From Black-grass to Better Margins: The Sparsholt Story

In this episode of Tramlines, our host Tony Smith sits down with the team behind Sparsholt Manor Farm to explore their ongoing journey towards sustainable arable farming. Faced with severe black-grass pressure and rising input costs, farm manager Piers Cowling and Agrii experts Iain Richards and Ian Davy share how a long-term, integrated approach - combining direct drilling, soil health improvements, and smarter crop management - is transforming both productivity and profitability.

• Integrated black-grass control is essential
  High resistance levels mean success relies on a full system approach - delayed drilling, consistent cultivations, precise seed placement, and stacked residual chemistry.
• Direct drilling is driving efficiency gains
  Moving from multi-pass cultivations to predominantly direct drilling has reduced fuel use dramatically (from ~45L/ha to under 10L/ha) while maintaining crop performance.
• Soil health improvements are delivering real results
  Organic matter has increased from under 4% to nearly 7%, improving nutrient cycling, water retention, and enabling reduced fertiliser inputs.
• Input reduction is both economic and environmental
  Lower nitrogen, fewer pesticides, and reduced fungicide use are cutting costs while supporting more resilient crops and beneficial ecosystems.
• Variety choice and system thinking are critical
  Selecting varieties for vigour and disease resistance - rather than maximum yield alone - helps optimise performance in later drilling windows and challenging conditions.

To find out more on how Agrii can support your farm business, visit agrii.co.uk/sustainable-farming