Online farmers taking part in the National Trust's ground-breaking MyFarm experiment will get to decide whether or not oilseed rape should be sown on the Cambridgeshire farm.

The crop, labelled "yellow peril" by some opponents, is not a traditional British crop, but provides a good income for farmers and allows crop rotation. The decision will be the first made by the virtual farmers since the site's pay wall came down, and will be a key decision with 100 acres of farmland at Wimpole Home Farm ready to be sown.

The farmers will have the chance to weigh-up important considerations including soil type, biodiversity, the final end product and profitability as they make their decision.

Expert opinion will be offered through video, to help them make their choice.

Richard Morris, Farm Manager said: "Votes are the most important part of the whole experiment. It's the opportunity for MyFarmers to draw on everything they've learnt so far to make an informed decision. Recently the fields of Valley Farm were planted with wheat but if we decide not to plant oilseed rape we may plant another cereal or look at a legume field crop such as field beans."

The new crop will be planted at Valley Farm which used to be a separate farm but is now part of MyFarm's arable acreage. Unlike most of Wimpole, this area of land is conventional farmland and was part of the Cambridge Road Farm acquisition earlier this year.

The vote is now open; it will close at midday on Wednesday 11th July. Votes can be cast by visiting the National Trust here.

Tweet