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Know How / Crop management

Managing your crops through the growing season means careful nutrition and fertiliser use for maximum crop yields and keeping a watchful eye on pest, weeds and disease control.

Read expert advice, case studies, and tips on how to achieve the best yields and growth through best-practice crop management techniques, on all crops including wheat, barley, oilseed rape, potatoes, sugar beet and more niche crops.

Case studies

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CROP MANAGEMENT

Meet the new Arable Insights farmer panel for 2025-26

The Arable Insights farmer panel, our barometer on arable issues, is back for the 2025-26 cropping season with six new farmers from across the country. Here is an introduction to…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How growers returned environmental schemes back to cropping

Land in environmental stewardship schemes returning to the arable rotation must be managed carefully to avoid unintended weed burdens. We talk to two growers about how they have managed the…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Wilts OSR grower reveals lessons from sheep grazing trials

If the timing is right, grazing oilseed rape with sheep in the autumn can improve crop evenness and deliver yield benefits, according to one Wiltshire farmer. At East Farm near…

SOILS

Herts grower shares experience with Johnson-Su bioreactor

A source of protozoa and nematodes, the extract from a US-invented composter is part of one Hertfordshire grower’s five-year plan to improve soil biology and cut costs. Richard Blair, with…

ARABLE

Hants arable farm extends regen approach to two vineyards

The decision to stop pedalling faster without gain and instead change the farming system to one based on regenerative principles was taken more than 20 years ago on a Hampshire…

ARABLE

How an award-winning arable farm combines business and nature

Bedingham Hall Farm near Bungay is maximising its environmental conservation, while remaining committed to profitable food production. It has done this by making full use of the natural features available…

Practical advice

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PULSES

Why spring bean seed test can avoid disease risks

Growers using home-saved spring beans are advised to test seed ahead of planting, to avoid poor germination and crop health issues. The cost of testing is modest compared with the…

PEST MANAGEMENT

Wetter weather could see slug rise in newly drilled wheat

With more unsettled weather forecast across the UK following recent rain, slug activity is expected to rise, posing a threat to newly planted wheat crops. The hot and dry summer…

PEST MANAGEMENT

High insect activity increases BYDV risk in mild autumn

A combination of earlier drilling and mild conditions has seen a heightened risk of insect activity, prompting concerns of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) in cereal crops. Continued mild weather…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Integrating sheep into arable rotations - how to get started

The return of the “golden hoof” to arable rotations has gained momentum as more farmers embrace livestock integration as one of the key principles in a “regenerative” system. Potential benefits…

OILSEED RAPE

OSR growers advised to apply PGR to very forward crops

Oilseed rape growers are being advised to apply a plant growth regulator (PGR) to some of the most forward OSR crops seen, in order to maximise yields and crop resilience.…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

How to make the most of phosphate fertilisers this autumn

As margins squeeze tighter, many growers are looking at inputs and considering where to make cuts, and phosphate may be one area of focus. Tim Kerr, head of nutrition at…

Insights

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COVER CROPS

Why N cut could be bad for cover crop growth and soil health

Is the drive to cut applied nitrogen fertiliser inadvertently resulting in poorer cover and catch crop growth to the detriment of soil health? Evidence from cover crop trials on farms…

WEED MANAGEMENT

How oxygen and cultivation impact glyphosate breakdown

The breakdown of glyphosate in soils is fundamentally influenced by three key factors: oxygen availability, soil biology and the presence of cultivations. Glyphosate is an effective tool for controlling weeds…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Why biscuit brand is rewarding farmers for regen wheat

Payments for wheat growers moving to more sustainable farming practices are on offer from biscuit and snack maker Pladis, the owner of McVitie’s, as it expands its Back to Farm…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Advice on future-proofing arable farms as margins tighten

Arable farmers are under increasing pressure to deliver more with less. At a time when grain prices are at rock bottom, what can growers and the wider industry do to keep…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Farmers reveal results of biological inputs trial

Two arable farmers were tasked with replacing 25% of their synthetic crop inputs with biological alternatives as part of a sustainable cropping project. We catch up with them to find…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Benefits of adding manganese to seed-beds after dry summer

Farmers are advised to apply manganese in the seed-bed this autumn, as the dry summer may have left soils depleted of the micronutrient. Origin Soil Nutrition agronomist Toby Ward warns…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How herbal leys can benefit the whole system

From herbal leys to hemp crops, the Centre for High Carbon Capture Cropping is a four-year £5.9m multi partner project, led by Niab, which is exploring the carbon capture potential…

IRRIGATION

Why reservoirs are key to sustainable water abstraction

The proposed 30% overall reduction in water that can be abstracted for irrigation in East Suffolk could result in losses of up to £2,300m across the supply chain over the…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Tips on cutting through the marketing hype for biostimulants

After a season when crops gave up in the summer drought, farmers may be tempted to try a biostimulant to help crops cope better next time. Some products can deliver…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Wheat growers warned of new 'high input' group of varieties

Latest Agrii trials have shown marked drops in yellow rust resistance scores for some of the UK’s most popular winter wheats, rendering some popular varieties as high input wheats. The…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Growers advised to plan integrated yellow rust approach

Wheat growers are being advised to plan integrated yellow rust management strategies following the significant reductions in resistance ratings for some popular varieties. These reductions mean extra focus should be…

WEED MANAGEMENT

How new herbicide aids sustainable weed control in barley

More so than in winter wheat, control of problem weeds in winter barley, such as blackgrass and Italian ryegrass, has been reliant on a narrow group of actives. So, the…

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