Next month sees the first ever virtual Cereals event, offering farmers the latest business and technical advice, machinery launches and new tech demos.

Rather than heading to a field in Cambridgeshire on 11 and 12 June, visitors will be able to login to the two-day online event from the comfort of their office.

And like the real event, it has a packed webinar programme, video crop plot tours and working machinery demos.

See also: Analysis: How the loss of chlorothalonil will affect farmers

To help visitors make the most of the event, here are five key highlights to look out for.

1. Live webinar programme

Cereals LIVE has a packed webinar programme with 10 live sessions on both Wednesday and Thursday, with the chance to quiz speakers.

The headline debate will see Defra minister Victoria Prentis discuss the government’s plans and support for coronavirus and give an update on the Brexit negotiations. Chaired by Jane King of the AHDB, it also features NFU president, Minette Batters.

The rest of the programme includes AHDB sessions tackling key topics like the loss of pesticides and getting ready for the new environmental schemes plus new market opportunities will be explored in the Grain Chain sessions.

Several webinars will also target young farmers and there are no less than five sessions in conjunction with the Department of International Trade looking at innovations like plant breeding and precision farming.

2. Sprays and sprayers

Spraying technology is advancing at a tremendous rate and farmers looking to replace their sprayer will be able to see a wide range of the latest innovations in action, including the much talked-about pulse-width modulation system.

Exhibitors will present presenting their technology through working demonstration videos which include:

• John Deere’s R4140i and R4150i models which include pulse width modulation technology
• Amazone’s AmaSelect technology plus an update on its targeted spraying system it is developing with real-time weed detection
• Fendt’s latest additions to its Rogator range, the 300 and 600
• Bateman’s latest boom levelling technology

And finally, the winner of the Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year will be announced at 10am on Wednesday.

3. New machinery and tech

Visitors will be able to see video demos of the latest in farm kit covering mechanical weeding, new tractor models and a robotic weeder.

Highlights include:

• Making their UK show debut will be John Deere’s range-topping 7R 330 and four-track 8RX 410 Tractors
• Opico’s new ultra-low disturbance subsoiler – the HE-VA Stealth
• The new 20 series Sky Easy-Drill
• A drone app from DroneAg that helps farmer monitor their crops
• Tom – the Small Robot Company’s weed mapping robot
• Joskin’s novel E-Drive system providing electric drive on its tankers

4. Soil pit

Niab’s Soil Pit will be delivered via online videos at Cereals LIVE, featuring soil specialist Elizabeth Stockdale and Niab Innovation Farm’s Lydia Smith.

The videos will enable visitors to compare rooting across winter oilseed rape (conventional, hybrid and semi-dwarf), cereal hybrids and herbal leys. They can also consider spring crop alternatives to winter oilseed rape and view a companion-cropping demo.

5. Variety plots

Niab wheat and oilseed rape variety specialists Clare Leaman and Colin Peters will be going on to the Cereals site and taking viewers by video through the plots as if they were there with them.

It will cover:

• 30 winter wheat plots
• 27 winter oilseed rape plots

Breeders at the event will also be showcasing their latest additions to the AHDB Recommended List, including Bayer with its osr variety plots .

Niab’s agronomy plots will include:

• Winter wheat inputs versus yield comparison
• New winter wheat fungicides comparison
• Grassweed control in winter and spring wheat
• New farming systems work – including a range of soil amendments
• Rustwatch plots

6. Precision farming report

Precision farming can help farmers improve soil health, by minimising compaction and categorising which parts of a field are more productive or would benefit from additional nutrients, explains Michael Haverty at the Andersons Centre.

The firm has considered the financial and operational impacts of precision farming on its Loam Farm model, and will be revealing the results at Cereals LIVE.