Arable Farming

Amid short supplies and high prices for spring bean seed, following a season when many winter crops have not been sown or have failed to establish, some growers are asking how late winter beans can be sown.

Scientists have teamed up with farmers and industry to explore the possibility of growing organic oilseed rape in Scotland for the first time.

Potato production in the north east and north west of England has fallen by an estimated 36,100 tonnes on the previous season, to 205,200t.

An international group of scientists, led by Rothamsted Research and the John Innes Centre, has opened its door to healthier wheat varieties, after pinpointing genes responsible for the dietary fibre content of flour.

Scottish seed potato growers have come out strongly in defence of their production standards amid accusations of unacceptable viral infection in 2019 crops.

This year has started on a much more positive note than its predecessor. The more settled weather has improved soil conditions no end and in some cases has even prompted some drills to awaken from their post New Year snooze and re-enter the winter sowing campaign.

With increasing pressure to retain the performance of current actives, and a tight year expected financially, disease control this season requires a rethink.

NIAB has opened its new Cambridge headquarters following a two-year, £25 million redevelopment and construction project.

The latest safe sowing dates for the various winter crops I had optimistically hoped we would get an opportunity to drill are fast approaching and will soon be a distant memory, probably without a wheel ever turning.

Independent trials have shown more than £70/hectare can be saved on fertiliser costs for virtually the same wheat yield by using solid ammonium nitrate rather than nitrogen in a liquid format.