Reducing crop inputs is most durable when it follows better soil and plant function. Farmers Weekly profiled two arable businesses at different points in that process, showing both the savings available and the caution needed when cutting fertiliser and crop protection.
Rick Davies: question each pass
At Newton Lodge Farms, Rick Davies had used strip tillage since 2012, produced about 500 tonnes of compost each year, applied sewage cake and used cover crops where rotations allowed. Soil organic matter, water holding and drought tolerance improved.
His wheat fungicide cost was £80–90 per hectare, while herbicide spending fell from £60 to £10 per hectare as hand roguing replaced some chemical control. Phosphorus, potassium and insecticide use also declined, although Davies did not yet believe the system was ready for major nitrogen cuts.
Michael Kavanagh: seven years of incremental change
At Church Farm in Shropshire, Michael Kavanagh managed 200 hectares of arable crops with zero tillage, no seed treatments, insecticides, plant-growth regulators or routine phosphorus and potassium on the main rotation. Winter-wheat nitrogen had fallen to 165 kg/ha, and the previous crop received only one fungicide.
Cover crops, sheep, a wider rotation, manure and plant-tissue testing supported the reductions. Soil organic matter rose from 2.5% to 3.25% over six years. Reported wheat yield reached 10 tonnes per hectare after quinoa, and most crop gross margins exceeded £1,000/ha.
Reduce inputs as evidence permits
Both farms underline that fertiliser and fungicide decisions interact. Excess nitrogen can increase crop susceptibility, but cutting too quickly can sacrifice yield before nutrient cycling is ready. Small trials, tissue tests, cost records and gradual steps make the transition a business process rather than a leap of faith.
Read the full case studies
Regenerative Agriculture: How to start reducing crop inputs was written by Louise Impey for Farmers Weekly. Figures and farm experiences are credited to Rick Davies and Michael Kavanagh.