Together with our partner farmers from VIN AGRO s.r.o., we continue with extensive data collection within several experiments focused on: i) the impact of no-till establishing (compared to deep ploughing), ii) various management methods for wildflower strips (strip mowing with biomass removal vs. gradual strip mulching vs. whole-area mulching of senescent vegetation), and iii) potential alternative uses by farmers (e.g. driving over the strips with agricultural machinery) — all in relation to invertebrate communities and vegetation development over time. The aim is to identify and fine-tune ways of establishing and managing wildflower strips that are both effective in supporting biodiversity and as practical as possible for farmers.
Supported by the project: Rationalisation of wildflower strip application to support biodiversity on arable land (SS07010296).
