This month, coordinator Elly Archer and learning network member Dave Pearson Smith, Manager of the Sugarloaf Regenerative Farm Partnership CIC, delivered a presentation on the Non-Chemical Bracken Management Learning Network and existing trials at the National Heathland Conference in Stafford.
Dave will be taking part in the new on-farm trials beginning this autumn, testing non-chemical approaches to bracken management. Trial farmers will compare methods such as livestock grazing, bale grazing and trampling with unmanaged areas and mechanical control techniques, while monitoring changes in bracken cover, biodiversity and soil health over time.
He is keen to take part in the trials to help inform the significant challenge of managing bracken across his land. During the event, he shared drone footage highlighting the scale of the issue and explained that he is particularly interested in exploring whether raising the cutter height on heathland areas could help control bracken without damaging the underlying heathland shrubs.
Participants also discussed the relative merits of bracken crushing versus cutting, its timing and repetition, and highlighted the importance of collecting long-term data to assess management outcomes. A range of practical experiences and lessons learned from their own sites were shared. The discussion demonstrated strong interest in collaborative learning and the development of effective non-chemical approaches to bracken management.
For full details of the Non-Chemical Bracken Management learning network and to keep up to date with the new trials, visit: Non-chemical control of bracken field lab learning network
To join the learning network, visit: https://form.typeform.com/to/IRzcixtH