New research has suggested that biomass crop Miscanthus not only thrives on waterlogged land, but can help to stabilise flooded soils.

To highlight these points, biomass firm Terravesta has invited farmers to attend a farm walk showcasing a Miscanthus crop growing on flooded Yorkshire farmland. The meeting, on Wednesday January 29, will be hosted by Fergus and Christopher Payne, who first planted 25 hectares in spring 2016 on waterlogged land, with soil varying from sandy loam to heavy blue clay.

“Before Miscanthus, the fields were hard work to manage," said Fergus Payne. "We ended up putting them in fallow for the most part. We also had a blackgrass issue.

“We’re looking forward to our third harvest in winter/spring 2020 and the crop has done well despite the varying soil types. The clay patch that didn’t grow as well initially has recovered now, the blackgrass is visibly being smothered and we aren’t seeing so much waterlogging,” he said.

Fergus suggested that Miscanthus requires some weed control during the spring months, and that the ground needs to be well prepared in the autumn before spring planting: “Other than that, it’s a good low maintenance crop for poor farmland that is otherwise expensive and time consuming to manage.”

Ben Booth, part of the Terravesta planting team, said there had been a lot of interest this year for flooded fields. “As a solution to land that is becoming increasingly unlikely to plant up with arable crops, Miscanthus is a profitable option.

“Miscanthus not only helps to stabilise land, it also feeds depleted soils, retaining vital nutrients."

The farm walk takes place on Wednesday January 29 in Holme-on-spalding-moor, East Yorkshire, and bookings can be made at www.terravesta.com/events.