Serving the farming industry across East Anglia for over 40 years
2024 sugar beet campaign is ‘performing well’ 
Early signs from both commercial and trial crops suggest that early lifted sugar beet is performing well – despite late drilling and above average rainfall. Rain washed away the threat of virus yellows this season, while good summer temperatures in recent weeks have helped the crop to pile on... Read more
How best to tackle BYDV in cereals
• Virus threat expected to be high • No-insecticide crops pay £45/ha • Think before abandoning sprays Growers face a tough decision when it comes to tackling barley yellow dwarf virus in autumn cereal crops. With high aphid pressure forecast, the virus risk is expected to be high. Yet... Read more
Milling wheat growers have new reason to be cheerful
New winter wheat variety SY Cheer has been awarded full Group 1 milling status by UK Flour Millers in time for autumn drilling. SY Cheer is the newest of only five Group 1 varieties on the winter wheat Recommended List for 2024/25. Plant breeder Syngenta it could hold strong... Read more
5 tips for early drilled wheat this autumn
Winter wheat growers are being urged to take steps to avoid the potential downsides of drilling early this autumn. While the temptation to establish crops early is understandable following washout conditions last autumn and winter, being prepared for the added risks is crucial, says ProCam regional technical manager Paul... Read more
Bamford records highest yield in continuous wheat trial
High-performing winter wheat Bamford has topped all previous yields in an ongoing trial by GrainCo. The Group 3 variety achieved 12.2t/ha – the highest yield ever recorded by any variety – in the eight-year history of the GrainCo continuous wheat trial. Grower Steve Buckle hosted the trial on his... Read more
Clear strategy vital for early drilled cereals
Effective weed control on earlier drilled cereal crops this season will depend on a successful residual programme, say agronomists. Good chemistry is available – but a clear strategy is vital. With many crops going into the ground sooner rather than later, potential weed levels are higher and herbicides have... Read more
New rape variety delivers on promise in Norfolk trials
A new oilseed rape variety from RAGT’s revamped breeding programme has more than matched expectations in trials by CMG Agronomy in Norfolk. RGT Blackmoon looked impressive all season in the 3ha strip trial, says CMG director Craig Green. “It was visually greener throughout and put on more biomass than... Read more
Yara adapts approach towards arable crops
Chris Harrold has been promoted to head of crop nutrition at Yara as part of a wider agronomy review within the company’s UK operation. Yara said it was adapting its agronomy advice to improve crop productivity – and do so sustainably – as more growers moved towards a more... Read more
Evolution not revolution for autumn cereals
Hutchinsons national seeds manager David Bouch highlights his wheat and barley recommendations for drilling this autumn.                 Several new wheat and barley varieties are vying for our attention this autumn. But with many sectors, the choices on offer for growers have not... Read more
Crops growing well as harvest approaches
Sugar beet crops look good going into autumn, despite earlier fears of virus yellows, writes Tim Giles, technical manager for SesVanderHave. But it remains important to be vigilant and monitor crops for new vector borne diseases and old adversaries, with more patches of beet cyst nematode observed this year.... Read more