www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I have come across land that has been ploughed to an extremely shallow depth that does little more than lift the surface vegetation and then leaves it to re-grow. I wonder if this is an alternative to grazing, cutting, burning, and similar. The effect replicates extensive mole activity where the ground is disturbed naturally.

One such site is the locality for a rare butterfly. Another close to where I live is managed by an environmentally conscientious landowner although the recent surface ploughing is a little deeper than the last time some five or six years ago. His land is then left to re-establish.

Two questions. Is this a standard environmental method? And secondly, is this a crafty way round the EU rules that require certain type of set-aside have to be re-ploughed every so many years?

Jack

Hi Jack - I was a metal detectorist for many years and have probably walked across thousands of fields ploughed and otherwise. There were several depths for various crops and then there was the scraping of fields which had been left for a year or two. I believe this was done to ensure that the growth was totally dead when it's eventually ploughed under. Other than that I can't really help, it could be something to with the Environmental stewardship programme. That's the ridiculous EU incentive based idea that creates sterlile useless areas whilst paying farmers more than they'd get for crops which at least benefit wildlife for part of the year.

Hi Jack, I believe they call it Min Till, some farmers like it done this way, some dont ..google Min Till for a lengthy explanation. They Min Till in my area ,and I found it was great benefit in winter for finches and buntings, partridges and larks. But now they have cut subsidies for grass strip set aside,both flora and fauna will struggle. Cheers IAC.