Author Posts: Farmers Guide

Flea beetle pressures have grown markedly at Dunkirk Farm, Birtley, overlooking Gateshead’s Angel of the North, in recent seasons. Yet David Hankey continues to grow crops of OSR that rival winter wheat in their margin-earning. And he does so without using any insecticides.

After what can only be described as unprecedented weather conditions over the past few months, our agronomists take stock of the situation and look to spring for salvation! Dominic Kilburn writes.

Strutt and Parker (Farms) Ltd was incorporated in 1918 and has a strong reputation as being one of the leading farm businesses in the UK, farming c.20,000 acres.

Thank you to everyone who entered the annual Farmers Guide Christmas Quiz and Spot the Difference competitions in our January issue. Here are the answers & a few pics of our winners.

Speculation that Chancellor Rishi Sunak is set to scrap the red diesel subsidy in next week’s Budget has prompted serious concerns among farmers.

Defra has unveiled new plans to trial a cattle vaccine for bovine TB, improve testing and increase badger vaccination, with a view to phasing out intensive culling once other measures are in place.

Ireland’s Farm Machinery Ltd, a family run machinery dealership with 3 depots in Lincolnshire, Carrington, Sutterton and Market Rasen, held an open evening to celebrate the launch of their new purpose-built premises on their 8-acre site at Carrington near Boston.

Oxfordshire based digital content specialist, The Ad Plain, recently celebrated after taking home the award for Best Rural Digital, Communications or Media Business at the national Rural Business Awards final.

Recent changes to wheat rust disease resistance ratings might be associated with new pathotypes that have unique patterns of infection.

Extreme winter weather has left fields extremely wet or waterlogged. Using heavy machinery in wet conditions increases the risk of soil compaction so farmers are being advised to adjust tyre pressures or risk causing irreparable damage.

NFU president Minette Batters has dismissed a suggestion that the UK could import all of its food as “completely out of touch”, following reports of a leaked email from a senior government official.

Severe flooding across the country in recent weeks formed a key part of discussions at the NFU Conference this week, with particular concerns raised about the three-crop rule.