Agronomy

A group of farmers are taking part in what is believed to be the first ever field trial of wheat to see if it has genetic resistant to slugs.

Potato cyst nematode (PCN) is already costing the seed potato sector £25 million per year, but this figure could rise to £125m per year.

Sugar beet crops are starting to regrow following much-needed rain in the east of England. After the extended spell of very hot, dry weather, many crops had lost a significant amount of canopy.

With few chemical control options available for wheat bulb fly (WBF), growers should consider earlier sowing or an increased seed rate to help tolerate pest damage in high pressure areas. 

Dry soils inhibiting early drilling and restricting fast emergence have left OSR vulnerable to cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB). 

With harvest at or nearing completion, many will be itching to get cover and forage crops drilled, but with very little moisture in the soil, is it the right decision?

Growing your own seed could save money and make drilling dates more flexible, but some pre-planning is required at harvest.

With very dry soils this harvest, Farmers Guardian finds out how to get catch and cover crops off to the best start.

July 2022, was the driest July for England since 1935, and the driest on record for East Anglia, southeast and southern England, according to provisional statistics from the Met Office.