Arable Farming

The International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP) has launched its European Winter Wheat Hub which aims to accelerate research discoveries from the UK and globally into commercial plant breeding.

NFU has published a harvest survey of 283 farmers showing that wheat yields and winter barley yields were down 18 per cent from 2019, spring barley yields down six per cent and oilseed rape yields down 15 per cent.

The EU Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF) has voted not to renew approval for active substance, mancozeb, a fungicide widely used in control of potato late blight and alternaria.

With new single site chemistry en route to market, the industry needs to be mindful of product stewardship, Jonathan Blake told the BCPC Review audience.

With rotations being turned on their head following the hit and miss 2019/20 drilling campaign, some crops may now be at greater risk of the soilborne disease, take-all.

The UK’s farmland is abundant with insects; some are pests, but many will help to protect and promote crops. Alice Dyer finds out how growers can encourage more natural predators into their fields.

Progress with drilling is variable across the country, tending to be more complete the further north you go. However, wet conditions in some areas are raising concerns over a second consecutive autumn of delayed drilling.

A temporary Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) for the sprout inhibitor, chlorpropham (CIPC) has been given approval.

Spring barley production is estimated to have increased from 4.5mt (2019) to an estimated 6.3mt in 2020, however, quality issues may leave malting markets, tight.