All from last 24 hours 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 6036 trailed spra...The 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… ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMESSFI26: Make the most of some ‘easy wins’, says Ceres RuralWith the new Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI26) set to open at the end of June, farmers in England are being encouraged to familiarise themselves with certain key changes and look… NEWSFW Podcast Ep 308: Relaunched SFI - what it means for youThis week, Defra confirms England’s Sustainable Farming Incentive will reopen for applications on 30 June – but only for some farmers, and with questions over budget. Farm business adviser Katie… COMMUNITYOpen Farm Sunday marks 20-year milestoneOpen Farm Sunday celebrated its 20th anniversary on 7 June, with more than 280 farms across the UK welcoming visitors to learn about food production, farming and countryside stewardship. Since… LIVESTOCKDefra delays cattle traceability overhaul to 2027Defra has pushed back England’s long-awaited cattle traceability overhaul to mid-2027, citing the need to align with emerging UK-EU livestock traceability requirements. The delay means the new digital traceability system… BUSINESSPig sector unnerved as processors end contracts and cut jobsPig producers across Europe continue to face significant challenges, driven by low farmgate prices, contract uncertainty, and structural reforms by processors. While the scale of backlogs of pigs on farm… NEWSNFU Scotland raises concerns over Fife AI data centreNFU Scotland has warned against taking productive farmland out of food production after plans were lodged for a 600MW artificial intelligence (AI) data centre near Auchtertool in Fife. The £5bn…
