Agronomy

The Government has granted an application for emergency use of a neonicotinoid seed dressing on sugar beet in 2021.

With a greater focus on soil health, carbon and cost putting pressure on plough-based systems, Alice Dyer hears the experiences of three farmers who have made changes to their cultivations.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is to assess a number of emergency authorisations granted by Member States for the use of neonicotinoids in sugar beet in 2020.

With an estimated 95 per cent of winter wheat in the ground (December 2), the ‘explosion’ in spring wheat sales seen last year will not see a repeat and seed for spring wheat will be in good supply.

Featuring varieties with high yields and strong disease packages, the 2021/22 AHDB Recommended Lists offer new options to growers in all regions. Alice Dyer takes a look at the latest additions.

With many cover crops growing well this autumn thanks to good September moisture, management over winter will be important to ensure soils are in the best state for spring crops.

Oilseed rape plantings have fallen to their lowest level since 1986 at 318,000 hectares, according to AHDB’s Early Bird planting survey.

The 2020 season saw a wet autumn and winter, followed by a dry spring and a dull summer. Despite this, YEN estimated autumn sown crop potential of 18 tonnes per hectare this year.

Cheap fungicide programmes produced top margins for the AHDB winners of ADAS’ 2020 Wheat Fungicide Margin Challenge.