Clover living mulch understories have shown some promise as a potential tool capable of providing multifunctional benefits in the arable sector. Well-managed clovers can play a role in improving soil health, structure and fertility, while also contributing other on-farm benefits by reducing the need for agrochemical inputs, such as fertilisers and weed control products. Clover mulches are also expected to play a role in supporting N₂O emission reductions, as well as in carbon sequestration. By increasing the diversity of resources in the landscape, clover living mulches can help support on-farm biodiversity, not just of pollinators but also of the insect predators that help to limit pest pressure.

Despite the potential benefits, commercial uptake of in-crop clover living mulches has been relatively limited by important production conflicts and management challenges. Clover can be a strong competitor, leading to reductions in yield. It can also be difficult and patchy to establish, which in turn can lead to weed problems, especially where there is bare soil. Where weeds get in, control options are then limited by the clover’s presence.

Machinery developments and Precision Agriculture Technologies (PAT) can provide opportunities to overcome some of the restrictions and challenges.

Funding from the Rural Payments Agency (and EIP-Agri) has allowed the ‘Living Mulches’ project to commercially validate the potential of PAT-assisted strip-tillage as a minimum-tillage soil conservation approach that allows drilling of the cash crop into cultivated bands in a permanent clover living mulch. This should support crop establishing and help limit yield reductions, while preserving key benefits of clover understories. This work was conducted in partnership with Manterra Ltd.

1. Strip-tilled clover living mulches can deliver benefits, including the potential to increase yields.
2. It is possible to maintain yields at those of conventional cropping practices, but this is tricky – good clover management is critical.
3. A clear understanding of the key benefits being sought by using a clover living mulch is necessary to manage the clover accordingly and derive the desired benefits.

The focus of STC’s ‘Growing in the Green’ webinar in 2021 was on growing with clover (and other) living mulches, and intercropping more generally. Recordings of the event are available for viewing here.

Learn more about the ‘Living Mulches’ project, and its findings.

• Final report
• Year 2 report
• Year 1 report
• Project leaflet
• Press release

The STC ‘Living Mulches’ project has received funding from the Rural Payments Agency and EIP-Agri (project n. 107466), to demonstrate and validate clover living mulches as a viable, achievable and profitable option for UK arable agriculture.

The project was a collaboration between STC and Manterra Ltd.