Historically farmers have used chemical fertilisers to increase the yield of crops, however now it is possible to replace these with inoculants, which provides a massive environmental and cost benefit to the farmer. An inoculant requires just one application, rather than multiple sprays of chemicals throughout the growing cycle of the crop, which means farmers can save a substantial amount on the cost of fuel and labour time.
Better understanding of the balance between yield maximisation and the longer term aim of improvement in soil fertility means good management practice is moving away from the use of chemicals and adopting more environmentally responsible methods.
