Drilling cereal crops into parched soil this autumn is likely to be a tricky proposition. Cover crops have gone from niche to more mainstream on UK farms in the last ten years, driven by a greater emphasis on soil health and the Sustainable Farming Initiative. But autumn establishment will... Read more

Growers returning to oilseed rape this year are reminded to prioritise good establishment or risk storing up problems for following wheat crops. Prices approaching £500/t and two decent seasons for rape are expected to see another increase in new-season plantings. Even a modest rise would take the national crop... Read more

A yield-sapping fungus is becoming more common – making it important to select oilseed rape varieties carefully. Verticillium stem stripe can cause yield reductions of 30% or even more. With no fungicide treatments available, other ways must be found to control the soil borne fungus, says Michael Shuldham of... Read more

A former farm manager who spent nearly three decades waging war against blackgrass says growers should pick their battles. Richard Ward, who managed 200ha Barton Farms in Moreton-in-Marsh, says his approach was less about total eradication and trying to win strategic victories – on a daily basis. Mr Ward... Read more

A high risk of glyphosate resistance has been found on three more farms – prompting warnings for growers to monitor weeds that survive spray applications. Italian ryegrass samples from the three latest farms were potted up and sprayed with glyphosate by ADAS. A high risk of resistance was identified.... Read more

A new service aims to make the benefits of precision farming readily accessible without growers having to master all its complexities. FieldSense uses satellite mapping of soil and crop variability across fields, says ProCam regional technical manager, Nigel Scott, who has been integral in developing and testing the new... Read more

Growers using winter wheat seed more than a year old are advised to check its condition before drilling to ensure plant populations do not disappoint. That’s the advice of Certis Belchim’s seed expert Adam Nears, who says there is likely to be a reasonable quantity of seed carried over... Read more

Grassweeds are again a big talking point for arable growers – with some fields under significant pressure before autumn drilling. Read more