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CROP MANAGEMENT

Machines, technology and software farmers find invaluable

Every farmer has a favourite piece of kit or technology on the farm. What is making a difference on the Arable Insights farmer panel’s farms? See also: Arable Insights farmers’…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Free expert advice and workshops at Arable Insights Live

Arable Insights Live is a new one-day event from Farmers Weekly, designed to equip growers and agronomists with the tools and information they need to improve productivity and enhance sustainability.…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Two farmers help test on-farm nitrogen making project

Achieving operational independence from global fertiliser pricing and supply chain risk is a key driver for two farmers who have teamed up to test a new fertiliser technology. Developed by…

VARIETY SELECTION

Wheat variety Arlington gains full Group 1 milling approval

UK Flour Millers has said the winter wheat variety Arlington has been confirmed as a full Group 1 variety, offering growers a new high-performing milling option for the coming season.…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Getting to grips with new employment rules

I was recently scheduled to attend a local employment law event, but it was cancelled after only five businesses registered. Instead, the speaker visited the farm and delivered a one-to-one…

CROP WATCH

Crop Watch: Protecting OSR yields and weevil damage in pulses

This week's key discussions include protecting yields in flowering OSR crops, fertiliser strategies for milling wheat and the severe pea and bean weevil attacks in the north.  See also: How…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: N-fixing bacteria provides good gut feel

We’ve had a great spell of weather in south Devon. We caught an accumulation of 20mm of rain, which washed in the second dose of nitrogen plus sulphur fertiliser. The…

PLANNING PERMISSION

New 'mega' glasshouse facility in Essex gets green light

Essex County Council has granted planning permission for a major new glasshouse facility, which the developers say will make a significant contribution to food security while reducing the sector’s carbon…

CROP SELECTION

How polycrop is paving way to premium feed market

No field is planted to just one type of crop at Paul Baker’s mixed farm in Devon – instead fields are planted to either polycrops, variety blends or companions. A…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Why Scottish growers are turning to winter linseed

What started out as a trial to test the winter hardiness of new winter linseed varieties has ended up being a springboard for the crop’s introduction on Scottish arable farms.…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Wheat varieties are a hare v tortoise race

My Bamford wheat has hared away this spring and, in its haste, caught a dose of septoria. The problem is, I was bitten a couple of years ago with my…

SOILS

How project is helping French growers adapt to climate change

Like arable farmers in the UK, growers in central France are counting the high cost of climate change with reduced yields and the greater risk of crop failures. For members…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Why I'm feeling cautiously optimistic

Cautiously optimistic – that’s how I’m feeling. Optimism is an essential trait if one is not to become consumed by the wacky world around us. Seeing crops flourish this spring…

Arable news

PLANNING PERMISSION

New 'mega' glasshouse facility in Essex gets green light

Essex County Council has granted planning permission for a major new glasshouse facility, which the developers say will make a significant contribution to food security while reducing the sector’s carbon…

ARABLE

Gene editing gains momentum with field trials and new approval

Field trials of a gene-edited barley crop designed to improve livestock feed efficiency and cut methane emissions are now under way on farms in England. Developed by scientists at Rothamsted…

PEST MANAGEMENT

Wireworm threat highlighted in new Scottish potato survey

Latest research findings have revealed a clear picture of the wireworm species present in Scotland. Agriotes obscurus remains the dominant species affecting Scottish potato crops, with the first independently confirmed…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Winter crops in positive condition, AHDB report confirms

The UK wheat crop looks to be much improved this year, with 82% of winter wheat currently classed as in either good or excellent condition, despite wet conditions over winter…

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CROP MANAGEMENT

Machines, technology and software farmers find invaluable

Every farmer has a favourite piece of kit or technology on the farm. What is making a difference on the Arable Insights farmer panel’s farms? See also: Arable Insights farmers’…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Two farmers help test on-farm nitrogen making project

Achieving operational independence from global fertiliser pricing and supply chain risk is a key driver for two farmers who have teamed up to test a new fertiliser technology. Developed by…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Why demand for hybrid rye and maize is set to rise

The expansion of biomethane injection plants and on‑farm anaerobic digestion capacity is creating  long‑term demand for home‑grown feedstocks, offering growers new low‑risk routes to improve profitability and resilience. With 130…

CROP SELECTION

How polycrop is paving way to premium feed market

No field is planted to just one type of crop at Paul Baker’s mixed farm in Devon – instead fields are planted to either polycrops, variety blends or companions. A…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Why Scottish growers are turning to winter linseed

What started out as a trial to test the winter hardiness of new winter linseed varieties has ended up being a springboard for the crop’s introduction on Scottish arable farms.…

SOILS

How project is helping French growers adapt to climate change

Like arable farmers in the UK, growers in central France are counting the high cost of climate change with reduced yields and the greater risk of crop failures. For members…

ARABLE

Why SFI26 doesn’t stack up for Herefordshire farmer

Herefordshire farm manager Chris Greenaway has reservations on the new Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) 2026 offer, due to payment cutbacks and the reduced number of options available. Garnstone Farms has…

PLOUGHING AND CULTIVATION

Farmer-led trial reveals effect of cultivations on bird life

A trial assessing different cultivation practices on the presence of farmland bird species has revealed striking evidence how regenerative agriculture can influence bird communities. Acoustic monitoring technology at Oli Harris’…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How tech approach lifted ‘field of the future’ margins 26%

A change in approach at Revesby Estate in Lincolnshire saw the “field of the future” deliver a 26% higher gross margin than the farm standard at harvest 2025, in a…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Biostimulant and bioherbicide tech targets yield gains

A biostimulant that can boost yields by up to 20% and a bioherbicide with insulin-like properties that fools plants into shutting down are two high-tech solutions being developed for arable…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Key benefits of new maize fungicide for growers

Maize growers have a new-generation azole fungicide option for managing foliar disease at the critical stem extension to flowering stage. While mefentrifluconazole is already familiar to cereal growers, the active…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Arable Insights farmers' differing tactics for wheat disease

The six farmers on the Arable Insights panel have adopted very different strategies for disease control in wheat. Strategies include more conventional approaches such as fungicides and variety choice, as…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

How old grain store became indoor ski slope diversification

A repurposed grain store is being used as a year-round indoor snow sports training centre on a Bedfordshire estate. The new venture sits alongside arable farming and other business activities,…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

How funding is helping farmers with foliar nutrition efficacy

Prolonged conflict in the Middle East is having serious repercussions on fertiliser prices around the world, making Cambridgeshire farmer Tom Pearson’s foliar fertiliser project even more timely. Using home-produced foliar nitrogen,…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How grower varies seed rates and N to lift whole-field output

Wiltshire farmer Matt Fry is using variable seed rates and nitrogen to help maximise returns from each hectare of cropping. Farming 1,600ha of different soil types, ranging from heavy clay…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Fungicide gives grower good returns in high septoria year

Chris Baylis is seeing a clear yield benefit in using a relatively new septoria-specific flag leaf fungicide on his winter wheat in high-disease pressure seasons, and is planning to use…

Farmer Focus

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FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Getting to grips with new employment rules

I was recently scheduled to attend a local employment law event, but it was cancelled after only five businesses registered. Instead, the speaker visited the farm and delivered a one-to-one…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: N-fixing bacteria provides good gut feel

We’ve had a great spell of weather in south Devon. We caught an accumulation of 20mm of rain, which washed in the second dose of nitrogen plus sulphur fertiliser. The…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Wheat varieties are a hare v tortoise race

My Bamford wheat has hared away this spring and, in its haste, caught a dose of septoria. The problem is, I was bitten a couple of years ago with my…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Why I'm feeling cautiously optimistic

Cautiously optimistic – that’s how I’m feeling. Optimism is an essential trait if one is not to become consumed by the wacky world around us. Seeing crops flourish this spring…

Markets

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CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Barley crops faring well but demand from maltsters muted

Crop prospects for winter barley remain positive, with UK plantings progressing well and showing a considerable improvement on last year. Rising input costs as a result of the conflict in…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Growers face tough negotiations after losses at ABF sugar

Sugar beet growers face difficult contract negotiations this spring after Associated British Foods (ABF) reported sustained losses in its sugar division, driven by lower selling prices in Europe and higher…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Potato markets under strain as supply outweighs demand

Both domestic and European potato markets appear under increasing pressure, as subdued demand and ample supplies weigh on prices. European potato futures have fallen sharply again, with prices slipping from…

INPUT MARKETS AND PRICES

Growers squeezed as input costs soar while grain prices lag

Arable farmers are facing tightening margins as rising input costs continue to outpace gains in grain prices, with the conflict in the Middle East having a significant impact on costs…

BUSINESS

Farm viability under mounting pressure, MPs told

UK farming is approaching a critical pressure point this summer, as soaring fuel, fertiliser and energy prices threaten production decisions and the sector’s longer-term viability, industry leaders have warned. Giving…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Clarkson's Farm star urges growers to focus on margins

Arable farmers may need to rethink cropping plans and prioritise margin over output as fertiliser and fuel costs come under renewed pressure, a leading farm adviser has warned. Speaking to…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Improved OSR crop offers relief for UK growers

Growers with oilseed rape in the ground are generally faring better than at this time last year, with crops progressing well and farmgate prices remaining relatively supported. More than 80%…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

UK wheat futures fall to £173/t in response to Iran ceasefire

The provisional agreement of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz shipping route has weighed on global commodity prices this week.…

Spot and forward prices (£/t ex-farm)
Each set of prices comes from a single merchant, co-op or broker, and are the latest prices being paid to farmers. Ranges of prices, within one category relate to the distance of the farm from the buyer. Oilseed rape prices are latest spot and forward prices, not contract prices. Ex farm prices vary with the distance from Hull, Liverpool and Erith, crushing factories.

Arable machinery

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TRACTORS

Challenger gets reverse drive conversion for tree pruning

After decades of hauling heavy cultivation kit, a 1990s twin-track crawler has found an unlikely second career in the cider orchards of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The Caterpillar Challenger 55 is…

CULTIVATION AND DRILLING

Stocks Ag gives 'Jet' broadcasters a big capacity boost

A bigger hopper boost for Stocks Ag’s Turbo Jet and Maxi Jet seeders and granule broadcasters comes with a new design offering increased outputs from fewer refill stops. The new…

CULTIVATORS

New Sumo T-Press combines shallow cultivation and pressing

A combination cultivator that brings together spring tines, clod-smashing paddles and seed-bed consolidating discs or rings is Sumo’s latest tillage implement. The Yorkshire-based manufacturer says the T-Press is designed as…

TELEHANDLERS

Ultimate guide to buying a telehandler 2026

Rising machinery costs remains the dominant theme in the latest Ultimate Guide for telehandlers. Overall, compact machines have increased in price by between £1,000 and £4,000, with larger rises on…

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