Arable

The NFU has set out proposals for how the new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme should work, after industry raised concerns about Defra’s ‘lacklustre’ plans.

Earlier drilled oilseed rape crops have managed to get up and away from early cabbage steam flea beetle (CSFB) grazing this season, but later drilled crops in some parts of the country are starting to suffer.

Arable farmers have been urged to consider baling their thicker fields as straw prices rise on the back of lower yields this season.

Weather worries, no-deal uncertainty, a tighter global market and Covid-19 continue to influence grain prices.

Defra Secretary George Eustice has rejected calls from farming groups and MPs to put the Trade and Agriculture Commission on a statutory footing.

With the window to get winter crops drilled likely to be tight this year, following a later harvest in some areas, crop nutrition may be neglected.

Increasing levels of cercospora and rust are the latest concern for sugar beet growers after a difficult growing season which has seen establishment difficulties, high levels of virus yellows infection and drought.

The average treated yield for spring barley in 10 Recommended List (RL) trials is 7.79 tonnes/hectare, slightly above the five-year average (7.55t/ha).

Tom Bruce, 27, lives in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Brought up on the family farm, he studied a masters in engineering and is now back working the land.

Kids are back at school, the nights are really drawing in and, thankfully, we’ve finished harvest.