Increasing Margins

Brian Finch, Countryside Management Adviser, DARD

Land managed under an agri-environment scheme agreement must retain a 1 metre wide strip along hedges which cannot be cultivated, sprayed or fertilised. On arable farms this margin can be increased by up to 12 metres by establishing a rough grass field margin. These margins are sown strips of uncultivated grasses to create an important habitat for wildlife.

Benefits

Grass margins provide an over-wintering habitat for many beneficial insects and spiders that will feed on crop pests in the spring. They also provide an ideal feeding habitat for birds which may nest at ground level such as yellowhammers and meadow pipits. Skylarks tend to nest towards the centre of fields but they may use the outer edges of rough grass margins. For maximum wildlife benefit grass margins should be sited adjacent to a hedge, scrub, woodland or watercourse.

Arable headlands are often prone to soil compaction resulting in reduced productivity. Establishing a grass margins on these sites can transform them into a valuable asset for wildlife.

Management

Rough grass margins must be:

sown with a mixture of non-cultivated grasses, for example, cocksfoot, Yorkshire fog, common bent, creeping fescue, rough stalked meadow grass, red fescue, sheep’s fescue and meadow foxtail.
between 2 and 12 metres wide and cover at least 50 percent of the perimeter.
retained for at least three years (preferably five years) and cut three times in the first year when the grass reaches 10cm high to encourage tillering.

Rough grass margins must not be:

grazed, cultivated, fertilised or sprayed with herbicides or pesticides after establishment.
used as supplementary feeding sites or storage area for manure, baled silage or straw.
used as a headland or laneway.

Focus Farmer

Arable and environmental focus farmer Tim McClelland has established one hectare of Rough Grass Margins on his farm at Tandragee. Tim has seen the benefits of this option in reducing the impacts of soil compaction and the increased wildlife activity. He recently hosted a farm walk looking at the various arable Countryside Management Scheme enhancement options he has implemented under the Countryside Management Scheme.

Tim McClellend (left) discussing rough grass margins with David Bleakney (right) from Tandragee