KindHarvest summary: Flower-rich field margins can do more than satisfy an environmental scheme. Two English growers are working with researchers to learn how the placement, plant mix and establishment of flowering habitat can support insects that prey on crop pests and reduce reliance on insecticides.
Two farms, different starting points
At Birkdale Farm in North Yorkshire, Frances and James Standen had gone four years without insecticide applications. Long-established six-metre flower margins supported ladybirds, parasitic wasps and ground beetles, while direct drilling, herbal leys and sheep formed part of the wider system. Their observations were promising, but they wanted monitoring data to show which insects were present and whether the strips were in the best locations.
At Approach Farm near York, Angus Gowthorpe combined no-till, a diverse rotation, cover and catch crops, grass margins, flowering margins and herbal leys. He had also stopped using insecticides, but wanted clearer guidance on which flowers attract particular predators and how far apart habitat features should be.
The field lab question
Six farmers joined an AHDB-supported Innovative Farmers field lab to compare flower mixes, establishment methods and the distribution of flowering features. The work recognised that results must be tested in functioning farms rather than assuming one design will suit every soil, rotation and pest pressure.
What farmers can take from it
Beneficial insects need food, shelter and continuity of habitat. Flowering margins, hedges, reduced soil disturbance and diverse crops can help, but farms still need to monitor pest and predator populations before changing controls. See also KindHarvest’s brief on how beneficial insects can help farmers control pests.
Source and credit
This KindHarvest Team brief is based on reporting by Richard Allison for Farmers Weekly, published 9 May 2022. Read the full Farmers Weekly article.