A NEW soil management guide from Versadrill manufacturer, Sumo, aims to help farmers avoid the issues that can arise from compacted soils as a legacy of heavy machinery being used on the land.

The guide looks at the key husbandry issues surrounding crop establishment and the ways in which minimal tillage and direct drilling can be used to manipulate them, says Sumo's drill specialist, Marcus Ainley.

"The move towards larger tractors and machinery over the last forty or more years with ever-deeper cultivations – and the use of powered tillage – has left a legacy of damaged soil structure and a reduction of organic matter in the soil. The result is that the land is more susceptible to compaction."

The guide is available, free of charge, on request by emailing Sumo at sales@sumo1.com, or by calling on 01759 319900

(More in this week's issue of The SF, out February 25).