Advisory
www.adas.co.uk
Aimed primarily at ADAS clients, but some useful technical information available to non-members e.g. sewage sludge application guidelines. Clear layout and kept up to date.
www.agrisurf.com
US based, searchable agricultural database – useful if you are looking for global sites – select country of interest. Raises interesting ideas/ search results UK based sites may overlook.
www.agrovista.co.uk
News, weather, agronomy tools, trials data and e-mail advice. Registration is required to access most services, but some available without.
www.arable.co.uk
Technical advice primarily for The Arable Group (TAG) members. Non-members can access some areas, including news, course information and TAG consultancy details.
www.aubournonline.com
No registration needed. Access latest annual forecast and other surveys (as pdf) from parent company Savills. Some useful case studies on diversification projects and general info about Aubourn services.
www.bbsrc.ac.uk
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council site. Appeared quite ‘busy’ with lots of links. Loads of useful info about the BBSRC and its activities, together with news and events. Download the latest BBSRC magazine. Very useful A-Z glossary, including hyperlinks.
www.brown-co.com
Simple to use search of available properties, by type and price range. Sign up to the Weekly factfile (subscription needed – £100+VAT) to receive regular publications. CAP facts, property brief are also useful information sources.
www.britishsugar.co.uk
Good background info on the sector, if a bit wordy. Growers site is www.bsonline.co.uk, where registered users can view their beet account online – track the progress of delivered loads and get online results back within 24hrs.
www.dalgety.co.uk
The latest technical news and events from Dalgety Arable. Good technical section, including seed rate calculator, seed treatment safety data sheets and trial site results.
www.efrc.com
Elm Farm Research Centre – organic advisory service. Details on research projects, plus background info on organic farming.
www.fwag.org.uk
Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group. New areas added regularly, with plenty of useful ideas and examples for any biodiversity-type issues. From the main homepage you can select regional sites for England, Wales or Scotland. Information on the Silver Lapwing and a virtual farm walk section among the highlights
www.jsr.co.uk
Useful technical tips, particularly on conservation policy. Good arable links and background on the JSR Farming Group.
*Recommended
www.leafuk.org
Linking Environment And Farming. A well laid out site with LEAF related news bulletins. Features include a useful interactive map for locating and contacting LEAF demonstration farms, plus a database on Integrated Farm Management material – requires simple registration. A large part of the site aimed at educating the public about IFM principles.
www.niab.com
Information on variety testing and crop research. Download Recommended Lists for pulses, with links through to the HGCA for wheat and oilseed rape. Visit the online shop for the latest variety pocketbooks and other NIAB publications.
www.pgro.co.uk
Pulse information – regional price analysis, marketing guide and a monthly market commentary. www.pgro.org is for members only and features more detailed crop bulletins, Recommended Lists and other news.
www.racesfarm.demon.co.uk
Reading agricultural consultants site provides handy tips on farm waste management and other environmental issues. Site mainly focuses on consultancy services offered.
*Recommended
www.sac.ac.uk
Scottish Agricultural College’s revamped site has plenty of good information available. The diversification section has a useful list of different activities, costs, returns and physical aspects. A new environmental news section is also worth a look. Consultancy section is a good information source for services offered.
www.uap.co.uk
Of limited use, unless you can access the Web Asset section for UAP customers. This provides a library of crop production information, covering SOLAs, LERAPs, grain storage, health and safety, DEFRA codes of practice, amongst others.
www.velcourt.co.uk
R&D section contains interesting information on trials work. Good summary of Velcourt’s services.
www.voluntaryinitiative.org.uk
Good practical site for all matters concerning the impact of pesticides on the environment. Download best practice guides, plus practical advice. Information on NRoSO, NSTS, CPMP – submit an online CPMP summary sheet.
www.wmss.net
Weed Management Support System. The site is currently under development and likely to be live by July 2005. It will be aimed at growers and consultants to improve weed management in winter wheat. Topics covered include weed biology, herbicide resistance and crop/weed interactions. Watch this space!