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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

ARABLE

How arable farmers can turn things around this spring

It may feel like doom and gloom at present, as any rare dry days are predictably followed by another spell of rain – a cycle that has limited field work…

OTHER CROPS

Round-up of the niche crop options for UK growers

Introducing alternative break crops to an arable rotation can help growers improve soil health, spread market risk and further financial gain. As pesticide actives are lost and resistance fears build,…

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…

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Case studies

ROTATIONS

How an organic Norfolk estate hits £1,000/ha gross margins

Farming soils with an 80% sand content is no easy task, but thanks to a rotation rejig and organic conversion, the Fring Estate in Norfolk is targeting £1,000/ha gross margins.…

ARABLE

No-till provides zero cost way into support scheme

Kent grower Richard Day is set to use his adoption of direct drilling and precision fertiliser techniques under new environment schemes to gain more than 40% of his old direct…

SOILS

Organic farm takes a break to build up soil fertility

Hampshire organic grower Tim May is putting three-quarters of his arable land into new environmental schemes to boost soil fertility and improve his busy work-life balance. Tim is allocating just…

WHEAT

Wheat grower plans for bigger milling wheat area

Milling wheat grower James Peck says he needs the present £60/t-plus premium for his breadmaking wheat crop to make money and plans for an expanded 1,700ha milling area next season.…

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Insights

ROTATIONS

AHDB analysis: The merits of SFI break crop alternatives

Finding a reliable break crop in the arable rotation is an ongoing challenge. Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) actions, such as herbal leys or legume fallows could be an alternative, especially…

OILSEED RAPE

Data reveals cost of oilseed rape failures

Having an effective plan B is vital when growing oilseed rape, as making the wrong decision when redrilling a failed crop can cost farmers up to £674/ha in lost margins,…

SOILS

New reports reveal arable's impact on the environment

Two new reports are being said to provide a clear roadmap for improving soil health, reducing carbon emissions and supporting biodiversity, while also enabling farm businesses to continue operating profitably.…

ARABLE

Why winter linseed is an option for Scots growers

Winter linseed could offer Scottish growers a low-input, high-yielding alternative break crop on farms where winter oilseed rape yields are falling. Scottish Agronomy has been trialling winter linseed with Premium…

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News

ARABLE

Cereals 2024: UK wheat area set for big bounce back in autumn

Winter wheat drilling is forecast to recover strongly this autumn, with the area set to be up by as much as 30% as growers are tempted to sow early after…

OTHER CROPS

Hemp growing made simpler with changes to licensing rules

Changes to hemp licensing rules are set to make it easier for farmers to plan their rotations, thereby making it a more viable break crop on UK farms. Hemp is…

ARABLE

Trial sees 9.7t/ha yield from zero-input bean-oat bicrop

A crop of oats grown with no inputs apart from seed and a companion crop of winter beans has produced an exceptional yield in a Northamptonshire trial. Bicropping is gaining…

ROTATIONS

How farmers can benefit from new rotation planning tool

The launch of a new farm rotation planning tool is set to benefit users by costing out a range of potential cropping and machinery scenarios. The Business Performance module developed…

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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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