Arable News

Hugh Black, a farmer from Forfar, has maintained profitability and improved soil health after introducing sheep to his arable rotation.

Speakers at the 2023 Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC) opening plenary reflected on the political and economic turmoil of the last few years and spoke of the changes that need to happen to secure the future of food and farming.

After gaining National Listing, the Processors and Grower Research Organisation (PGRO) added three new varieties to its 2023 Descriptive List, meaning growers have even more information on beans to sow this spring.

The variety Lion yielded well and had the lowest hulling losses according to the 2022 spring oat trial, agronomist Brin Hughes confirms. Elsoms Seeds are partnering with Saaten Union UK to market the high-performing Lion variety to the UK.

Thought-provoking talks and presentations will discuss resilience with pea and bean growers at this year’s Pulse Roadshow event, organised by Syngenta and the Growers Research Organisation (PGRO).

The PGRO has announced that seven new pea and bean varieties have been added to its 2023 Descriptive List for pulses, with up to four more to be added at a later date.

AHDB’s online edition of the Recommended Lists for cereals and oilseeds (RL) 2023/24 may feature fewer new varieties than previous Lists, but some of the newcomers deliver large yield increases, especially in barley and oilseed rape.

AHDB’s final Early Bird Survey (EBS) confirms a strong continuation of winter cropping for harvest 2023.

The Cambridgeshire-based firm Techneat Engineering has confirmed it will be launching its new Multicast Applicator at LAMMA 2023, enabling farmers to spread all types and sizes of seeds with the same unit.

With increasing awareness of problem soils and their impact on arable farm productivity, results from a recent trial provide insights into how soil activators aimed at improving fertility could help turn things around.

Firefoxx, a high-yielding spring malting barley with early maturity, bred by Elsoms-Ackermann Barley, has received full approval for malt distilling use by the Malting Barley Committee (MBC) confirms Paul Taylor, Head of Agriculture at Elsoms Seeds.

Exhibitors gathered at the new Cereals Event site last week to examine their crop plots and discuss plans for the event. Despite torrential rain, the new location, at Thoresby Hall, Newark, looked a picture, with the 60ha site protected by trees on the edge of Sherwood Forest.