Author Posts: Rachel Hicks

On 18th April, farmers were invited to attend the second South East Future of Farming Conference held at Plumpton Collage, with all proceeds from the ticket sales being donated to RABI. Farmers Guide editor, Rachel Hicks, was there.

A total of six combining peas, two winter beans and three spring beans have completed the requisite number of years in trials and demonstrated the necessary qualities for inclusion in the PGRO Descriptive List for pulses. Rachel Hicks reports.

In early September, Farmers Guide visited Shotley Peninsula farmer Geoffrey Mayhew in Suffolk as he began lifting some early crop for this year’s sugar beet campaign.

Fairking Ltd is a family-owned and run company, and the UK representative for borage growing/production for DeWit, a Dutch company that owns New Holland Extraction. Rachel Hicks attended the Fairking Ltd grower open day in early February.

Two candidate winter oilseed rape varieties from breeder LS Plant Breeding Ltd (LSPB) – Murray and Vegas – are near the top of the AHDB RL harvest results table (2nd equal and 3rd), with yields ahead of most of the currently recommended varieties.

Suffolk farmer Tom Jewers, of G D Jewers & Son at Wood Hall Farm in Rattlesden, experienced a better-than-expected harvest, although field variations of over 6t/h clearly showed the impact OM has on yield.

Farmers need to maximise efficacy and minimise resistance risks when using glyphosate to eliminate weeds ahead of drilling according to Matt Siggs of Bayer. Roundup (glyphosate) is a vital control tool on many farms, so a pro-active approach is best to ensure long-term efficacy.

Hutchinsons Helix farms provide a regional ‘test-bed’ for ideas and technologies which are generated through the national Helix programme. Rachel Hicks visited Helix East Anglia in May to discuss the current focuses, including nutrient usage efficiency, wheat blends and endophyte seed treatments.

Wholecrop rye for biogas production is still the biggest market, so choosing high performing AD varieties is the key for most growers, says independent agronomist Craig Green.

Combined Powers is the name of a joint Krone/Lemken project and design concept – the autonomous ‘process unit’ that consists of a drive unit and various implements. After passing trials in cultivating, ploughing, sowing, mowing, tedding and raking last year, the innovative concept will be integrated in the well-proven forage harvesting and tillage systems of the two companies.

Pitchup.com is backing a Yorkshire MP in his quest to boost the UK’s rural economy. Earlier this week, Robert Goodwill, MP for Scarborough and Whitby, called on Housing Secretary Michael Gove to reinstate the right for farmers and landowners to operate pop-up campsites for 56 days each year without applying for planning permission.

With most OSR crops now well on their way, growers are doing all they can to ensure robust growth and higher yields. Yara agronomy operations manager, Natalie Wood, and Yara area manager, Oscar Thacker, discuss the current status of OSR crops and what steps growers can take to drive growth forwards.