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Know How / Pulses

In a tough pulses market, our page aims to help grow a more profitable crop in the face of rising inputs and volatile markets.

This is your starting point for addressing challenges such as disease and weed control, integrating different cultivation techniques, exploring precision farming and protecting the environment.

Key areas of focus:

  • Getting establishment right
  • Planning fungicide strategy
  • Keeping on top of weeds
  • Choosing the right varieties for the right market
  • Meeting market specifications

Must reads

Case studies

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SOILS

How costs are falling for one regen farmer

The two big expenses on an arable farm – fuel and fertiliser – have been reduced significantly since Cambridgeshire grower David White decided to stop cultivating and move to a…

MAIZE

Why a Dorset farmer is undersowing maize with field beans

Dorset dairy farmer James Houghton is planting field beans beneath a crop of maize in a trial which he hopes will boost the protein content of feed and potentially reduce…

SOILS

How organic matter increase helped farm hit net-zero target

Soil organic matter levels have seen a 1.1% increase at the Lockerley Estate in Hampshire, thanks to a diverse arable rotation, integrating sheep, cover crops, clover leys and organic manures.…

PULSES

Beans and oats bicrop helps eliminate fertiliser in Cambs

Growing a simultaneous crop of beans and oats enabled one Cambridgeshire grower to completely eliminate fertiliser, fungicide and herbicide applications as well as increase land use efficiency. Arable farmer David…

PULSES

Peas increase wheat yields and lengthen OSR rotation

After a 40-year break, Norfolk farmer Chris Eglington reintroduced peas to the farm in a bid to widen his oilseed rape rotation and promote yields of following winter wheats. The…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Why forage peas earned a place in Norfolk grower's rotation

Forage peas are filling a short gap between carrots and milling wheat in the rotation on one Norfolk farm, tapping into a growing market for livestock feed in an area…

Practical advice

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COVER CROPS

How to achieve the most effective cover crop destruction

Cover crops are becoming a mainstream option for growers, but their successful destruction ahead of spring cropping is greatly dependent on the type of cover species sown, timing and removal…

SOILS

The Soil Health Scorecard: What it is and how to use it

A new way to quantify soil health allows farmers to measure any improvements over time, as well as identify potential problems that could be holding yields back. Until now there…

WEED MANAGEMENT

How growers can help secure future of bentazone with web tool

A new tool has been introduced to help growers reduce the risk of water pollution and the loss of a vital post-emergence herbicide for pulses and potatoes. Bentazone is a…

PULSES

Winter bean choices include market leader-beating variety

A high-yielding winter bean variety which offers a 10% yield uplift on the current market leader is set to benefit bean growers next season as commercial availability widens. The variety,…

SOILS

Why soil measurement is a key challenge for carbon farming

Establishing a trusted measurement method is going to be critical if carbon markets are to take off for arable farmers, enabling them to earn money in return for capturing and…

HARVEST AND CROP STORAGE

Tips to achieve successful long-term grain storage

There are many factors to take into consideration when storing grain crops for the long term. Getting it wrong means quality will deteriorate, which can lead to significant financial losses.…

Insights

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NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Can silicon crop sprays benefit growers this season?

Despite silicon being the world’s second most abundant element, making up 25% of the earth's crust, crops can still benefit from its application, which has a vital role in plant…

ARABLE

Soil carbon: Targets and how to store it in arable fields

Farmers have a huge opportunity to help combat climate change by reducing emissions with the adoption of less intensive cultivations, as well as capturing and storing carbon in their fields. …

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

How the different spring crop gross margins compare for 2022

Spring sowings are likely to be down this year, due to the favourable autumn drilling conditions. But there will still be plenty of fields going under the drill – and…

SOILS

The project tackling flood risk and improving water quality

Yorkshire farmers are working together to improve the health of their soils, in a unique initiative that could play a key role in tackling the flooding risk in Hull and…

VARIETY SELECTION

What the three new additions to pulse variety list offer

The Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO) has added three new varieties to its 2022 Descriptive Lists for pulse crops. The three additions include a green pea that is now…

NVZS

The rules for arable farming in an NVZ in NI and Scotland

Nitrate vulnerable zones exist to protect the environment against potential pollution from fertiliser and manure applications. Each devolved nation has its own rules – so what do arable farmers need…

PEST MANAGEMENT

4 slug pellet myths busted for better control

The withdrawal of metaldehyde means growers will soon only have ferric phosphate slug pellets to count on when managing this devastating pest. However, there are a number of myths on…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Regenerative farming: Is there a place for fungicides?

Regenerative farming systems can be used to minimise dependence on fungicides, but won’t exclude them completely. While most of the growers who have adopted regenerative agriculture are aiming to cut…

SOILS

6 companies offering carbon-based payments to arable farmers

From government-backed schemes to voluntary private markets, there has been an explosion of interest in developing carbon and additional ecosystem service credits that could provide a new income stream for…

SOILS

How new carbon offset scheme for regenerative ag works

The first UK-certified soil carbon offsetting scheme is available to farmers who use regenerative agriculture practices, offering them a commercial opportunity worth up to £100/ha from sequestering carbon in their…

SOILS

Will soil carbon be the next big crop for growers?

It feels like a perfect storm: the urgency of climate change, the global surge in interest in regenerative agricultural practices and the need for new income streams. They are all…

Video

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CROP MANAGEMENT

Video: How nozzle choice affects spray quality and efficacy

Selecting the appropriate sprayer nozzle for pre-emergence weed control is an important step in cutting spray drift and maximising the efficacy of the chemicals being applied. There are four key…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Video: How to properly set up a crop sprayer

Crop spraying is one of the most important and highly skilled jobs undertaken on any arable farm, but it is facing increased public scrutiny. This is why it is vital…

External resources

PGRO Pulse Descriptive Lists 2022

PGRO Pulse Descriptive Lists for combining peas, winter beans and spring beans 2022
Download lists

PGRO Agronomy Guide

Advice on agronomy and varieties of combining peas, winter and spring field beans, and other pulse crops
View guide