A herbal ley is a complex mixture of grasses, legumes and herbs which, when well-managed, can offer benefits for wildlife, livestock, emissions and soil. In this session you will hear from the Cotswolds Seeds and FarmED team about the benefits of multi-species herbal leys, seed mix selection and how to establish and manage new swards. Dr Lydia Smith will share the latest research findings from the National Institute of Agricultural Botany, and David Whiting from Natural England will update us on how herbal leys currently fit into Environmental Land Management Schemes and the Sustainable Farming Incentive. Importantly, we will consider the need for diversity within our mixtures if we want fully functional leys and the optimum suite of benefits. Oversimplified leys, as prescribed by some, do not offer this. There will be time for questions from the floor, group discussion and knowledge sharing.

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