Farmers Weekly 14 Aug 2015 reports a “three fold rise” in bird numbers over four years on an arable farm in Northamptonshire helped by planting wildflower mix in six-metre margins around all the arable fields. As well as an increase in bird numbers, creating a rich pollen and nectar will  have produced a large increase in insects.

The Higher Level Stewardship agri-environment scheme paid the cost of planting. Seven percent of his land has been taken out of production together with pond creation, wildflower meadows and coppicing woodland and tall hedges.  Poorer land has been used so yields of wheat and oil seed rape have not been affected.

www.fwi.co.uk/arable/birds-boosted-by-wildflowers-in-the-crop-margin.htm