Oat growers are being asked to provide more detailed environmental data as processors and brands seek to strengthen supply chains following a run of weather-hit harvests. Grain trader Robin Appel Ltd has partnered with Soil Association Exchange to measure 15 supplying farms against 40 metrics. The initiative reflects growing... Read more

Farmers could use the gap created by an early harvest to identify loss-making land before committing seed and inputs to another cropping season. Yield maps can reveal areas that repeatedly fail to cover costs. Analysing several seasons together can indicate whether margins could be improved by tweaking crop management,... Read more

Genetic tolerance to barley yellow dwarf virus could become a standard feature of UK winter barley to protect yields while reducing reliance on insecticides. Strong results for new two-row winter barley LG Catapult suggest BYDV tolerance can be delivered without sacrificing yield. The trait could become increasingly important as... Read more

Britain is heading for one of its worst harvests on record after drought and repeated heatwaves cut cereal yields and potentially wiped hundreds of millions of pounds from farm revenues. The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) estimates that this year’s cereals and oilseeds crop could lose up to... Read more

Growers returning to oilseed rape are being urged to focus on crop management as renewed confidence drive a resurgence in plantings. The rape area increased by 49% for harvest 2026, according to estimates from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. But the 358,000 hectares grown this season remains a... Read more

Potato industry leaders say the sector will struggle to reverse falling domestic production unless the government makes water a strategic priority for farming. Unreliable access to water is now the biggest barrier to expanding domestic production, delegates were told at the Potato Industry Growth Summit in London. Growers are... Read more

Cultivating oilseed rape stubble after harvest benefits the following crop and helps to reduce pest pressure – including Cabbage Stem Flea Beetles (CSFB). The cross-industry OSR Reboot initiative pinpoints 10 techniques that can help. Updated for this autumn, they are a key example of Integrated Pest Management in action... Read more

New research by Rothamsted Research could help growers manage herbicide resistance while protecting existing Avadex chemistry. It follows changes made by the Herbicide Resistance Action Committee (HRAC) – moving Avadex (tri-allate) into the same Group 15 mode of action category as flufenacet, prosulfocarb and ethofumesate. The decision raises questions... Read more

Early wheat yields are varying sharply after three summer heatwaves accelerated crop development and reduced output by as much as one third. While grain quality has generally held up, with protein levels encouraging and specific weights around 80kg/hl, growers are reporting striking differences between crops, regions and soil types.... Read more