Arable

Pembrokeshire farmer Patrick Elliot’s determination to implement sustainable practices has enabled him to produce the first certified carbon neutral potatoes in Wales.

According to Defra, 65 per cent of land used for growing potatoes is infested with the most significant potato pest in the UK, potato cyst nematode (PCN).

The Black Sea’s established ‘stranglehold’ on the UK’s organics market has sparked industry concern about the sector’s future.

Over the last 50 years, major breakdowns in yellow rust resistance have occurred relatively frequently in cycles of about five to 10 years. And when new pathogen variants arrive, they can spread rapidly in just a few seasons.

Noticeably higher levels of light leaf spot in oilseed rape varieties with less than ideal levels of resistance mean they will require particularly robust treatment this spring, especially if they were sown relatively early,

Record wheat prices and sky-high input costs are not tempting growers to change their spring planting plans last minute, according to seed companies.

Variety blends are increasing in popularity again after many farmers dabbled with the idea in the 1980s.

Removal of the 25 per cent import tariff on US maize will help mitigate limited exports from Ukraine and Russia and improve agri-food chains’ ability to maintain animal feed supply, industry chiefs have said. 

AHDB chair Nicholas Saphir has urged farmers to take a few minutes to register for the Shape The Future ballot and have their say on how the levy is spent in an open letter to levy payers.

McArthur Agriculture has today announced plans to acquire grain handling solutions provider, BDC Systems.