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Know How / Rotations

Advice for growers on building the best crop rotation plan to keep disease, pest and weed pressure down, while maximising return on cereals, oilseed rape, beans, sugar beet and potatoes. Find out how other farmers are managing the switch to spring cropping to get on top of blackgrass.

Advice and tips

BLACKGRASS

10 learnings from more than 21 years of blackgrass trials

More than two decades of work at Agrii’s Stow Longa site have shown how blackgrass can be successfully managed with plots getting as low as zero ears/sq m on a…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Cereals 2021: E-tools to help plan environmental options

Three e-tools to help with the on-farm planning and delivery of environmental schemes were being demonstrated by the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) at Cereals 2021. Developed as…

ROTATIONS

8 top tips for designing the right arable rotation

Many farmers are being forced to make changes to their rotations on the back of two wet winters disrupting cropping plans and the key break crop oilseed rape becoming too…

PULSES

Guide to growing a successful spring bean break crop

Spring beans make an excellent break crop, fixing nitrogen and improving soils to provide a helpful entry for subsequent cropping, and successful production rides ultimately on conditions at planting. Drill…

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Case studies

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.…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Spelt and rye earn premium spot in Berks organic rotation

Wasing Farm in Berkshire took the bold step into organic farming and is now home to a niche rotation growing spelt, spring rye and oats for the premium milling market.…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

Durham Estate team commits to regenerative agriculture

Raby Estate in County Durham has committed to rolling out regenerative agriculture on its 1,250ha farm and building a legacy for future generations. Farm manager Philip Vickers, one of our…

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…

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Insights

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Why OSR growers are enthusiastic in a high-cost season

Optimism surrounding oilseed rape for harvest 2023 continues, despite the high-cost climate, with many growers intending to either return to the break crop or increase their area, a study by…

ROTATIONS

Cereals 2022: Will farmers drop high-cost, high-risk crops?

Knowing whether markets will reflect the higher costs of growing and harvesting crops was occupying the minds of visitors to this year’s Cereals event, ahead of autumn 2022 and spring…

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

Why agroforestry is adding value on arable farms

Agroforestry - the growing of trees and crops on the same piece of land – brings diversity and resilience to a farming system, blending food production and public goods provision,…

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News

ARABLE

Cereals 2022: OSR area predicted to bounce back by 17%

Oilseed rape plantings are set to bounce back by 17% this autumn, according to a survey of growers. This is on the back of the best crop survival and conditions…

PULSES

Pulses good option for growers as fertiliser prices rocket

The pea and bean area could rise this season due to the sharp jump in nitrogen fertiliser prices and strong demand for these pulse crops in domestic and export markets.…

ROTATIONS

Beef added to AHDB arable rotation cost calculator

A new “mix and match” calculator that considers the cost and margins of introducing a beef herd into an arable rotation has been developed by the AHDB. For growers who…

PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTS

NI protein crop scheme gets the green light

Northern Ireland’s government has given the green light to a direct support scheme that will pay arable growers £330/ha to produce protein crops. The Protein Crops Payment Pilot Scheme was…

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Video

POTATOES

Video: Potato planting races ahead in rejigged farm rotation

Potato planting was racing ahead in south Somerset this month, after farm manager Ollie Blackburn rejigged his crop rotation to improve soil fertility and structure for his spuds. He hopes…

ARABLE

Video: Hertfordshire grower introduces livestock to rotation

One grower's experiences of introducing livestock into the rotation of a Hertfordshire arable farm have been discussed in a new video from AHDB Cereal and Oilseeds. Royston Monitor Farm host Jo…

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