Future ag policy must recognise the heterogeneity of UK soils and avoid a one-size fits all approach, NFU vice-president David Exwood has said.
His comment follows the publication of the union’s new report last week which sets out the importance of soil health in food production and net zero climate ambitions.
It outlined eight actions producers could take to create and maintain healthy soils, including reviewing cultivation methods, aiming for better nutrient balance, maintaining organic matter, optimising crop rotations, agroforestry, reducing compaction, maintaining good drainage and managing peatland.
Mr Exwood said: "Soil quality can vary greatly within a field, let alone across a whole farm.
"On my farm we have more than 200 fields and each one needs a tailored approach.
"Getting soil right takes time, and farming is a long term game, and we must be able to take that long term view of soil management to see the real vision.
"We need a co-ordinated industry approach which really understands the complex nature of soil ecosystems and incentivises farmers for improving their soil."
He also called for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) to evolve and address areas such as nutrient management as well as be flexible to account for the differences in areas of the country.
"All farmers can see is the initial standards, they cannot see the next standards or the whole payment rate," he said.
"And in the meantime BPS money is drawing down rapidly, at a time when farm cash flow is probably under pressure like never before.
"So farmers are being driven to try and cover that income gap in any way they can.
There is a real danger they could be turned off from SFI at the start and move in other directions because they cannot see the whole picture.
"We recognise the importance of our soils, and how we all need to do more and work faster and better and the level of investment it needs and we need to get this right.
"And so part of that is Government action and getting SFI right."
