Pulse Pioneers at the Heart of the NCS Project & Innovation
The NCS scientists and researchers bring an unprecedented level of expertise to the project, but there’s no replacement for on-farm trials to show farmers what can be done.
On-farm trials within the project are designed to explore the potential of pulse crops in reducing carbon emissions and improving soil health. To enable this the British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN) recruited 10 farmers growing beans in the 2023-4 season and a further 10 for 2024-5.
With support from BOFIN the Pulse Pioneers each devise trials to compare the effects of their bean crops on soil health and subsequent crops. This rotational platform approach allows for comprehensive monitoring of the benefits of pulse crops throughout the rotation cycle.
“The Pulse Pioneers’ trials ensure that farmers are at the forefront of the NCS project and that the benefits that accrue from a switch into home-grown pulses are delivered primarily on farm, into a farmer’s pocket and the long-term sustainability of their business,” says Tom Allen-Stevens, BOFIN managing director.
The rotational platform allows the Pioneers to gather knowledge and data on the difference the pulse crop makes within their cropping systems. “In addition, all farmers are trialling practices and innovations to improve profitability and consistency of returns from the crop, whether that’s the effect of sulphur fertiliser, novel biostimulants or bi-cropping,” he adds.
There are some core benefits this approach brings for all farmers, deeply entrenched in what BOFIN aims to deliver across its Defra-funded projects, now involving 70 BOFIN member farmers in on-farm trials:
Real-world application: On-farm trials bring scientific innovation directly onto working farms, ensuring that research is practical and applicable.
Farmer-led research: Having farmers at the centre of the research process ensures that the trials address real agricultural needs and challenges.
Data collection: Farmers have proven capable of delivering scientifically valid data, adding significant value to the project’s progress.
Knowledge sharing: Pulse Pioneers are also required to act as ‘project ambassadors’ and share their findings and observations within and outside the project.
The farmers are engaged under contract to BOFIN and there are key aspects they have to deliver:
The in-field trials: a pea or bean field in which anarea is not growing a pulse crop (eg spring oats) that then comes back into the same crop as the rest of the field in the following year. An additional product/practice should be trialled across at least two tramlines.
Field and crop-monitoring data: This is managed through ADAS YEN (Yield Enhancement Network) with growers prompted to take soil, leaf and grain samples at key timings for analysis, along with field and plot yield-data.
Carbon footprint: Growers must complete an annual assessment of their business through the Farm Carbon Toolkit.
Project ambassador: Through PulsePEP, they publish details of the trial and their farming system, and join the discussion in the forum area, hosted by The Farming Forum. This activity, along with attendance at events and workshops accrue points with a target minimum total.
This brings them some key outputs, useful not just to their own system, but for all pulse growers looking to improve returns:
ADAS YEN report: More than 50 key parameters about their crop, benchmarked against other growers in the Pea or Bean YEN, for both their treated and untreated crop areas.
Soil mineral nitrogen analysis: N-Min data before and after the pulse crop to assess the nitrogen available to the following crop and the contribution made by the pulse crop.
Leaf sample analyses: Data through the year to help understand nutrient uptake by the crop.
Grain sample analyses: Data on both nutrient and nutritional content to understand nutrient uptake as well as the crop value as a livestock feed.
Farm Carbon Toolkit report: How the pulse crop influences the farm’s carbon emissions.
Throughout their involvement, BOFIN keeps the Pulse Pioneers in dialogue with the scientists engaged on the project to help both farmers and scientists progress farm practice, notes Tom.
“The industry has an understandable focus on ‘What Works’ to improve crop productivity. We aim to deliver the ‘So What’ – our farmers are gathering a valuable pool of data on their crop. We’re developing the tools to help them assess what it means to help them make better, data-informed decisions on how to improve their crop, the consistency of returns, and the value of pulses in the rotation.”