Crops

Farmers were warning it could be the end of the British sugar industry if the processor did not take their concerns seriously

Farmers deciding to enter the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) pilot scheme later this year following a recent call for expressions of interest will have the choice of eight ‘standards’.

Differences in soil management are likely to account for N-min testing results that have either been not as low as expected or extremely low, following a wet winter, according to Dick Neale, technical manager at Hutchinsons.

South American weather and its potential impact on corn production from Argentina and Brazil remains a key market factor in the near term. 

Spring barley is expected to return to a more normal area of 700,000 hectares in 2021 compared with more than one million hectares planted last year.

Much needed spring sunshine and some good drying days have allowed growers to get their spring drilling campaigns underway.

With growers able to choose more disease-resistant varieties and aim for later sowing dates to mitigate disease, one of the biggest fears is the weather in the season ahead.

A combination of cabbage stem flea beetle larvae infestation and heavy frosts have knocked oilseed rape crops back in recent weeks.

The University of Warwick’s research commercialisation wing, Warwick Innovations, has signed a contract with Agrii to promote the commercial production of UK haricot beans.

While, in some cases fields may be beginning to dry off on top, wetter soil at depth means patience is needed before cultivating to avoid creating poor seedbeds for sugar beet.