and advice on enhancing efficiency
- Field manure spreading risk maps to help prevent runoff and water pollution
Diffuse Pollution & Flood Risk
Regulations are tightening on soil and nutrient losses. The Farming Rules for Water now enforce action if over 1 hectare of soil is lost where reasonable precautions haven’t been taken. FWAG South West helps farmers match land use to capability, adopt best practices, and stay compliant. Improved soil structure and appropriate manure application planning also play a key role in reducing flood risk.
We also provide maize field risk assessments and advice on suitable variety selection, ensuring compliance as the Environment Agency increases scrutiny on maize-growing practices. Demonstrating a risk-reducing approach can help safeguard against regulatory action.
For expert advice on soil health, nutrient efficiency and compliance please contact our adviser team.
You will find other useful information on our Resource Library page.