KindHarvest summary: Kent farmer Doug Wanstall outlined an ambitious plan in 2022 to remove synthetic nitrogen fertiliser from wheat and oilseed rape by combining legumes, compost, biological inputs and on-farm trials.
What the farm was changing
Wanstall’s 485-hectare arable business also included Sussex cattle and laying hens. His plan used lucerne in the rotation, composted manure and straw, frass-based preparations, worm extracts and fermented fish emulsion to build fertility and nutrient cycling.
The farm had already reduced manufactured nitrogen in milling wheat from a previous level near 270 kilograms per hectare to about 120 kilograms per hectare. Wanstall still kept foliar or bagged nitrogen available as a safety net because the system was experimental and crop performance remained the priority.
Evidence and limits
Several parts of the program were at an early trial stage. A partnership with the University of Kent was intended to turn the farm into a living laboratory and improve the quality of the evidence over time.
This is a farm case study, so the inputs and targets should not be treated as a universal recipe. Soil type, rotation, nutrient budgets, livestock integration and local regulation all affect whether a similar transition is practical.
Source and credit
This KindHarvest Team case-study brief is based on reporting by Mike Abram for Farmers Weekly, published 18 July 2022. Read the original Farmers Weekly article.