Serving the farming industry across East Anglia for over 40 years
How best to tackle arable grass weeds
Grass weed management should vary according to crop establishment system. A flexible approach to grass weed management depending on crop establishment method can pay dividends, says a Suffolk grower. Sam Slater operates a range of different establishment systems. These vary from no-till to plough – depending on the situation. Different... Read more
Phosphate choice is key to early establishment
crop estGrowers will be keen to ensure crops are strong and can withstand winter weather given the difficulties of the previous growing season. Early crop development is essential and a key nutrient for this is phosphate, which growers can apply before or immediately after drilling as part of a... Read more
‘Stick to plan’ to beat blackgrass
Early-sown winter wheat is yielding well and profitable once again on heavy land at Agrovista’s flagship trials site in Northamptonshire – despite a huge background blackgrass population. “Historically, if wheats weren’t drilled by mid October you risked not getting them in at all,” says Agrovista consultant and Lamport AgX... Read more
How to restore sulphur and soil nutrients this autumn
Strategic applications of soil sulphur and other key nutrients this autumn will give winter crops a vital boost ahead of spring growth. With soil still recovering from an extremely wet season, adequate nutrition for establishment will be essential if crops are to deliver their full potential next year, says... Read more
Check ‘over-wintered’ wheat seed before autumn drilling
Growers using winter wheat seed more than a year old are advised to check its condition before drilling to ensure plant populations do not disappoint. That’s the advice of Certis Belchim’s seed expert Adam Nears, who says there is likely to be a reasonable quantity of seed carried over... 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
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