Five farm walks are to take place across England with the aim of helping growers adapt soil and nutrient management practices in the face of challenging conditions caused by record-breaking wet weather.

Each walk is part of a half-day event which also includes presentations, organised by HGCA and Catchment Sensitive Farming, where growers will be able to discuss management practices at the host farm and see the effects of local management on soil conditions. Host farms have adapted their practices in response to high rainfall in 2012, which was the second wettest year in England since records began.

These adaptations have served to limit negative effects on yield and reduce run-off, compaction and erosion risk.

HGCA Research and Knowledge Transfer Manager, Dr Shamal Mohammed said, "By attending, growers will be able to speak with leading soil management experts and learn how to identify and correct soil problems on their farms to benefit both the farm business and the environment."

Specialist cultivation and establishment consultant Philip Wright will lead each farm walk and provide technical advice on how to identify and remedy soil problems. He said "I plan to demonstrate what has happened, why it happened and discuss how to cure existing and prevent future issues. By attending the event, growers will be in a much better position to identify and correct soil problems on their own farms."

Although a range of approaches to managing soil and nutrients will be covered, each event has been tailored to focus on the main challenges and opportunities at the host farms, to make them regionally relevant. Mr Wright added that soil pits would be dug on each host farm to enable farmers to view subsoil structure, which "can have a major impact on drainage potential and topsoil performance."

The events will be taking place at:

• Lampits Farms, Suffolk (near Stowmarket) – precision farming (5 March)
• E.B Gowing & Son, Norfolk (near Norwich) – organic matter (6 March)
• Samples Farm, East Yorkshire (near Beverley) – precision farming (7 March)
• Warden Farms, Oxfordshire (near Banbury ) – tillage options (12 March)
• Lower Penalt Farm, Herefordshire (near Ross-on-Wye) – tillage options (13 March)

More information is available from HGCA here