Serving the farming industry across East Anglia for over 40 years
Under pressure: how a Norfolk farm is reducing compaction
A Norfolk-based farming and contracting business has reduced soil compaction after adopting central tyre inflation for its tractor fleet. Working in partnership with Hardingham Farms, HC Beales & Co farms 2,425ha of its own arable crops while providing a contract farming and general contracting service for other farms south-west... Read more
Soil health needs attention after challenging season
Reducing soil acidity by increasing its pH before drilling winter crops will improve nutrient availability – and boost yields. More than half of all arable fields are below the target pH 6.7 recommended in AHDB’s Nutrient Management Guide (RB209), suggest results from NRM laboratories which analysed more than 50,000... Read more
New season fertiliser:  Soil test before you invest
EXPERT VIEW Soil testing will mean a more informed choice when ordering new supplies, says Natalie Wood We’re well into harvest and it’s also the time of year when growers are planning and ordering supplies for the new season. When crop nutrition companies release new season prices, it can... Read more
Rejuvenate soil before autumn drilling
Growers are advised to test soils soon after harvest and start putting right damage caused by months of wet weather. Record-breaking rainfall has washed away nitrogen, phosphorus and other essential nutrients, leaving soil health in tatters. Some soils are also likely to contain worrying levels of contaminants like aluminium... Read more
TRIP highlights innovative ways to grow potatoes
Innovative ways to produce potatoes will be showcased by crop trials at a new industry event next month. The Transformative Reduced Input in Potatoes (TRIP) project has taken three trial crop plots at the Potato Days UK event, which will be held on 4-5 September at Dyson Farming, Nocton,... Read more
Positive changes benefit sugar beet growers
Sugar Beet remains the only UK crop that has continued to deliver a year-on-year yield increase for farmers. This is down to two things: professional growers and heavy investment in research and development by plant breeders. After several reviews, NFU Sugar and British Sugar have both recognised the need... Read more
Get the best from beet in difficult year
Mastering disease control is crucial for growers to ensure sugar beet canopies keep photosynthesising efficiently this season. Speaking at a recent BASF webinar, experts gave a summary of the likely disease threats which could prevent growers from achieving maximum root weight and optimum sugar content. The key foliar diseases... Read more
How seed pellets aid establishment
Pelleted seed mixes can encourage cover crop and companion crop establishment while saving growers time and money. Developed by RAGT, the method involves “glueing” together up to four different seeds encased in a water-soluble coating. This produces a pellet with a similar mass to compound fertiliser which can be... Read more
Establishment: why it pays to be POSH resistant
Heavy rain late in the season is highlighting the need to consider pod shatter resistance when selecting oilseed rape varieties. Pod shatter (POSH) is a natural process for seed dispersion in oilseed rape. But it can result in significant on farm seed losses due to extreme weather – including... Read more
How to fight back against cabbage stem flea beetle
Adjusting drilling dates and planting companion crops can help combat cabbage stem flea beetle in oilseed rape. Drilling rape in the traditional mid- to late-August slot can exacerbate flea beetle problems – increasing the chance of crop failure, says ProCam technical manager Nigel Scott. Different thinking is needed to... Read more