Author Posts: Farmers Guide

The Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO) is changing the format for its launch of the Descriptive List for peas and beans, to encourage pulse growers to attend.

A Perthshire artist has created a series of artwork inspired by the #KeepTalking theme of RSABI’s winter mental health campaign.

A bill to ban live exports for slaughter and fattening has been included in the government’s programme for the new parliamentary session.

It was a clean sweep for two family owned Claas UK dealers in the north of England and Scotland in this year’s Claas Dealer Awards, with Gordons being awarded the overall prestigious ‘Dealer of the Year’ award for 2023, while the ‘Dealer Excellence Award – Gold’ was awarded to Rickerby.

Over 1,000 entries of vintage and heritage tractors, commercial vehicles, stationary engines and agricultural equipment competed for top honours at the Newark Vintage Tractor and Heritage Show. Celebrating its 20th year, the show also brought together a wide range of visitors and exhibitors who have been meeting up at every event since its inception.

The Midlands Machinery Show returns to Newark Showground on 8–9th November, offering farmers and contractors the opportunity to view the latest kit. From new tractors to robots, precision sprayers to drills, and ever more refined low disturbance cultivators, there promises to be something for everyone.

Two spring bean and two combining pea varieties from breeders LS Plant Breeding Ltd (LSPB) head up the 2023 PGRO Descriptive Lists (DL). All varieties bring a set of positive agronomic characters for pulse growers planning their 2024 spring cropping.

The value of UK farmland continues to be underpinned by strong demand from a growing number of purchasers and the new opportunities that existing landowners are keen to explore.

Since 2019 the NFU’s petition to ban sky lanterns in the UK has gained over 100,000 signatures as more research is conducted into their potential ability to start wildfires, kill animals, destroy crops, set buildings alight, as well as littering the countryside. To date 188 councils out of 333 have banned them in England and Wales.

Dairy farmer Stephen Carson recently installed the UK’s first batch milking system, with milk being pasteurised and bottled on site before being sold through vending machines. Allowing him to keep the profits through the supply chain, the project was funded by a combination of government grants and specialist agri finance.

British potato farmers have been facing significant challenges in recent years. The costs of production have all increased substantially and the sector is also being asked to become more sustainable. Everybody wants more predictability in the cost of inputs, marketable yield and the selling price at the farm gate. More and more UK potato farmers are turning to biostimulants to mitigate these challenges. Maxstim Ltd CEO Richard Salvage and CSO Dr Colin Fleming, who are both research scientists at the Institute of Global Food Security at Queens University, Belfast, explain.

An autumn application of ICL Polysulphate multi-nutrient fertiliser to supplement conventional spring timings can increase wheat yields by 0.3t/ha and significantly decrease leaching of N and P over the winter months, new independent trials are suggesting.