Arable Farming

Unseasonably cold nights were experienced across much of the UK last week, with frosts hitting the south of England and snow falling further north and into Scotland.

A particularly short flowering period is being seen in some crops of oilseed rape this season, presenting questions over what this could mean for yield come harvest.

Recent dry weather has led to sugar beet crops emerging unevenly, making herbicide applications tricky to time.

Cover crop strategies – designed to protect margins, capitalise on farm payments and maximise environmental benefits – are essential, according to AHDB-funded research.

The 2019/20 sugar beet campaign came to a close in mid-April, when British Sugar’s Newark factory closed its gates for beet intake after 208 days – the longest known uninterrupted European sugar beet campaign.

Miscanthus specialist business Terravesta has appointed ProCam as its official agronomy service, to support farmers with crop care throughout the UK.

The Environment Agency has revised its ‘2020 irrigation prospects’ to take account of the lack of rainfall in April throughout England.

While growers are aware of the drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it can be difficult to know where to start. But NFU has been working to make things easier.

Although more land has been cropped in the last month or so than many would have imagined, winter crops, in particular, are not looking their best and growers are faced with difficult decisions concerning what to apply.