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Know How / Barley / Land preparation

Seed-bed preparation on most soils needs to be done with as few cultivation passes as possible, so that costs are contained, weed numbers are reduced and soil moisture is retained. Discover how cultivations can help produce effective seed-beds for winter and spring barley crops and get advice on coping with different soil conditions

Case studies

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ESTABLISHMENT

Drill change improves cereal crop resilience

Spring barley was the last crop to be fully drilled with the 3m Mzuri Pro-till drill and despite the tricky spring, it yielded nearly 8t/ha last summer.  Neil White believes…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How Wold Top Brewery barley grower lowered carbon footprint

The Yorkshire farming family behind the successful Wold Top Brewery and Yorkshire’s first single-malt whisky distillery is using the latest precision mapping technology in its drive towards a low-carbon, sustainable…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How Yorkshire grower reduced risk with regenerative system

A focus on saving money was the start of Jonathan Hodgson’s interest in developing a regenerative farming system, as he looked for ways to reduce input costs, but maintain profits…

BARLEY

Scottish spring barley undersowing success for Devon expats

Moving farms to begin a new farming journey can be challenging, especially when it's from one corner of the UK to the other. But that's exactly what mixed farmer Tom…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Why mixed farmer exited pigs to focus on agroecology cropping

Shropshire arable and pig farmer Harry Heath has begun a journey into the world of agroecology in the hope it will future-proof his business, having made the difficult decision to…

SOILS

Why the SFI pilot added up for this Oxfordshire farm

Applying to be part of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) pilot made more financial sense for Oxfordshire farmer Ben Adams than entering a Mid Tier Countryside Stewardship (CS) agreement. After…

Practical advice

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COVER CROPS

A guide to catch cropping before autumn cereals

While many farmers are growing cover crops over winter before spring crops, there is also the possibility of establishing a catch crop between harvest and an autumn-drilled crop. The key…

SOILS

5 steps to introducing a no-till approach on arable farms

Farmer-led organisation Base-UK will be recommending a five-stage approach to adopting regenerative farming at Cereals, for growers looking to start their no-till journey. The five steps are: 1. Have a…

SOILS

How to build a bioreactor to produce your own on-farm biology

Building biology on your farm doesn’t need to cost the earth, although it does require a level of patience. There is more than one way to increase microbial activity in…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Cover crops help cut fertiliser costs for barley grower

As fertiliser costs spiral, Hampshire arable grower Ian Margetts is looking to cut nitrogen applications on his spring malting barley by up to 15% this season, as a result of…

ARABLE

Regenerative agriculture: What to avoid and how to start

Farmers considering the move to a regenerative farming system must have a plan and introduce gradual changes, or there’s a danger that they will expose their businesses to an unacceptable…

COVER CROPS

Terminating cover crops - how to get it right

Timing is essential when terminating cover crops, go too soon and limit the amount of biomass accumulation and rooting, whereas leaving it too late on heavy land can lead to…

Insights

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SOILS

Farm soil carbon: Is the focus on sequestration right?

Arable farmers must be realistic about the amount of carbon that can be locked up in soils and should be wary of exaggerated claims about sequestration, warns a leading soil…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

How tests for additional available N can cut fertiliser use

A soil nitrogen (N) test that has been available for the past 20 years is in line to have its most successful season ever, not just because of sky-high fertiliser…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Advice on trimming fertiliser rates when prices are high

Growers looking to cut back on fertiliser rates next spring because of the high prices are being advised to take a field-by-field approach. Last year, fertiliser costs averaged about 65p/kg…

ARABLE

Regen farming data show variable costs cut by 18%

Latest results from the Groundswell benchmarking group show that everything is lower in a regenerative agriculture system, except for the all-important net margin. Variable costs are 18% lower, while labour…

SOILS

6 companies offering carbon-based payments to arable farmers

From government-backed schemes to voluntary private markets, there has been an explosion of interest in developing carbon and additional ecosystem service credits that could provide a new income stream for…

SOILS

How new carbon offset scheme for regenerative ag works

The first UK-certified soil carbon offsetting scheme is available to farmers who use regenerative agriculture practices, offering them a commercial opportunity worth up to £100/ha from sequestering carbon in their…

SOILS

Will soil carbon be the next big crop for growers?

It feels like a perfect storm: the urgency of climate change, the global surge in interest in regenerative agricultural practices and the need for new income streams. They are all…

SOILS

How the UK's first soil carbon mapping service works

The UK’s first carbon mapping service, capable of providing an accurate baseline measure of soil carbon levels, is now available to farmers. The technology, known as Terramap Carbon, will gauge…

SOILS

Fermenting organic matter better for soil than composting

Fermenting organic matter in a similar way to ensiling grass, rather than composting waste, can lead to greater improvements in soil health while at the same time helping farmers to…

SOILS

Tips on getting soils and rotations back on track

After one of the wettest winters on record, it could be assumed that UK arable soils will be in desperate need of first aid before the next cropping season begins.…

DRILLING

Video: High-pressure water tech aids direct drilling success

Replacing drill coulters with a high-pressure jet to open up the soil will not only improve germination, its inventors believe it can aid rooting by cracking compaction and aerating soils.…

PLOUGHING AND CULTIVATION

Plough, min-till and no-till compared: year one

A major trial has been set up to find the most profitable and sustainable way to grow arable crops by comparing three different establishment systems over five years. Establishment systems…

Online resources from AHDB

Field drainage guide

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No-till fact sheet

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Soil assessment fact sheet

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Slug control fact sheet

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