Other Crops

After gaining National Listing, the Processors and Grower Research Organisation (PGRO) added three new varieties to its 2023 Descriptive List, meaning growers have even more information on beans to sow this spring.

Thought-provoking talks and presentations will discuss resilience with pea and bean growers at this year’s Pulse Roadshow event, organised by Syngenta and the Growers Research Organisation (PGRO).

The PGRO has announced that seven new pea and bean varieties have been added to its 2023 Descriptive List for pulses, with up to four more to be added at a later date.

Suffolk farmer Tom Jewers, of G D Jewers & Son at Wood Hall Farm in Rattlesden, experienced a better-than-expected harvest, although field variations of over 6t/h clearly showed the impact OM has on yield.

Experts are reporting some of the largest, sweetest shop-bought blackberries ever seen – but their hedgerow counterparts have suffered.

Wholecrop rye for biogas production is still the biggest market, so choosing high performing AD varieties is the key for most growers, says independent agronomist Craig Green.

As soaring costs hit farms across the UK, tomato producer Sterling Suffolk has ceased production three years after its first fruit went on sale commercially.

Elsoms Seeds’ new early maturing variety Makayla offers high yields and more efficient harvesting, says Cropco’s Sam Poulton.

Spring husbandry can provide both value and diversity within a rotation, often demonstrate lower yield variability and can show a better return than their autumn counterparts per £1 spent – although they often struggle to match the best gross margins. But which spring cropping option to choose? Rachel Hicks writes.

A vision to feed Britain in a more resilient and sustainable way lies behind multimillion-pound plans to create the world’s largest vertical farm, which has been launched by green energy expert and Fischer Farms CEO, Tristan Fischer.

Pumpkins might still be seen as a quintessentially American crop, but the last 30 years have seen their slow, steady rise in the UK arable sector. This rise has led to a now booming industry providing diverse income for farms across the UK.

With the ever-rising average temperatures in the UK, farmers can look at other options for crops, including vineyards and grapes.