Could crop circles hold the key to reversing the drop in birdlife?

Skylark breeding rose nearly 50% when small patches of cereal fields were left unsown, a two-year study found.

Now farmers are to be offered government subsidies to clear the areas as part of a conservation push.

And the trials showed that despite a rise in weeds on the unsown patches, farmers did not lose any yield.

Experts say leaving two small patches bare per hectare could reverse a 52% drop in skylark numbers since 1970.

Other species

"Crop circles once fascinated the nation; undrilled patches could be the new phenomenon, and one with a worthwhile legacy," said Dr David Gibbons, head of conservation science at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

Farmers joining a new scheme in which they are paid �30 per hectare of land are likely to be asked to take part.

Environment Minister Elliot Morley said: "I hope farmers across the country will make the most of these patches so skylarks will once again become a common sight on British farmland."

Skylark numbers have plummeted by 52% in the UK since 1970

Scientists are also looking at other aspects of nature conservation on farmland, such as grass margins and weeds as a food source.

These are expected to help other bird species which have been in decline, such as the yellowhammer and grey partridge.

The �3.6m Sustainable Arable Farming For an Improved Environment (Saffie) project received �1.5m from the government as well as cash from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the Crop Protection Association and Home Grown Cereals Authority.

Last year a rare bumblebee species was found on a Saffie site.