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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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ARABLE

New entrant's journey from photographer to regen farmer

Starring in a film, returning home to help run the family farm, and continuing the transition to a regenerative system her father had started three years earlier have all been…

OTHER CROPS

How agronomist is helping growers earn more from niche crops

Armed with new research findings, analysis of farm yield data and many hours of crop walking, a team of agronomists are helping farmers maximise returns from their niche crops. For…

SUGAR BEET

Suffolk beet grower counts huge cost of beet moth

Beet moth was responsible for a sugar beet yield reduction of 25%, a drop in sugar content and a forced switch to earlier lifting at Troston Farms in Suffolk, where…

WEED MANAGEMENT

How two farmers integrate strategic glyphosate in rotations

Use of glyphosate – the most widely applied herbicide in the UK – has surged over the past three decades. In recent years that increase has been driven by the…

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…

Practical advice

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COVER CROPS

How to tackle large cover crops before spring drilling

Some of the biggest overwinter cover crops seen in the past 15-20 years will need careful management ahead of spring drilling to maximise yields of the following crop. Oxfordshire-based Agrii…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Why variety and drill date are key to yield and disease

Growers looking to reduce fungicide use and reliance on synthetic chemistry are advised to start by focusing on two key decisions: variety choice and drilling date. While there is growing…

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…

Insights

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ARABLE

How to raise yields and trim costs for higher wheat margins

Arable farmers looking to make a higher margin in 2026 have two options to get the most from well-established autumn drilled crops showing good potential, according to a leading consultancy.…

SOILS

Expert advice on creating biologically dynamic soils

There is currently an influx of biological products coming to the market promising improvements to soil health and yield, but can these claims be sustained in practice? Creating a biologically…

COVER CROPS

Trial shows how to establish a cover crop before harvest

Establishing multispecies cover crops into a standing crop of wheat has shown promise in a replicated large-scale trial in Northamptonshire. While it’s well-known that earlier establishment of cover crops is…

BARLEY

Scottish spring barley: Lessons for farmers in 2026

High screenings and variable nitrogen levels were an unwelcome feature of the Scottish malting crop last year, with growers reporting a £70/t hit on failed grain and the country awash…

COVER CROPS

Trials reveal best ways to maximise cover crop benefits

Opting for a chemical method cover crop destruction and at a later timing are key to getting the most out of cover crops, according to a series of three trials.…

WEED MANAGEMENT

How to tackle the increasing problem of Italian ryegrass

Good crop rotations and cultivations are two critical factors in controlling troublesome Italian ryegrass in arable crops, in tandem with a good residual herbicide regime. These two cultural control methods,…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Biostimulants show wheat yield promise under low N use

Results from a three-year independent study revealed the use of biological products had a greater impact on winter wheat yield and margin where a lower nitrogen rate was applied. Efforts…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

How next-gen satellites take guesswork out of N management

The science behind optimum nitrogen rates is well established, yet in practice, most crops are still either over- or under-fed. While several precision tools and sensors aim to solve the…

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…

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