May 29, 2025
Phosphate, cover crops, companion crops, and quality seeds – our hot topics at Groundswell
Managing soil phosphate levels more efficiently, the continued roles for cover and companion crops, and the importance of sowing quality seeds for maximum environmental and economic gains.
All will be key themes on the ProCam stand (DF C39) at this year’s Groundswell regenerative agriculture festival, taking place on 2–3 July, at Lannock Farm, Hertfordshire, SG4 7EE.
Rob Adamson our Head of Technical Development says that balancing crop requirements for nitrogen with the environmental risks of nitrate run-off and protecting nitrate vulnerable zones have long been key drivers for more efficient use of nitrogen. But water pollution from phosphate (P) is of equal concern — especially with increasingly variable UK weather. That’s why at ProCam we are actively investigating alternative strategies to help mitigate risks, while ensuring a crop is sufficiently nourished.
“We encourage making better use of soil analysis to not only gain information on the levels of P in the soil but also the amount available to the plant,” says Rob.
“With this knowledge, decisions can then be made to better harvest soil reserves of P, or target areas where crop P requirements are potentially higher than anticipated. Strategies can involve the use of cover and companion crops to aid mobilisation of this essential macro nutrient, and the use of chemical and biological solutions. For example, a soil-applied treatment to liberate more of the soil’s P reserves and make more available to the plant can be a key tool to reduce the need for additional P inputs.
“The use of FieldSense variable rate precision farming technology to align P applications more effectively to the P index variability across a field is also a fundamental tool to target applications where they’re most needed. Other techniques include tissue testing to benchmark success through the season.
“The overall aims are to help farmers use P more judiciously and achieve environmental gains while maintaining or even improving economic crop output.”
At Groundswell we’ll be highlighting the wider benefits of continuing to include cover and companion crops in rotations — not just for improving nutrient availability, but also for pest or weed management, carbon capture, soil structure, and crop resilience. Allied to this, with a range of cover, companion and forage crop seeds available through its Field Options ProCam Performance Seeds range, we will also emphasise the importance of growing these crops properly to achieve maximum gains, rather than simply on a least-cost basis.
“Growing cover or companion crops isn’t simply a box ticking exercise to say you’ve planted the seed,” he says. “To achieve real benefits, they need to be established correctly, at the correct seed rate, and using quality seeds that have been specifically selected for performance and the role they’re playing. Just like any other crop on the farm, they also need managing correctly to get the agronomic and economic rewards they offer.”
Come along to the ProCam stand DF C39 and talk to our experts about maximising the performance of your soil.
