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The Carbon Positive project aims to “Regenerating Soil Carbon in soils used to grow intensive field crops on the Heretaunga Plains”.
The trials compare three growing systems including conventional best practice, hybrid combining the best of both and regenerative systems which aims to reduce soil tillage, use of chemicals and improve soil carbon as an indicator for healthy soils.
Winter cover crops included annual rye grass grazed with lambs on the conventional trail and has since been sprayed out, the soils fully cultivated and planted in peas for McCains then to be followed by a bean crop.
On the Hybrid and Regenerative trials a mix of Oats, Vetch (legume), Clover, Tillage Radish(Daikon), Buckwheat and Sunflowers were grown as cover crop over the winter.
The aim of the mixed planting is to encourage diversity in root depths with some legumes to enhance the soil biome and promote soil health.
One key learning from the Carbon Positive trail so far is the careful consideration of cover crops and the critical timings for termination and transition from cover crop to the next commercial crop are critical.

The Hybrid cover crop was sprayed out using herbicide with minimum soil disturbance and the peas
were planted by direct drill. The hybrid pea crop will be followed with a bean crop this season.
Both the Conventional and Hybrid pea crops are now germinating.

The success of roller crimping seems to be determined by the maturity of the different species in the cover crop and question remains, can roller crimping successfully terminate the cover crop and weeds leaving a ground cover weed free that can be direct drilled into.
Or the use of a herbicide to ensure termination them sow the beans using direct drill.
Other considerations are the different levels of nitrogen and moisture in the soil for the different trials and how they will be managed in the future.
Field walks take place every Thursday at LandWISE, Ruahapia Road if you are interested to come along drop us an email on info@hbfuturefarming.org to confirm times.

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