Growers and industry professionals will come together in York on 1 October for the 2026 British Carrot Growers Association (BCGA) Demonstration Day, hosted by BCGA chairman Rodger Hobson of Hobson Farming. The annual event provides an important opportunity for growers to see over 70 carrot trial plots as well... Read more

Rising input costs and volatile commodity prices are putting whole-farm efficiency under renewed scrutiny – making the right crop varieties increasingly important to both profitability and sustainability. Widely known for growing top-performing crops, Norfolk farmer Mark Means is the third generation to manage JS Means (Terrington) Ltd, which has... Read more

Farmers could use the gap created by an early harvest to identify loss-making land before committing seed and inputs to another cropping season. Yield maps can reveal areas that repeatedly fail to cover costs. Analysing several seasons together can indicate whether margins could be improved by tweaking crop management,... Read more

Oat growers are being asked to provide more detailed environmental data as processors and brands seek to strengthen supply chains following a run of weather-hit harvests. Grain trader Robin Appel Ltd has partnered with Soil Association Exchange to measure 15 supplying farms against 40 metrics. The initiative reflects growing... Read more

An unusually early harvest could provide a valuable chance to target blackgrass populations before autumn drilling, as low seed dormancy and a longer cultivation window combine to favour stale seedbeds. Drought conditions mean freshly shed blackgrass seed is expected to germinate readily once moisture arrives. And with harvest wrapped... Read more

Genetic tolerance to barley yellow dwarf virus could become a standard feature of UK winter barley to protect yields while reducing reliance on insecticides. Strong results for new two-row winter barley LG Catapult suggest BYDV tolerance can be delivered without sacrificing yield. The trait could become increasingly important as... Read more

Britain is heading for one of its worst harvests on record after drought and repeated heatwaves cut cereal yields and potentially wiped hundreds of millions of pounds from farm revenues. The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) estimates that this year’s cereals and oilseeds crop could lose up to... Read more

Group One milling wheat Crusoe continues to prove its worth on farm – 14 years after making its debut on the AHDB Recommended List. Despite the arrival of newer genetics, the variety remains a popular choice for growers and end users alike, thanks to its dependable grain quality, strong... Read more

Growers facing increasing pressure from verticillium stripe should consider resistant rape varieties in the absence of chemical control. The disease can survive in the soil for up to 10 years and, in severe cases, reduce yields by as much as 34%. Industry specialists say variety choice, combined with good... Read more

Growers returning to oilseed rape are being urged to focus on crop management as renewed confidence drive a resurgence in plantings. The rape area increased by 49% for harvest 2026, according to estimates from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. But the 358,000 hectares grown this season remains a... Read more