Arable Farming

Potato growers are calling for special assistance after the sudden closure of many fish and chip shops.

Getting spring barley off to the right start is key for high yields, focusing on establishment and maintaining high tiller numbers.

The coronavirus outbreak could have longer term implications for people’s shopping habits, supply chains and the Government’s attitude to food security.

The thing about being a columnist for a national publication such as Arable Farming is you cannot hide from what you have written in previous months.

A long-awaited dry spell across much of the country over the last fortnight has meant the spring drilling campaign is well underway, as growers make up for lost time stolen by the wet winter.

As soil begins to dry out and conditions come right, sugar beet drilling has commenced in some parts of the country.

By the end of February we’d had nearly one metre of rain over the previous twelve months and well over 100 days of recordable rainfall since the intended start of drilling in late September.

CRD has announced that fungicide pencycuron, used to control black scurf in potatoes, cannot be applied for any purpose with immediate effect, according to Bayer, which markets pencycuron-containing Monceren.

Agricultural spray drones could be used as a rapid solution for accurately and automatically disinfecting urban areas contaminated with coronavirus.