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Know How / Seed-bed preparation

Seed-bed preparation is essential for good weed control and high crop germination rates. Get advice on everything you need to do between harvesting the previous crop and drilling the next one. From ploughing to ultra-low disturbance we’ve got every type of tillage practice covered.

Advice and tips

SEED-BED PREPARATION

Pointers on rescuing waterlogged soils for spring barley

The UK spring barley area is predicted to rise 13% this season, and growers are advised to adapt cultivation and drilling methods to resurrect waterlogged soils. Following the wet winter…

POTATOES

Shallower potato cultivation depths recommended in wet season

Potato growers are advised to reduce cultivation depths this season to improve soil condition and work rates, as persistent rain stops play. With the optimum planting window narrowing, independent potato…

OILSEED RAPE

Majority of oilseed rape crop gets off to a flying start

Nearly two-thirds of oilseed rape crops are better established this autumn as many growers have moved to earlier drilling to avoid the ravages of cabbage stem flea beetles. More growers…

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…

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Case studies

SUGAR BEET

Video: Sugar beet drilling success with near-perfect weather

Sugar beet drilling is racing to a close in the current dry weather with higher beet prices and the availability of a key virus yellows seed treatment prompting more optimism…

POTATOES

Video: Potato planting races ahead in rejigged farm rotation

Potato planting was racing ahead in south Somerset this month, after farm manager Ollie Blackburn rejigged his crop rotation to improve soil fertility and structure for his spuds. He hopes…

ESTABLISHMENT

Devon farmer's low-cost way to drill high-yielding cereals

Broadcasting cereal crops rather than using a conventional drill is the main crop-establishment method for one Devon family farm, which has been successfully using the low-cost technique to establish high-yielding…

SUGAR BEET

Strip-till slashes establishment costs for sugar beet grower

George Sly is slashing the cost of growing sugar beet by using a strip-till cultivator he designed himself, which is also improving his heavy Lincolnshire silty soils. His machine can…

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Insights

PLOUGHING AND CULTIVATION

How a new soil scoring tool picks the best cultivation option

A new crop establishment tool which assesses a range of soil management factors is set to help farmers identify whether a change in cultivation may benefit their soils. There is…

BLACKGRASS

Why farmers should tailor blackgrass strategies to dormancy

Trials being carried out at a blackgrass research site in Cambridgeshire show that farmers can gain extra control of blackgrass with their integrated approach by taking seed dormancy results into…

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…

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News

WEED MANAGEMENT

Flame weeding offers non-chemical alternative for stale seed-bed

A well-known vegetable grower in the south-west of England regularly uses a flame weeding machine to achieve a stale seed-bed before drilling expensive organic crops. See also: Digital weed zapper offers…

DRILLING

Farmers capitalise on dry weather as the drills come out

A dry, mild winter has resulted in ideal conditions for drilling on some soils and arable farmers are not wasting the opportunity get their beans and barley in the ground…

ESTABLISHMENT

OSR growers advised not to rush into drilling

Oilseed rape growers are being urged to wait for the right conditions for drilling rather than rushing in, as going by calendar date could risk establishment and next year’s yields.…

ESTABLISHMENT

Rapeseed drilling kicks off in Norfolk

Oilseed rape drilling is under way in Norfolk, with one large estate starting this week as recent rainfall means that even its light, blow-away sandy soil is moist enough for…

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Test and reviews

CEREAL DRILLS

New drill options for seed-bed fertiliser

New options for growers wanting to apply dry fertiliser when sowing spring cereal crops take different approaches to delivering the material, either down the same spout as the seed or…

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Video

POTATOES

Video: Potato planting races ahead in rejigged farm rotation

Potato planting was racing ahead in south Somerset this month, after farm manager Ollie Blackburn rejigged his crop rotation to improve soil fertility and structure for his spuds. He hopes…

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