How to unlock profits from marginal fields with miscanthus
Farmers Weekly Arable farmers seeking a low-maintenance crop with reliable returns should consider the £500/ha net margin possible from miscanthus, even on heavy land. A lack of confidence in the...
View ArticleTwo crops of the future tap into lucrative health market
Farmers Weekly A once-common weed and a cereal that was widely grown in the UK many years ago are two crops that are being developed with the aim of adding value to farmers’ arable rotations. Growers...
View ArticleUK-grown quinoa offers rival to Latin American superfood
Farmers Weekly Quinoa is a “superfood” that comes predominantly from South America, and in the last five years has moved into the mainstream, on sale in many supermarkets. One UK grower has decided to...
View ArticleAnaerobic digestion crops add value to farm's rotation
Farmers Weekly Expanding the rotation to grow maize, rye and sugar beet for anaerobic digestion has brought greater profitability and fertiliser cost savings to an East Anglian family farm. Anaerobic...
View ArticleTwo profitable niche crops to consider for late spring sowing
Farmers Weekly Opting for a high-value niche crop is one way to head off the likely premium squeeze resulting from the bulging acreage of the go-to spring options such as spring barley and beans....
View ArticleVital fungicide seed treatment now approved for linseed
Farmers Weekly Linseed growers now have an extra tool for tackling seed-borne disease, following the approval of a fungicide seed treatment. Hy-Pro Duet (prochloraz + thiram) was given approval for an...
View ArticleTrial aims to quantify cover crop cost benefits
Farmers Weekly A three-year trial aims to settle the ongoing debate over the long-term benefits of growing cover crops, as well as the cost benefits of different mixes. Many growers have trialled cover...
View ArticleWhy spring oats could be a good bet for the 2017 season
Farmers Weekly Growers who resist the temptation to follow the spring barley crowd and opt for spring oats instead can reap the savings of this cheap-to-grow break crop. Global demand for oats has been...
View ArticlePhotos: Underground farm secures its first retail deal
Farmers Weekly A farm growing salads in a Second World War bomb shelter under London has just signed its first retail deal with online supermarket Ocado. The Growing Underground company will supply...
View ArticleFarmer Focus: Benefits of companion cropping
Farmers Weekly After discovering more about mycorrhizal fungi during a recent visit to a local manufacturer, I’m wondering if growing oilseed rape with an added legume could even give a boost to the...
View ArticleLinseed offers a double spring break crop option
Farmers Weekly The linseed area is growing in the UK and one Kent grower is adding to this upswing by using it as part of a double spring cropping break in an attempt to control a costly blackgrass...
View ArticleHow companion crops can slash inputs by 30%
Farmers Weekly Growing more than one crop could play a valuable role on UK farms, through raising yields and slashing the need for inputs, and it may even help solve problems such as barley yellow...
View ArticleWinter oats area surges as Scottish plantings rise by 8%
Farmers Weekly Winter oats have bucked the trend of all other major cereals and oilseed rape, with the total UK area up by about 20,000ha. The results of the latest Scottish Agriculture Survey show an...
View ArticleFarmer Focus: Hard to get enough labour for daffodil picking
Farmers Weekly Most of our energies over the past month have been taken up with daffodil flower picking. This year we have had a relatively compact picking period, thanks (or not) to the mild...
View ArticleKent grower to try soya as alternative legume break crop
Farmers Weekly Kent grower Mark Bowsher-Gibbs will give soya beans a go for the first time this season, capitalising on the South-East’s suitably warm climate and the crop’s buoyant market price of...
View ArticleMascani winter oat growers hit by contaminated seed
Farmers Weekly Growers who purchased seed of the winter oat variety Mascani from distributor Frontier are being urged to assess their crops as they could be contaminated with another oat variety. The...
View ArticleLearn which specialist crops will earn you a healthy premium
Farmers Weekly There are a number of winter and spring cropping options offering farmers a profitable break crop next season by earning a healthy premium. However, they must have a market – so even...
View ArticleHow livestock and grass before cereals could cut input spend
Farmers Weekly Returning to farming practices common 70 years ago is the radical plan for one Hampshire farmer looking to cut his agrochemical spend by putting half of his 1,000ha arable estate back to...
View ArticleFarmer Focus: Blackgrass threatens future of oat growing
Farmers Weekly The area around Royston has traditionally been a stronghold of oat growing – mainly winter oats, but more recently there has been a reappearance of spring oats. Winter oat crops in the...
View ArticleCombine on the move in South Lincolnshire
Farmers Weekly One of the first combines in the country was on the move yesterday collecting 8.5ha of a very unusual crop – organic stubble turnip seed. Nicholas Watts, of Vine House Farm in south...
View Article