Seed trials on a Cambridgeshire farm are helping to secure the future of UK leek production, says a major grower. Patrick Allpress has been growing leeks for decades. But recent years have seen him change his approach to help mitigate the impact of climate volatility, rising input costs, fewer... Read more

A new DNA-based soil test designed to detect fusarium basal rot before planting has been launched commercially for UK onion growers. Developed by the University of Warwick’s Crop Centre in partnership with ADAS, the test identifies the soil-borne pathogen which causes the fusarium – offering a potential tool to... Read more

Independent trials suggest organo-mineral fertiliser could increase grain yields and improve soil biology without changing farm operations. An organo-mineral fertiliser developed by SoilWorx has delivered a 27.7% increase in spring barley yields compared with standard mineral nitrogen in independent trials at Rothamsted Research. The trial yielded of 9t/ha using... Read more

Digital agronomy tools including AI-powered disease sensors have increased gross margins by almost £138/ha in winter wheat. Agrii trials at the Revesby Estate in Lincolnshire compared the farm’s conventional agronomy programme against a technology-led system using drone imagery, satellite mapping, disease forecasting and variable-rate applications. The aim was to... Read more

Switching to hybrid rye as an alternative to wheat this autumn could improve cropping security, says a plant breeder. Decent margins and market demand from anaerobic digestion plants has sparked renewed interest in hybrid rye for the coming season, says KWS seed specialist and product manager Rory Hannam. Once... Read more

Bamford has become Britain’s best-selling winter wheat – less than three years after joining the AHDB Recommended List. The achievement marks the first time since Robigus in 2005 that a Group 3 soft wheat has taken the top spot.Bamford accounted for more than 14 per cent of commercial seed... Read more

A UK biostimulants manufacturer is switching to “bag in a box” packaging amid rising plastic costs and pressure to cut farm waste. Orion Future Technologies says the move will reduce plastic use by 63% while lowering transport, storage and recycling costs for growers using its plant nutrition products.  The... Read more

Two new winter wheat varieties give growers more opportunities to achieve higher yields amid an increasingly unpredictable climate and market conditions LG Defiance and LG Challenger are both Group 4 hard wheats from Limagrain Field Seeds. The breeder says they have shown consistently high yield potential across different regions,... Read more

Crops look well across much of the UK – but grain markets have shown little upward movement despite the higher cost of fuel and fertiliser caused by the Iran conflict. Cereal growers have two broad options. The first is to invest in crop nutrition in the hope of higher... Read more

Variety choice is playing an increasingly important role in helping growers get the best from sugar beet crops, say experts. With the 2026 beet crop now in the ground, attention is turning to weed beet management, disease pressure and crop resilience, says Martin Brown, sugar beet product manager for... Read more