Cereals News

A new initiative funded by AHDB will test whether growing a mixture of milling wheat varieties can deliver better crops.

Growers are being urged to plan integrated yellow rust management this autumn, as resistance ratings for several winter wheat varieties have fallen. 

The 2025 harvest has been one of the most challenging in recent memory, with significant variability in yields noticed across the country, within regions, and even between neighbouring farms, AHDB reports.  

With drought continuing to affect large areas of the UK, maize growers are closely monitoring crop development to determine optimal harvest timing. Some of them have already started harvesting.

With the UK harvest being one of the earliest ever, many growers are already looking ahead to the new season and preparing for drilling of winter cereals. While this earlier drilling may help spread the workload, it significantly raises the risk of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV), warns Ruth Stanley of Sumitomo Chemical. 

While harvesting progress has been strong – outpacing five-year averages – the combination of lower yields for many growers and falling grain prices throughout the year points to significant financial challenges for arable farms, the latest AHDB harvest report has found.

Pesticide resistance continues to challenge arable production, with diminishing efficacy against key pest species. 

One of the two UK bioethanol plants, Vivergo, has ceased production after discussions with the government failed to reach a solution that would allow it to continue operating.

Richard Heady says yields have been “thoroughly disappointing” this year, though crops were grown on a budget.

After a disastrous harvest last year, Suffolk farmer John Pawsey says he’s hoping for an ‘average plus’ year in 2025.

Following feedback from growers and the wider industry on the wheat yield estimate, an error has been identified in the background data.

Unusually high levels of yellow rust in some winter wheat varieties this year have led to a major revision to disease resistance ratings, AHDB has revealed.