The Environment Agency says it supports farmers who want payment for flood water on their land – but not if the area is a natural floodplain. Speaking at last month’s NFU annual conference in Birmingham, Environment Agency chairman Alan Lovell said using land for water storage was a big... Read more
New E-series reel irrigators from Bauer have several improved features to make them easier to operate and maintain. The company has invested heavily over recent years to equip its Rainstar E-series with new digital technologies – including the Smart Rain remote monitoring and control app, says Adrian Tindall, Bauer... Read more
Encouraging farmers to invest in water management will help combat climate change, the government has been told. Better on-farm infrastructure and investment in technology is vital to mitigate the impact of increasingly unpredictable weather, said the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers in a submission to the Treasury ahead of... Read more
Measuring soil carbon content is providing growers with valuable insights for farm management – while helping to generate income from the government’s Sustainable Farming Incentive. “There’s so much evidence of a direct and linear relationship between soil organic matter and soil function that carbon content is rapidly becoming one... Read more
Growers are advised to assess soil conditions before deciding whether waterlogged crops are still viable – or fields should be left to recover for next season. Tough questions may need to be asked when it comes to choosing between managing struggling crops already in the ground, redrilling fields altogether... Read more
Soil with minimal cultivation holds more nutrients and water than fields which have been ploughed – benefiting crops and ultimately farm profitabilty, suggests a study. The study conducted by researchers at University of Leeds Farm compares soil health, crop production, greenhouse gas emissions, and profit of different farming systems... Read more
Companion crops in direct drilled oilseed rape could help reduce damage by cabbage stem flea beetle, say scientists. Results from a Rothamsted Research study suggest relatively simple changes in crop management could help control a ubiquitous pest which has seen many farmers abandoning oilseed rape altogether. Field trials, conducted... Read more
Focus on crop nutrition to build root mass
Arable 05/03/2024
A focus on key nutrients could help to pull lethargic crops out of the cold, wet winter. Without a strong root system to scavenge for nutrients and reach water as summer droughts take hold, no amount of fertilisers or other inputs will deliver vital growth and yield potential, says... Read more
Maize could be a good choice for many growers this spring – stacking up well against more conventional crops with additional benefits from the Sustainable Farming Incentive. “Significant reductions in nitrogen use, low-input agronomy and soil improvement opportunities are just some of the appeal and managed properly maize can... Read more
Large amounts of land are being taken out of food production and put into the government’s flagship agri-environment scheme, the Sustainable Farming Incentive, say agronomists. Contractors and farmers could struggle to survive where large areas of arable land are being put into the scheme, which is being seen by... Read more