A catch crop is a crop grown on land that would normally remain fallow in between normal crop rotations.

None-So-Hardy has approximately 100 acres under catch crop at any one time. Our favoured catch crops are oats, barley or mustard.

There are many advantages to growing a catch crop including the following:

• Protection of soil structure against erosion from heavy rain
• Help in alleviating soil compaction
• Adding of organic matter to the soil
• Help in preventing minerals being flushed away from the soil (i.e conserves leachable minerals)
• Can sometimes add minerals to the soil (e.g. nitrogen)
• Can help increase yield and quality of crops
• Encourages wildlife habitats such as butterflies, bees, birdlife etc.