Serving the farming industry across East Anglia for over 40 years
Digital mapping is boost for potato productivity
A Cambridgeshire grower has soil mapped his farm to help future-proof the business against economic and environmental challenges. Farm director Jack Smith, of AG Wright and Son (Farms) Ltd, grows 250ha of potatoes across 1,850ha of varying soil types – from black fen peat around Haddenham, near Ely; to... Read more
More maize growers switch to earlier maturing varieties
A high-yielding early maize variety could help growers overcome the risk of late drilling and delayed harvests caused by wet spring and autumn weather. Bred by MAS Seeds and marketed by Elsoms Seeds, Mojito could tick all the boxes for farmers wanting to avoid a repeat of the weather-related... Read more
Spring cereals can create more options for grass weed control
A big increase in spring cropping this season is expected to give growers a welcome opportunity to boost grass weed control. More spring wheat, barley and oats are forecast to be drilled this year after the wet autumn and winter storms left fields unworkable and flooded. Many growers still... Read more
Breeder appoints commercial development agronomist
RAGT Seeds UK has appointed Camille Florin as commercial development agronomist to support the company’s forage, cover crop and amenity seed portfolios. Ms Florin will be responsible for delivering key variety-specific information to merchant customers to help their growers make better decisions when purchasing seeds. Well known as a... Read more
Cover crop benefits ‘depend on destruction method’
Nutritional benefits from over-winter cover crops are heavily influenced by destruction method, suggests new research. The advantages of over-winter covers are well-accepted – and include soil health, structure, fertility, weed suppression and reductions in nutrient losses. Other benefits include biodiversity – and some financial return if grazed by livestock.... Read more
Growers have wide choice of varieties for oilseed rape
Five winter oilseed rape varieties from LS Plant Breeding (LSPB) promise growers a wide choice of yield, agronomic characters and marketing outlets. Based on seed yield, Turing is the highest yielding variety on the Recommended List for 2024/5, says the company, being just one percentage point off the highest... Read more
Two milestone varieties on wheat and barley lists
Two milestone winter cereal varieties from breeder Syngenta have been added to the AHDB Recommended Lists for 2024-25 – one winter wheat and one winter barley. Winter wheat SY Cheer is a potential bread-making variety rated as a provisional Group 1 by UK Flour Millers (UKFM). It is also... Read more
High yielding wheat and barley varieties offer good quality too
Winter wheat LG Beowulf and winter barley LG Caravelle are the highest yielding varieties to join the 2024/25 AHDB Recommended List. Both by plant breeder Limagrain, they join LG Armada which is the highest yielding oilseed rape variety on the UK Recommended List. In addition, high yielding maize variety... Read more
Barley growers to reduce emissions
Malting barley growers are being encouraged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions – helping to future-proof their businesses and lower their environmental impact. It follows a collaboration between Simpsons Malt and BASF. The companies are working with grower groups this winter and spring to record how they can reduce... Read more
Entries open for Soil Farmer of the Year
The annual competition to find the UK’s Soil Farmer of the Year is open for entries. Run by the Farm Carbon Toolkit and Innovation for Agriculture, the accolade champions farmers who lead the way in improving soil health and increasing the resilience of their farm business. The competition has... Read more