Sugar beet growers have the opportunity to sell some of their 2027/28 crop forward – before annual price negotiations. The chance to trial a new index-linked contract option will enable growers to market sugar beet on a longer-term basis. It has been created by NFU Sugar, British Sugar and... Read more

Spring-emerging grassweeds and those that survived winter will need special management in the coming weeks despite generally strong autumn weed control, Most residual herbicides have performed well, says Hutchinsons technical manager Dick Neale. In the main, weaker results have been limited to early-drilled crops or where dry conditions restricted... Read more

Early removal of wild oats is key to protecting spring barley yields – producing a cleaner crop and helping to optimise crop margins, say agronomists. Growers should use pre-emergence residual herbicides to tackle expected wild oat populations before they emerge – following the same path as for winter crops,... Read more

Growers are being advised to focus on proven varieties with strong market flexibility when selecting spring barley seed. Uncertainty over area, premiums and end-market demand continue to shape decision-making this season, says malting barley trader Laura Jones, of Saxon Agriculture. Premium possibilities British farmers consistently produce some of the... Read more

A new range of fertilisers aims to maintain yields while rebuilding soil health, combining instant-release mineral nutrients with phased organic nutrition. Early trial results suggest improved nutrient retention in wet conditions, alongside greater yield stability, says organic fertiliser producer SoilWorx, which is expanding beyond its Irish heartland to the... Read more

Cereal growers can claim payments of up to £100/ha thanks to a regenerative farming scheme in conjunction with pet food manufacturer James Wellbeloved. The company’s Beloved Soil initiative makes the payments according to the sustainable farming practices carried out when growing oats and barley. It is run in partnership... Read more

Getting the most out of nitrogen has seldom been more important – especially given the cost of fertiliser and low commodity prices. In simple terms, Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) describes how well available nitrogen is converted into grain yield.It’s fast becoming one of the most important metrics in agriculture,... Read more

Adopting variable rate nitrogen application could help growers offset the cost of the UK’s new carbon border tax without sacrificing yield. Variable rate applications can trim unnecessary spend by targeting fertiliser where crops are most likely to respond, rather than applying a flat rate across every field, say advocates.... Read more

Cereal management will be increasingly important this season amid rising costs, volatile markets and unpredictable weather. That was a key message at last month’s annual technical agronomy conference, held by the Association of Independent Crop Consultants at Whittlebury Hall, Towcester, in Northamptonshire. Arable farming faces a perfect storm of... Read more