• Keep careful eye on all crops • Good strategy pays dividends • Return on investment is key Variable weather last autumn is having a significant impact on the over-winter survival of oilseed rape crops. There will be no one-size-fits-all approach going into spring, say experts. Instead, crops should... Read more

• Biologicals help to protect beet crops • Plants made ‘less attractive’ to aphids • Foliar spray to boost quality and yield Sugar beet growers are being reminded of alternatives to help manage aphids and the threat of virus yellows this spring. It follows Defra’s refusal to grant an... Read more

A Lincolnshire farmer  who grew a record-breaking crop of spring oats won gold at the 2025 Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) awards. Mark Popplewell credited his win to precise nutrition and an unusually wet spring. The crop of Merlin yielded 11.46 t/ha – more than double the national average –... Read more

• Early action can pay dividends • Disease control is key challenge • Choice and timings important Growers are being advised to tackle rust problems early in winter wheat crops – or risk paying the penalty later. Mike Thornton, head of crop production at ProCam UK, says recent mild... Read more

• Industry agrees on way forward • Goal is a more efficient system • Next steps include funding talks Digital passports are another step closer for cereal crops after the NFU said its concerns had been addressed. Due to replicate the existing paper system, the digital passport will enable... Read more

Applications of silicon biostimulants can increase potato yields by almost 20% – and help the plant’s defence against  blight, claims a manufacturer. Orion Future Technologies says the yield of a Melody potato crop increased by 18% by adding two biostimulants – Sirius and Pluton – at a concentration of... Read more

Full approval for malt distilling use Maltsters are showing commercial interest in Firefoxx, the high-yielding spring malting barley from Elsoms-Ackermann. Two years on since gaining full approval for malt distilling use by the Malting Barley Committee (MBC), the variety has continued its upward trajectory with maltster Muntons upscaling its... Read more

Seed supplier Premium Crops has launched a variety assessment tool to support growers considering alternative spring and autumn break crops. Alternative crops can be used to extend rotations – or simple replace a single crop in an existing rotation. With different nutrient requirements and soil impacts, they are help ... Read more

• Herbicide available to growers now • Offers early-season broadleaf control • Also effective on mix of grass weeds Wheat growers have a new herbicide at their disposal to tackle a range of grass and broad-leaved weeds. Developed by Corteva Agriscience, Broadway Ultra builds on the success of Broadway... Read more

A major breakthrough is set to help growers forecast when and where wireworm will pose the biggest threat to arable crops. Scientists working for Fera Science say industry-steered wireworm research and modelling is helping them pinpoint where outbreaks of pest are likely to occur over the next two decades.... Read more