Author Posts: Rachel Hicks

With almost 70 varieties on the NIAB UK Descriptive list (DL) for forage maize and many new varieties in trials, selecting the right maize variety can be a potential minefield according to Hutchinsons agronomist Jim Clark.

In September, Hutchinsons invited growers to its annual Environmental Demonstration Day, entitled SFI: Right action, right place. Rachel Hicks was there.

Early signs from both trials and commercial crops are that sugar beet is performing well despite late drilling and above average rainfall, according to breeder SESVanderHave.

BBRO issued an advisory bulletin in mid-September, offering sugar beet growers the following advice to ensure a smooth and more profitable harvest.

This month, Farmers Guide celebrates 45 years of supporting British farmers, with the first ever issue of the magazine published being September 1979. Rachel Hicks looks back at arable cropping across the UK then, versus now.

While drones have been used for crop monitoring for quite a while, there’s some new and exciting potential for other uses. Rachel Hicks reports.

Landowners Phil and Chelsea had been looking for the perfect woodland to buy – but the MOREwoods scheme by the Woodland Trust enabled them to plant their own instead.

Clarkson’s Farm fans will have seen Andy Cato, of Groove Armada fame, on a recent episode of the hit show, encouraging Jeremy Clarkson to drill a field blending both wheat and beans. Kaleb Cooper certainly took some convincing, but unlike some of Jeremy’s own experiments, this is one which has some real science and thought behind it.

Syngenta’s decision support agronomy advice for potato growers, BlightCast and Quantis Heat Stress Alert, have now been coupled into one convenient and easy to use digital platform, myField.

On 18th April, farmers were invited to attend the second South East Future of Farming Conference held at Plumpton College, 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.