LEAF
 

SHOWCASE

This project is focused on SHOWCASing synergies between agriculture, biodiversity and ecosystem services to help farmers capitalising on native biodiversity and is dedicated to the integration of biodiversity into farming practices.

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The project aims to deliv­er new insights and inno­v­a­tive tools facil­i­tat­ing the agri­cul­tur­al sector’s tran­si­tion towards more sus­tain­able farm­ing, and thus help meet wider soci­etal needs. The project has been running since 2020 and ends in late 2025, involving 23 member organisations across 15 countries. 

SHOWCASE project website

Cover crop trials

In partnership with the Uni­ver­si­ty of Read­ing, LEAF recruited 16 farm­ers across the UK as part of a Euro­pean wide net­work of Exper­i­men­tal Bio­di­ver­si­ty Areas (EBAs). The farms took part in tri­als look­ing at how dif­fer­ent species of cov­er crops dif­fer in their frost tol­er­ance, aiming to test how cover crop frost tolerance can affect biodiversity, ecosystem functions and yield on UK arable farms.

In contrast to traditional research approaches, these trials were developed through a co-design process, where researchers and farmers worked together to decide what topic to study. This was done through a series of workshops and meetings, where the farmers mapped out key topics and issues they were interested in, eventually agreeing on cover cropping as the study subject.

Frost sensitive species tested: Early English Vetch, Berseem Clover, Black Oats, Buckwheat

Frost tolerant species tested: Winter Vetch, Crimson Clover, Protector Rye, Linseed

An overview of the key traits of different cover crop species, including rooting depth, root type and frost hardiness, can be found here.
 

Key results from the cover crop trials

  • Doubled plant ground cover & biomass during cover cropping
  • Halved weed abundance during cover cropping
  • Increased spider abundance by 40% & family richness by 25% during cover cropping
  • Increased earthworm abundance by 40% & biomass by 50% during cover cropping & in the subsequent crop
  • Marginally improved soil structure & moisture retention during cover cropping & in the subsequent crop
  • Improved microbial decomposition rates during cover cropping

You can hear more about the trial results in this webinar recording with Dr Amelia Hood of the University of Reading.

LEAF has produced a farm board graphic about the benefits of cover crops, which can be downloaded and used as a free educational resource on your farm.

Download here.