FARMERS LOOKING at field margin options under new environmental stewardship agreements must choose the right option for their farm, says the Home Grown Cereals Authority.

There are a host of options available to meet the 30 points/ha entry Level Scheme requirement, but not all will be best suited to your farm, said HGCA’s Graham Jellis.

As a result, the HGCA has produced a new guide to ‘Field Margins’, covering options including hedgerow protection, set-aside strips, buffer strips, seed mixtures, conservation headlands and beetle banks.

“Different margin options can bring about different sets of circumstances and the guide will help growers select what is right for their farm.

“It is beneficial to establish and maintain a variety of field margins including set-aside strips. The advantages and disadvantages of each type are debated in the guide.”

Copies of the guide, which is based on a range of HGCA and DEFRA research findings, will be sent to all HGCA levy payers next week (w/c July 4), or alternatively it can be viewed at www.hgca.com.