Soil Health

Grazing livestock on winter cereals could help aid soil biology, allow for earlier drilling dates, control pests and diseases and influence yield potential, according to recent results from a trial carried out on a mixed farming enterprise in Angus.

Applications of manganese in cereals are a matter of course at this time of year, but one crop nutrition specialist is calling for growers to also consider adding magnesium to this application to help boost photosynthesis and increase rooting ahead of winter.

Across the country 2020 yields suffered due to various weather issues, so many farmers will be keen to get their winter crops off to an early start in an effort to secure better yields next year. Consequently, many fields have already been sown with winter cereal crops.

Looking again at using cover crops to build soil structure and mitigate the effects of increasing weather extremes could reap benefits for farmers in Scotland.

Tissue testing crops is generally done in the spring, but FMC crop nutrition specialist, Chris Bond, calls for growers to consider its value this side of winter.

Continue to hold off drilling winter wheat fields where blackgrass is a worry until early October where possible, or mid-October in the worst fields, says agronomy firm ProCam.

Spring 2020 saw the largest area of spring cereals for many years. Although not as large an increase as in spring barley, oats saw a significant increase this year with the English crop seeing a 26% growth in plantings, according to the AHDB, with most of those appearing in spring.

AHDB research has identified potential desiccation blind spots for potato growers, putting them at risk of virus and disease if they do not follow an integrated approach to new desiccation regimes.

JDP, the UK’s leading distributor of civils and drainage products, is offering FREE delivery on all land drain coils bought through their website from now until the 30th of September.

The industry is in a better position to protect the quality and yield of linseed seed crops this harvest, thanks to a new emergency authorisation of a desiccant secured by AHDB.

The NFU has published 26 examples of how farmers are working towards net zero on their farms, showing how other farmers can make changes to their businesses to help achieve the NFU’s 2040 net zero ambition.

Decisions taken during harvest can have repercussions 12 months later. With farmers determined to recover from a difficult 2019/20, what steps can they take to increase the chances of a successful crop next year?