Arable land is used for the cultivation of annual crops such as wheat, barley, sugar beet, potatoes and winter beans. Changed agricultural practices in recent decades have led to increased crops but have brought disadvantages.These include losses in biodiversity, increased use of fertilisers, monoculture and soil degradation, According to the 2019 State of Nature Report, presented by over 70 wildlife organisations and government agencies, the UK's wildlife continues to decline. This is caused by the greater use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers, increased mechanisation and farm size, changes in crops and cropping patterns, with crops sown in the autumn and the decline of wild life habitats due to the loss of hedgerows in field margins and wooded areas.