• Good choice for cleaning crops • Robust performance in the field • Comparable yields are possible Oilseed rape growers moving on from HEAR varieties are being encouraged to consider growing a Clearfield variety instead. Volunteers rape plants left from HEAR varieties could see high levels of erucic acid... Read more

Britain’s growers have embraced changes to sugar beet seed purchasing arrangements, says global sugar beet breeder SESVanderHave. Since 2024, farmers can purchase sugar beet seed direct from plant breeders, as well as from British Sugar. “We launched our campaign to supply growers direct for the 2026 sowing at the... Read more

Carbon emissions from wheat production can be halved, suggest trials by a growers’ group supplying grain to Weetabix. The Lower Carbon Wheat Project was conducted on behalf of the Weetabix Grower’s Group, a collective of over 120 local farmers who grow 75,000 tonnes of wheat annually within 50 miles... Read more

• Blackgrass now emerging later • Implications for cultural control • Spray sequences are important The later and more protracted emergence of blackgrass is prompting a shift in control strategies. Continued use of successful management strategies for blackgrass control developed by agronomy company Hutchinsons is starting to lead to... Read more

• Good effectiveness in UK crops • Timing and technique important • Remember to abide by guidance Most grassweeds are largely susceptible to a key herbicide for oilseed rape and sugar beet – although resistance is present in some UK populations, according to the latest testing of samples collected... Read more

• Valuable revenue this season • Consider agronomic benefits • But remember downsides too Arable growers should think carefully when considering whether to bale and remove straw from fields this summer. High prices for wheat and barley straw mean baling could make financial sense for arable farmers with easy... Read more

Huge differences reported in yields Early yields this harvest are better than expected on some farms – but other crops coming off the field are disappointing. After a rollercoaster growing season marked by prolonged drought followed by sudden downpours, combine harvesters rolled into barley crops in late June –... Read more