All from last 24 hours WEATHERFarmers to benefit from £50m Somerset flood prevention fundRoughly £50m has been allocated by government to fund a range of flood resilience measures in Somerset, aimed at protecting farmland, businesses, and homes. The measures include flood defence schemes,… CEREALSMud warning for exhibitors ahead of CerealsOrganisers of Cereals have issued a mud warning ahead of the show’s opening at Diddly Squat Farm, advising exhibitors to arrive in 4x4 vehicles and prepare for difficult ground conditions… PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTSDefra doubles Adopt funding cap to £200,000Defra has doubled the maximum grant available through its Adopt farmer-led innovation programme from £100,000 to £200,000, following industry calls for support for larger and more ambitious on-farm trials. The… PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTSAHDB launches new tool to weigh up SFI optionsFarmers are being encouraged to use a new tool developed by the AHDB to calculate how different actions in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) could impact on their businesses. The… LIVESTOCK DISEASESWest Wales bluetongue case sparks vaccine reminderFarmers are being urged to vaccinate livestock against bluetongue following a series of new cases across England and Wales, including the first confirmed case in west Wales. Bluetongue is a… DISEASE MANAGEMENTTake-all in wheat: Advice for growers as weather shifts riskTake-all is the most economically damaging root disease of consecutive wheats in UK arable systems, with yield losses in the range 10-20% common. Its impact can be much worse in… PIGS3 ways artificial intelligence can improve pig healthArtificial intelligence is being used to improve management of health, welfare and performance on both individual pig farms and across the sector. As well as generating greater value from existing… SPRAYERSDriver’s View: Neil Hall’s Landquip InTrac trailed sprayerThe InTrac is Landquip’s contribution to the world of high-output trailed spraying, armed with polyethylene tanks of up to 8,000 litres and booms as wide as 44m. The latter are… CROP WATCHCrop Watch: High aphid numbers in peas and wheatA change to more unsettled weather has brought an increased disease risk and high numbers of aphids on wheat ears and in pea crops. See also: Caithness farmer grows over… OPINIONOpinion: Hay meadow work prompts cricket pitch fantasyIf all goes to plan, we’ll be clearing the back meadow of hay bales in the next couple of weeks. And when it’s done, I have a little tradition. I… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Food security is becoming high riskSpring 2026 has been a dry one across the UK, more so for some than others. We have been fortunate, with rainfall at critical times, leaving crops looking respectable, but…
