Welcome return for Cereals event to Lincolnshire farm

Arable farming has seen huge changes in the 17 years since the Cereals event was last held at Heath Farm in Lincolnshire.

The 445ha arable operation run by host farmer Andrew Ward is located near the village of Leadenham, almost halfway between Newark and Sleaford on the A17. It previously hosted Cereals in 2004 and 2008.

Roy Ward Farms has been an arable enterprise since Mr Ward’s father took on the Heath Farm tenancy in 1958. These days, it includes cover crops, agri-environment projects and its own YouTube channel with 19.7k subscribers.

Mr Ward says he enjoys taking on challenges head on. Being unafraid to experiment – and the first farmer to grow a baked bean crop from British seed – is what makes him a solid Cereals host farmer.

“No farmer can farm perfectly, we all experience some real highs and some real lows – and I don’t mind sharing both,” he adds.

The farm’s heavy, medium and light soils – comprising clay, silt and sand – have in the past supported a wheat-heavy rotation. But blackgrass forced Mr Ward to undertake drastic action in 2013 to recover yields and profits.

Traffic light system

Hitting the problem hard, he sprayed off some 60.7ha with glyphosate for three or four years, rogueing the worst land and implementing a traffic light system to get on top of the problem (see panel).

Delaying wheat drilling until the third week of October and growing spring barley on the worst land has helped gain ground against blackgrass. The rotation once again includes continuous wheat, on heavy land – with good yields too.

“We follow the same cropping on the medium land as we did under the traffic light system, minus the spring barley, and taking advantage of the yield benefit to the wheat following the sugar beet,” says Mr Ward.

“In some fields the rotation will have three wheat crops following the sugar beet. On light land we have removed the oats and grow two barley crops.

“We still hand-rogue and we will target treat with herbicide. However, we are now using 34% less herbicide and we target all our inputs.”

The farm hasn’t been ploughed since 2003. Instead, Mr Ward uses a combination of Simba machinery and modifications to maximise soil health and achieve optimal establishment across a range of crops, soils and conditions.

A 6m flower margin is maintained in every field to support pollinators and beneficial insects. Mr Ward also grows winter bird feed plots throughout the farm, with feeders for songbirds and gamebirds – and a large pond area.

More recently, he has introduced the Sustainable Farming Incentive’s legume mix option into his sugar beet rotation, and he is also currently running a nitrogen efficiency trial as an Innovative Farmers demonstration farm.

“I’m looking forward to hosting Cereals once again,” says Mr Ward.

“We’ll all express our disgust at current affairs and share the day-to-day gripes, but there will also be plenty of talk that invigorates and excites us – it’s amazing how coming together can really be the change we need.”

Shaping solutions on the Seed to Shelf stage at Cereals 2025

Sharing knowledge to find solutions will be the theme of this year’s seminar programme at the Cereals event.

Market volatility, farm support and changing legislation will all be among the topics discussed on the Seed to Shelf stage – a series of farmer-focused seminars to equip arable businesses with the information needed to thrive in uncertain times.

Sponsored by KWS, the Seed to Shelf stage dives deep into the arable supply chain – from policies and finance to seed development and crop choices.

Across two days, visitors will gain practical insight into ways they can boost productivity, improve margins and tap into market opportunities – all while reducing their environmental impact.

“Farmers are facing tighter margins, rising input costs, and more complex sustainability expectations than ever,” says KWS marketing manager Andy McGrath.

“Seed to Shelf is about helping growers make informed decisions that deliver value throughout the entire chain – from genetics to grain specifications, and beyond.”

KWS will showcase its latest genetics – like new Group 1 wheat variety KWS Vibe – and how it meets grower and processor needs, says Mr McGrath.

“Our focus is not just on yield but also traits like disease resistance and grain quality that reduce input reliance and deliver better returns. It’s about practical innovation that works in the field and adds value all the way to the end product.

“As part of our new Productivity2 initiative we are also looking at how yield and quality improvements from genetics, combined with more efficient use of inputs through key traits like disease resistance, can improve productivity and margins for growers.

Supply chain

Extending this thinking into the stages of food and drink production can help reduce the carbon footprint of products, says Mr McGrath.

“In some cases – we have also been able to improve efficiency in the following process, such as greater alcohol extraction.

“We believe passionately that on-the-ground farming must integrate fully with the wider food supply chain industry and it is precisely for this reason that we are so proud to be the main sponsor of the Seed to Shelf initiative at Cereals.”

Looking to some of the opportunities in the arable sector, a session sponsored by the UK Agri-Tech Centre will delve into some of the latest innovations the centre has supported, led by head of sustainability Harry Langford.

The theme of emerging technologies will be addressed by former Defra secretary George Eustice. He will examine the promise and potential of precision breeding in a session sponsored by the British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN).

Good insight

“George was the Defra minister when the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill went through,” says  BOFIN founder Tom Allen-Stevens.

“He has a really good insight into what ministers were trying to achieve with the legislation and why it is an opportunity for the UK.

“We will be exploring that, as well as the science behind precision-bred organisms.”

Another key interest for Mr Eustice is biopesticides, which will also be touched on in the discussions.

“Biostimulants and bio-pesticides offer an awful lot of opportunity to UK growers, and we’ve seen benefits in trials,” says Mr Allen-Stevens.

“But we need more data from commercial farms, which we’re unable to do with the current legislation.

Champion

“George is championing a change in the law on bio-pesticides, in a similar way to how precision-bred organisms are being treated, which sounds like a really good idea and something I’m keen to explore in this discussion.”

Other sessions include advice on diversifying your farm business, sponsored by Sykes Holiday Cottages, as well as a panel discussion with the Women in Food and Farming Network, says event director Alli McEntyre.

“With uncertainty over future land use, trade deals, and food policy, there’s never been a more important time for farmers.”

Traffic light system against blackgrass

All land-rogued extensively and glyphosate used where necessary, plus:

RED   Heavy land – heavy burden
Treated as red ground, no wheat grown, only competitive spring barley

AMBER   Medium land – medium to moderate burden
Four-year rotation of autumn-harvested sugar beet, spring barley (if burden high) or winter wheat (if burden manageable), oats and winter wheat

GREEN   Light land – minimal or
manageable burden
Four-year rotation of winter-harvested sugar beet, spring barley, oats and winter wheat