Arable News

SFI round two: How to get ready to apply

With a reported £230m available when the SFI 26 window two opens, growers need to be sure their paperwork, maps and existing agreements are in order before September 22

16 September 2026 • 4 min read

Frustration and uncertainty for sugar beet growers as 2027/28 British Sugar contract unagreed

British Sugar has confirmed the matter is now in independent arbitration

15 September 2026 • 1 min read

Early harvested maize defies the drought

The early harvests continue with maize being foraged around the country but after a worrying growth period, yields are looking hopeful considering the year

14 September 2026 • 2 min read

Producers set to receive boost after English Whisky granted protected status

Defra announces new rules, saying cereal grain must be grown in the United Kingdom

14 September 2026 • 2 min read

'I was sick of relying on one active': Why growers are looking beyond blanket slug control

Changing establishment systems, wet weather and fewer chemical options are forcing growers to rethink how they tackle increasingly difficult slug problems.

13 September 2026 • 3 min read

Slug maps could halve pellet use, SLIMERS project finds

Three years of farmer-led trials have revealed how mapping slug hotspots could allow growers to target control more accurately and potentially cut pellet use by 50%

11 September 2026 • 3 min read

Why early drilling succeeded for grass-weed control and what we can learn for autumn 2026

Early drilling defied conventional grass-weed wisdom in autumn 2025, but favourable conditions helped deliver surprisingly good control. What lessons can growers take into another potential early-drilling season?

09 September 2026 • 5 min read

Is rotational thinking key to managing take-all risk?

As more growers integrate Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) actions into arable rotations, there is increasingly a need to consider unintended agronomic consequences

26 August 2026 • 6 min read

Breeder sets out winter wheat options for 2026-27 season and beyond

Choosing the right wheat variety means looking beyond headline yields and quality groups, with disease resistance, drilling flexibility and end-market suitability increasingly shaping profitable cropping decisions

06 August 2026 • 4 min read

Agronomists are advising growers to remain vigilant for maize pests

Following numerous reports of caterpillar activity in maize crops across the country in recent weeks, agronomists are advising growers to remain vigilant and ensure they correctly identify species

31 July 2026 • 2 min read

Breeders back resilient genetics as OSR confidence returns

As confidence returns to oilseed rape, DSV highlights its resilient new varieties and pipeline genetics designed to tackle CSFB, disease pressure and changing growing conditions

24 July 2026 • 3 min read

Study highlights why tri-allate has stood the test of time against black-grass

A new study has provided fresh insight into why triallate has remained an effective weapon against black-grass for more than six decades, despite widespread resistance developing to many other herbicides

16 July 2026 • 3 min read

How multispectral cameras could put slug detection in the tractor cab

Researchers are combining multispectral imaging, GPS mapping and precision spraying technology to develop a system capable of detecting and targeting slugs in commercial fields

12 September 2026 • 3 min read

Elveden Estate trial: Regenerative farming boosts soil health but challenges sugar beet yields

Sugar beet has come round in the rotation this season in a long-term sustainable farming systems trial on the 9000-hectare Elveden Estate

02 September 2026 • 8 min read

Could chickpeas fill the premium break crop gap?

Summer heatwaves might be bad for yields of traditional crops, but could they open the door for chickpeas?

29 August 2026 • 10 min read

"The challenges are coming at us faster than solutions," says Suffolk based arable farmer

Running on-farm trials has become an essential part of decision-making and trying to get ahead of the challenges posed by climate change and changing markets, while also bringing in some additional income at Home Farm Nacton

27 August 2026 • 7 min read

How to choose the right wheat varieties after the 2026 harvest, according to experts

With combines continuing to roll across much of the UK, another exceptionally early harvest is rapidly giving way to the next challenge - planning this autumn's drilling campaign

08 August 2026 • 5 min read

How one Cheshire farmer is using mixed farming to get on top of grass-weeds

For Cheshire farmer Mike Jones, tackling grass-weeds has not come from one silver bullet solution. Instead, it has been the result of building a more flexible mixed farming system where livestock, forage crops, cultivation strategy and innovative new chemistry all work together

01 August 2026 • 6 min read

Machinery manufacturing continues to be thwarted by global economic and climatic challenges

Improved sales and rising revenues have offered a welcome lift for AGCO, CNH and John Deere during 2026, but manufacturers say high input costs, climate uncertainty and weak farmer confidence continue to threaten machinery investment and the wider agricultural market

27 August 2026 • 6 min read

Updated Amazone Pantera gains redesigned cab and controls

25 June 2026 • 1 min read

Pottinger launches new combi drill range

20 May 2026 • 1 min read

Can electric weeding replace herbicides? Garford and Rootwave show field potential

Now offered as a dedicated inter-row weeding machine for conventional and organic systems, Garford's joint development with UK start-up RootWave shows significant potential

08 May 2026 • 6 min read

Knight Farm Machinery appoints Chandlers for farmers in the Midlands and Welsh Borders

British manufacturer Knight Farm Machinery has expanded its dealer network with the appointment of Chandlers Farm Equipment, one of the UK’s largest machinery dealers.

24 April 2026 • 1 min read

OPINION: Translating the value of tech into income is a tougher sell

New machinery technology promises gains in efficiency and performance, but turning those benefits into measurable financial returns remains a key challenge for farmers and contractors, says Toby Whatley

21 April 2026 • 1 min read

Retailers urged to back British strawberries as volumes expected to rise

Supermarkets have been called on not to switch to smaller or imported crops and leave British growers without a market

02 September 2026 • 2 min read

Extended heatwaves and drought conditions put UK salad growers to the test

With reports of the extended heatwave and drought severely affecting arable crops, one horticultural crop could have benefited from this testing season

30 August 2026 • 3 min read

'Most challenging season ever encountered' by onion sector

The British Onion Producers’ Association (BOPA) has warned supplies will be tighter, sizes smaller and quality reduced in this year’s crop

18 August 2026 • 2 min read

How an increased fibre focus could lift UK-grown raspberry sales

British raspberry growers believe the fruit's naturally high fibre content could drive stronger supermarket sales, while continued investment in breeding, protected cropping and labour aims to secure the sector's future

06 August 2026 • 3 min read

Bureaucracy holds back fruit industry's potential

The top fruit industry which could grow by 50% over the next ten years is being held back by a lack of government joined up thinking

17 July 2026 • 5 min read

Producer launches 2026 blueberry season with biggest crop yet

As blueberry consumption surges across the UK, Hall Hunter Partnership is expanding production and investing in new technology to meet demand, with a record 3,000-tonne harvest expected in 2026

11 July 2026 • 3 min read

China's pork power: Trade, disease and what it means for the UK – The Farmers Guardian Podcast

15 September 2026 • 1 min read

Prime Minister faces farming questions as Parliament returns and Reform unveils farming policy - The Farmers Guardian Podcast

Farmers Guardian chief reporter Rachael Brown and deputy editor Alex Black explore whether political promises will bring change for UK farmers

08 September 2026 • 1 min read

"You think it's never going to happen to somebody you know": Sam Stables and Louise Layton on mental health in farming | For Flock's Sake Ep. 6

Sam Stables and Louise Layton join Farmers Guardian’s Ellie Layton and Tom Ryder for the latest episode of For Flock’s Sake

02 September 2026 • 2 min read

Half the land, 80% of the yield: does relay cropping really stack up? The Farmers Guardian arable podcast

Our latest arable podcast looks at Ben Adam's latest trial testing relay cropping

29 August 2026 • 1 min read

The bluetongue surge: Immediate action now and lessons for the future | The Farmers Guardian Podcast

NFU representatives and farmers discuss the latest on the bluetongue crisis, emergency funding for high fallen stock numbers, and strategies to better protect farm businesses in the future.

25 August 2026 • 1 min read

When an ambulance is two hours away, what do you do? | The Farmers Guardian Podcast

Northamptonshire farmer Ben Aveling joins the Farmers Guardian podcast to explain how a serious accident during tupping changed his family’s approach to emergencies

18 August 2026 • 1 min read