Advice - Arable

Brix, sap or tissue testing: what can plant health testing really tell you? Alice Dyer finds out.

Cold and wet weather has delayed the planting of what is likely to be the smallest UK potato area ever. Cedric Porter reports.

After taking over Hope Farm in 2000, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is using the land as a testbed to demonstrate how farmers can transition to more nature-friendly practices while remaining commercially profitable.

Maximising herbicide efficiency will be key for growers wanting to effectively control weeds whilst reducing their inputs this spring.

An EU-funded project is scouting for 20 UK farmers to participate in trials researching cereal-legume intercropping, focusing on yield, quality, reducing inputs and knowledge transfer. 

Enhancing soil health and structure not only benefits crop growth, but it also has the potential to improve water quality.

Farmers will need to gain a better understanding of their soils to meet the new Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) ‘arable soils’ standard.