Arable cropping

Specialist arable farms range from less than 100 ha to over 250 ha and most of the largest units are found in Lothian and the Borders, while more mixed farms combining livestock production (suckler cows and sheep) and arable crops are found on the lower slopes of the hills, particularly in Grampian Region. Winter wheat and winter barley are the main crops with smaller areas of oilseed rape, potatoes and other root crops. The South-East of Scotland, in particular Tayside and Fife, produces soft fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants) and vegetables (peas, carrots, turnips and swedes).

Although dependant on high levels of inputs and less diverse than other farmland habitats, arable fields may sustain small mammals, birds and insects or rare plants like the Cornflower.

• Spring sown crops offer several opportunities for wildlife: fields left in stubble over the winter provide food for seed-eating birds while spring tillage brings to the surface invertebrates that can be fed to chicks. Spring sown crops form a suitable short cover in spring for ground-nesting birds like Lapwing.
• Appropriate soil management and targeted use of inputs like fertilisers and pesticides may help to make arable farming more favourable to biodiversity, also helping to limit the risks of soil damage and water pollution. In responding to high prices of inputs and regulations controlling the use of fertilisers and agro-chemicals, specialist arable farmers are increasingly using technologies to adjust the use of inputs to crop needs. Scottish Natural Heritage TIBRE (Targeted Inputs for a Better Rural Environment) website provides information on new technology and innovative practices that can help to improve the use of inputs in arable farming - for the benefit of both the environment and the farm business.
• Less productive land such as field margins or corners as well as hedges and dykes can be valuable habitats for wildlife if properly managed. Set-aside has been a particularly important resource for many plants and animals, providing good breeding habitats as well as winter and chick food for farmland birds such as the skylark and corn bunting. The Scotland Rural Development Programme    contains specific management options (field margins, hedges, etc.) for improving the availability of habitats for arable wildlife.

In the near future, arable farming will have to respond to Climate change and associated competing demands on the land. While more extreme weather and changes in pest patterns may threaten current arable areas, innovative solutions will have to be developed to meet food demand, produce renewable energies and conserve nature and landscapes. Defining new arable systems that are less dependent on non renewable resources, support and make use of ecosystem services may be a way towards a more sustainable agriculture.