Cover crops in focus in Jersey potato competition

Jersey’s potato growers have taken their turn in the spotlight as the winners of the 2025 Cover Crop Competition have been announced.

Now in its second year, the annual competition run by the Jersey Royal Company recognises the farmers who are leading the way in sustainable agriculture.

Their efforts nurture the environment between potato growing seasons, helping to enhance soil structure, support pollinator habitats and boost biodiversity across the island, the company stressed.

Cover crops play an essential role in sustainable, regenerative farming by protecting and enriching the soil between harvesting and replanting seasons. They help retain nutrients, prevent erosion, and offer vital food sources for pollinators and birds during quieter months.

For Jersey Royal growers, parent company Albert Bartlett explained that they are an integral part of the cycle that keeps the island’s landscape thriving year after year.

The category winners in the Cover Crop Competition 2025 were announced as:

• Best Pollinator Mix Field – Meleches Farms (Nick Mourant)
• Best Bird Mix Field – Fosse au Bois (Paul, Peter & Matt Carre)
• Best Soil Health Mix Field – Jersey Royal Company Blue Team (Adrian Baudains and Joe Martins)
• Best Visual – Master Farms (Peter, Phil and & Phil Jnr Le Maistre)
• Overall Winner 2025 – Meleches Farms (Nick Mourant).

This year’s competition was complemented by a research study led by Jess Sandle-Brownlie, which examined the environmental impacts of cover crops on pollinators, soil health and bird diversity across Jersey.

Using a method called “FIT counts” (Flower-Insect Timed counts), Sandle-Brownlie and her team gathered data from 108 sample sites across 35 fields, planted with four different mixes – Bird, Pollinator, Soil, and Grass (control).

Key findings from the research included that cover crops produced six times as many pollinators per count compared to grass control fields; all three mixes showed equally positive effects on pollinator populations and diversity; biodiversity and abundance both rose sharply wherever flowering crops were established; floral diversity is essential: and native cover crops of any type deliver tangible benefits to Jersey’s local biodiversity.

The study concluded that cover cropping is one of the simplest and most effective ways growers can promote wildlife diversity and soil regeneration while supporting the long-term sustainability of the island’s agriculture.

This year, the project expanded beyond the fields. The Jersey Royal Company provided local primary and secondary schools with tailored cover crop education materials designed for classroom use. These were used to teach pupils the importance of cover crops, why they are used and understand how biodiversity supports food production.