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

Three new pea and spring bean varieties from NPZ UK have been added to the 2026 PGRO Descriptive List. The three varieties are Maderas LVC spring bean, Bullet Green pea and Yoshi Marrowfat pea. They are described as delivering high, reliable yields with strong vigour, disease resistance, and agronomic... Read more

Eight oilseed rape varieties from NPZ UK are included in the 2026/7 Recommended List – providing a range of options for growers. NPZ UK’s mainstream varieties are Karat, Maverick, Murray and Vegas. These are complemented by clubroot resistant varieties Crusoe and Crome; and High Erucic Acid Rapeseed (HEAR) varieties... Read more

A two-row dual-purpose spring malting barley with good malting traits has made its debut on the Recommended List. Shona promises to be a strong future choice for both maltsters and growers in the east of England, says George Hebdon, barley breeder for Elsoms Ackermann, the company behind the variety.... Read more

A new winter wheat resistant to barley yellow dwarf virus is closing the yield gap with varieties without the trait, says Yielding 102.8% on the new Recommended List, RGT Guardsman is the first BYDV-resistant wheat to yield greater than 100% of the controls – a significant landmark in the... Read more

Five newly recommended varieties from plant breeder Senova promise stronger yields, better disease resistance and reliable grain quality. Covering barley, oats, wheat and triticale, the five varieties aim to expand growers’ choices – offering gains in each of these areas as growers plan arable rotations for 2026 and beyond.... Read more

New provisional Group 1 wheat Arlington has joined the 2026/27 Recommended List – with a promising mix of yield and grain quality. The variety offers significant potential for growers and millers alike, says DSV UK wheat breeder Matt Kerton. “Arlington is a variety that perfectly balances strong yield, top-tier... Read more