Cereals

New two-row winter barley Lightning looks to be another winner from the Elsoms-Ackermann stable.

Graintek was established in 2009 by Kenneth Addison and Phillip Crow.

Spring husbandry can provide both value and diversity within a rotation, often demonstrate lower yield variability and can show a better return than their autumn counterparts per £1 spent – although they often struggle to match the best gross margins. But which spring cropping option to choose? Rachel Hicks writes.

New to the Recommended List (RL) and delivering an unrivalled combination of yield, quality and disease resistance, Merlin spring oat is a new ‘all-rounder’ for both miller and farmer. 

Favourable drilling conditions and strong prices have supported an increase in winter cropping, according to AHDB’s Early Bird Survey. However, high input costs may have limited further rises.

Bury St Edmunds MP Jo Churchill, visited Limagrain UK to see how plant breeding is helping UK farmers to be more sustainable.

Dr Cathy Hooper, RAGT Seeds technical sales manager, reviews the late Septoria tritici epidemic that hit many wheat crops this season.

Feed barley yields with a good premium from difficult ground ill-suited to traditional malting production for an input cost of less than £65/tonne. The Budweiser barley-growing maths certainly adds up for farm manager, Chris Singer and his team at the Carington Estate in Buckinghamshire.

This year’s Midlands Machinery Show will not only feature the latest heavy machinery, but also let farmers see first hand the latest technology improving harvest returns.

D.G Hopper Agricultural Contractors spoke to Farmers Guide, to let us know how harvest is progressing for them so far.

Catchy weather conditions mean farmers are having to roll out the combines at every available opportunity in order to bring in this year’s winter wheat harvest, while winter barley and OSR are almost complete.

It’s easy to be captivated by the rush of combines and trailers but a strong post-harvest plan can make or break a successful harvest.