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Rindle Field: Finding the ‘sweet spot’ for wetter farming in the UK

Lettuce crop at the Rindle wetter farming trial - Credit: Lancashire Wildlife Trust

Dr. Suma Mani from Manchester Metropolitan University talks about how the water table is key in both reducing greenhouse gas emissions and growing food on our wetter farming trial site.

Farmed for nearly one hundred years, Rindle Field, a previously drained peatland field on Chat Moss is being given a new lease of life through trials to grow food while reducing carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.

Drained peatlands are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. When peat dries, it decomposes — releasing carbon that has been locked away for thousands of years.

However, taking land out of production is not always realistic and farmers need a workable alternative. Wetter farming offers a middle path: keep farming but reduce emissions.

Two women looking into a black pvc pipe

Dipwell monitoring is used to measure the water depth on site

The key to emission reductions in a wetter farming system is finding the 'sweet spot' for water table depth, and at Rindle Field we're trialling water tables at 50cm below the surface, 30cm below and at surface level, to see what works best for both crop yield and emission reduction.

Rindle Field is currently undergoing trials of traditional crops including lettuce, blueberries, and radishes under this wetter farming system.

Like any trial, it's not been without challenges - but that's the point of trialling these new ways of working. In the first year of the project, the team faced challenges in obtaining meaningful results on crop performance and water management due to sustained drought in the UK. However, this has been a learning experience around minimising water loss and retaining soil moisture ready for upscaling the project this year.

4 workers planting small green lettuce plants behind a red tractor

Planting lettuce at the Rindle wetter farming trial - Mike Longden

Changing long-established farming practices is never simple. Farmers have valid concerns about taking land out of food production and about the usability of waterlogged land. This is why there's a huge need for practical and farmer-led evidence.

Through collaboration with farmers, researchers, and local partners, the project is already showing promise, and the sharing of knowledge has been an invaluable asset. Last year, the team was faced with an issue of weed control for which the farmers were instrumental in finding the best ways to manage.

In the coming months, the team will trial ways to control weed growth to give the crops the best chance to grow. The first crops will be planted in April 2026 with radish, followed by chinese leaf in June. The team also has plans to harvest in June/July and in addition, they will focus on monitoring emissions from each crop.

So far, Rindle Field is proving that peatland restoration does not have to mean abandoning traditional agriculture. With the right water levels, crop choices, and management techniques, wetter farming can support both climate goals and the livelihoods of farmers in a changing climate.

This is just the beginning — but it is a powerful step toward a future where peatlands are protected, productive, and part of the climate solution.

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This work has been made possible by Co-op Foundation’s Carbon Innovation Fund.

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