• 21% drop in wheat production • Yields tumble for other cereals • Call for climate change action This year’s cereal harvest was England’s second worst since records began – with some growers suffering devastating yields, government figures have confirmed. The English wheat harvest is estimated to be 10m... Read more

• Protect cereal seedlings from attack • Crops are more vulnerable for longer • Consider baiting locations carefully Wet autumn weather means growers should keep monitoring crops for slugs and reapply pellets where necessary, say experts. The durability of molluscicide pellets is increasingly important to protect cereal seedlings from... Read more

Early signs from both commercial and trial crops suggest that early lifted sugar beet is performing well – despite late drilling and above average rainfall. Rain washed away the threat of virus yellows this season, while good summer temperatures in recent weeks have helped the crop to pile on... Read more

• Drilling date has bigger role to play • Milder winters affecting rape yields • Growth regulator can reduce losses Applying a plant growth regulator (PGR) to early drilled oilseed rape could hold the key to better yields, say experts. Genetic improvements are giving higher yields in trials. But... Read more

Growers face a tough decision when it comes to tackling barley yellow dwarf virus in autumn cereal crops. • Virus threat expected to be high • No-insecticide crops pay £45/ha • Think before abandoning sprays With high aphid pressure forecast, the virus risk is expected to be high. Yet... Read more

Growers could combat cabbage stem flea beetle on winter oilseed rape by applying silicon to the crop, say independent agronomists. Plants use silicon – the primary constituent of glass – as a physical barrier against attacks by pests and pathogens, laying down a hard crystal layer of ‘opals’ within... Read more

New winter wheat variety SY Cheer has been awarded full Group 1 milling status by UK Flour Millers in time for autumn drilling. SY Cheer is the newest of only five Group 1 varieties on the winter wheat Recommended List for 2024/25. Plant breeder Syngenta it could hold strong... Read more

Winter wheat growers are being urged to take steps to avoid the potential downsides of drilling early this autumn. While the temptation to establish crops early is understandable following washout conditions last autumn and winter, being prepared for the added risks is crucial, says ProCam regional technical manager Paul... Read more

• Wheat variety performs well late-drilled • Withstood extremely wet winter weather • Looked clean throughout entire season Later drilled winter wheat has performed well for third generation Staffordshire farmer Rob Atkin – despite a stern test during a challenging 2023/34 season. Mr Atkin farms 386ha of combinable crops... Read more