By Alex Keeble, Central England Game & Wildlife Advisor
Game cover crops this year have been a nightmare to establish and although some parts of the country have had some rain, many are continuing to struggle. Our AB9 Winter bird seed stewardship mixes at The Allerton Project are based on two main mixes from Kings crops, one predominantly consisting of reed millet/triticale/sorghum along with other small seeds and one containing kale/fodder radish etc which we use to help us alternate cropping cycles to allow for weed control.
Biennial species such as kale have been proven by GWCT research to benefit the greatest variety of songbird species in the winter, while also offering excellent brood-rearing habitat when kept for two years and standing well to provide winter driving cover. The scarce winter bird seed crops which have grown are now full of weeds such as fat hen and redshank, the plots which have failed to establish are still bare earth due to the lack of hydration. We are currently assessing the winter bird seed mixes with a Kings crops advisor to create a plan on how to reinvigorate the plots prior to the shooting season.
Our stewardship mixes are not dissimilar to other plots witnessed across the country, small seeds have failed with weed burdens overtaking the drilled seed mixes leaving the only viable option left to re-drill the plots when rain is forecast. Re-drilling comes with the additional costs of purchasing seed and the labour of drilling the plots, making the payments on stewardship limiting on profit margins. There are areas where winter bird plots have established well, most likely due to having more rainfall than other parts of the country or having a very good seed bed prior to drilling.
Maize plots witnessed are varied, some plots have grown well with minimal weed burdens and others have struggled. A trip to an estate recently has shown that the maize has now tasselled, which ordinarily is not an issue when the crops are 5ft+ however this crop is only 2-3ft high. The small syndicate shoot that I am a member of drilled the maize at the start of June and although the crop is established there is a worry that weed burdens and stress factors will limit its growth.
Game cover crops are essential for game shooting and failed crops can cause a devasting issue to drives on shoot days such as larger flushes or significantly reduced numbers of birds within the drives. Perennial game cover crop mixes are beginning to become a necessity for shoots to alleviate the risks involved in establishing game cover crops each year, however if left unmanaged these crops can fail to provide what is necessary for holding game.
At The Allerton Project we utilise three meter wide reed canary grass mixes alongside our plots to warm the covers and to provide nesting cover for both game and wildlife, along with a tussocky wild flower and grass Sanctuary Mix from Kings crops . Reed canary grass can be beneficial if drilled at flushing points on drives to push birds into and trickle game out of, but it can become impenetrable for game and undesirable for birds to move freely within it if drilled too close.
Another useful perennial cover crop is the GWCT partridge mix, this seed mix can be purchased from Oak bank, Kings crops and Bright Seeds. Recent visits to estates across the country where these plots are now in the second or third year of establishment demonstrates how vital these plots are for wildlife and how they can be incorporated into a mixed habitat mosaic to provide a biodiversity net-gain. Although large parcels of this mix is beneficial; for game shooting purposes it is sensible to drill this mix in strips alongside other annual cover crops. The cover ultimately becomes very thick and it is near impossible to run game through it, so using it as a strip helps mitigate the risks of annual crops failing and adds warmth to the existing game plot.
Alternatively, this mix can be used at the flushing point of a crop to drive birds in from surrounding annual crops and help alleviate large flushes. With increasingly mixed weather patterns each year, perennial game cover crop options will be essential for the future of consistent game shooting and we hope the GWCT partridge mix will be at the forefront of providing an exemplary cover crop for both game and wildlife.