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CROP SELECTION

Maize for anaerobic digestion - how do the numbers stack up?

Growing maize to supply a local anaerobic digestion plant may look attractive for farmers in the right location, however haulage costs and yield variability can “make or break” profitability That’s…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Short tenancy timescales not fit for purpose

The Norfolk weather has been its usual fickle self this month – temperatures hovering around 6C with enough rain to keep the soil tacky, and us off the land. The…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Early reports of severe chocolate spot in winter beans

Winter bean growers are being urged to check their crops for signs of chocolate spot, as there are increasing early reports of severe infections of the fungal disease in some…

PULSES

Home-grown pulse incentive required to replace soya imports

The environmental gains of replacing imported soya in livestock diets with UK-grown beans could be substantial, but without financial encouragement for increased pulse production, targets may not be met. About…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Maybe it’s time to give sap testing a go

The current state of weather means there is very little to be excited about. With 250mm of rain during January, and February trying its hardest to keep up that pace,…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How climate change is reshaping agronomy

Evidence from long-term trial data and climate modelling shows that warmer summers, wetter winters and more extreme weather events are affecting yield reliability, disease pressure and pest risk. The key…

OILSEED RAPE

£2.5m farm project marks first precision-bred OSR in Europe

A £2.5m oilseed rape light leaf spot project is bringing the first precision-bred variety onto commercial farms in Europe. Crop researchers have identified a plant susceptibility gene for light leaf…

PEST MANAGEMENT

10-point plan to beat flea beetle in oilseed rape

Oilseed rape growers are being urged to follow a 10-point plan to limit damage from cabbage stem flea beetles, with the most important factor being choosing a drilling date. AHDB's…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Why Canadians call wheat 'poverty grass'

I started the new year with a trip across the Atlantic to speak at Canada’s South West Agricultural Conference about improving wheat yields. This was a difficult gig as Canadians frequently…

OILSEED RAPE

Oilseed rape looks set to bounce back as crop area rises

Optimism is growing in the oilseed rape industry with this season’s crop area rising, buoyed by last summer’s high yields, firm rapeseed prices and reduced risk from one key damaging…

SUGAR BEET

UK sugar beet growers offered forward contract option

A forward index-linked sugar beet contract will be launched for the 2027-28 season. This will allow growers to sell a percentage of their contracted tonnage ahead of annual price negotiations.…

OILSEED RAPE

Destroy cover crops now to tackle flea beetle, farmers urged

Farmers growing cover crops are advised to destroy them in the coming days to help break the cabbage stem flea beetle cycle and minimise the size of the next generation…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Gut feeling is our best decision-making tool

One of the best decision-making methods in my experience, is gut feeling. Sometimes a decision doesn’t even look all that sensible, but it’s rare that following one’s inner being doesn’t…

Arable news

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Don't reduce foliar fertiliser inputs, wheat growers advised

Arable growers should resist the temptation to reduce crop nutrients this spring, with trials suggesting that the application of foliar nutrition can enhance winter wheat yields by more than 0.9t/ha.…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Research on historic wheats disease resistance gets grant

Historic wheat collections could hold the secret to tackling the newly identified strain of yellow rust pathogen which overcame the Yr15 resistance gene in winter wheat last year. The breakdown…

ARABLE

Free national soil map to be opened to farmers in 2026

Farmers and land managers in England and Wales will gain free access to the UK’s most comprehensive soil data under a landmark agreement between Cranfield University and Defra. The partnership…

ARABLE

Sugar beet campaign set for earliest finish since 2016

The 2025-26 sugar beet lifting campaign is drawing to a close, with frost insurance triggered, yields sharply divided and growers facing mounting trade pressure from imported sugar. The campaign, which…

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CROP SELECTION

Maize for anaerobic digestion - how do the numbers stack up?

Growing maize to supply a local anaerobic digestion plant may look attractive for farmers in the right location, however haulage costs and yield variability can “make or break” profitability That’s…

PULSES

Home-grown pulse incentive required to replace soya imports

The environmental gains of replacing imported soya in livestock diets with UK-grown beans could be substantial, but without financial encouragement for increased pulse production, targets may not be met. About…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How climate change is reshaping agronomy

Evidence from long-term trial data and climate modelling shows that warmer summers, wetter winters and more extreme weather events are affecting yield reliability, disease pressure and pest risk. The key…

PEST MANAGEMENT

10-point plan to beat flea beetle in oilseed rape

Oilseed rape growers are being urged to follow a 10-point plan to limit damage from cabbage stem flea beetles, with the most important factor being choosing a drilling date. AHDB's…

OILSEED RAPE

Oilseed rape looks set to bounce back as crop area rises

Optimism is growing in the oilseed rape industry with this season’s crop area rising, buoyed by last summer’s high yields, firm rapeseed prices and reduced risk from one key damaging…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Advice on sugar beet weed control for summer 2026

Good crop ground cover will be key to managing herbicide costs in sugar beet this year, after dry conditions affected weed control programmes in 2025. Sugar beet growers should have…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Cornish farmer puts variable-rate nitrogen tech to the test

Expenditure on nitrogen will be a key focus for arable farmers this season, with many looking to make marginal savings on application rates to make inputs go further. For those…

POTATOES

Why Africa is first to benefit from potato seed technology

Kenya, at least to Western eyes, might seem an unlikely place to debut what could be industry-changing breeding technology that could eventually appear in European potato fields. But with a…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Advice on fungicide applications for profitable wheat

Extra focus on fungicide investment will be required this season, as budgets for a £170/t feed wheat price look certain. Despite suppressed grain markets, fungicides remain a significant investment in…

PEST MANAGEMENT

Beet moth threat: What farmers can do to mitigate risk

Beet moth has jumped up the risk agenda for sugar beet growers, as the 2025 sugar beet season marked a shift from isolated cases to economically damaging infestations in parts…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Potato expert cultivates soil-led resilience in systems

When John Sarup was named Farmers Weekly's 2025 Arable Adviser of the Year, the award recognised more than 40 years at the sharp end of specialist potato agronomy. Four months…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How Lincs grower reclaimed world record oilseed rape yield

Lincolnshire grower Tim Lamyman has reclaimed the world record oilseed rape yield, with a staggering 7.71t/ha crop. The record-breaking yield came during one of the driest growing seasons, where Tim…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

How new income streams are protecting Shrops farm business

Arable businesses are facing one of the worst profitability challenges in living memory due to a combination of soaring input and machinery costs, poor crop prices and an uncertain future…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Growers advised to tackle grassweeds on dry February days

With residual herbicides running out of steam, growers are advised to check wheat crops for any emerging weeds and consider applying a February contact herbicide spray where needed. Last autumn…

ARABLE

How 6 farmers are managing fertiliser use in tight season

With margins tighter than ever, how is the Arable Insights farmer panel approaching fertiliser use in wheat crops this spring? Farmers Weekly asks six farmers across the regions for an…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Wheat dwarf virus widespread in UK, finds survey

A survey led by independent agronomists suggests that wheat dwarf virus may be more widespread in the UK than previously thought. Transmitted by the leafhopper Psammotettix alienus, the virus has…

Farmer Focus

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FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Short tenancy timescales not fit for purpose

The Norfolk weather has been its usual fickle self this month – temperatures hovering around 6C with enough rain to keep the soil tacky, and us off the land. The…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Maybe it’s time to give sap testing a go

The current state of weather means there is very little to be excited about. With 250mm of rain during January, and February trying its hardest to keep up that pace,…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Why Canadians call wheat 'poverty grass'

I started the new year with a trip across the Atlantic to speak at Canada’s South West Agricultural Conference about improving wheat yields. This was a difficult gig as Canadians frequently…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Gut feeling is our best decision-making tool

One of the best decision-making methods in my experience, is gut feeling. Sometimes a decision doesn’t even look all that sensible, but it’s rare that following one’s inner being doesn’t…

Markets

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CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Feed barley discount to wheat narrows to just £10/t

The premium for feed wheat over feed barley has eroded in recent months, with improved global demand helping feed barley hold above £150/t. Spot prices collected by Farmers Weekly on…

OILSEED RAPE

Oilseed rape looks set to bounce back as crop area rises

Optimism is growing in the oilseed rape industry with this season’s crop area rising, buoyed by last summer’s high yields, firm rapeseed prices and reduced risk from one key damaging…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Oilseeds prices rally to near £450/t

Oilseeds markets have rallied over the past month, both globally and in the domestic markets, underpinned by a stronger soybean complex and favourable currency movements. UK oilseed rape has lifted…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

NFU seeks sampling improvements in future grain contracts

The NFU has called for a major overhaul of combinable crop contracts, claiming the scales have been “tipped against growers for far too long”. It has submitted its official response…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

UK cereals demand hit by bioethanol losses and maltster cuts

Demand for UK cereals has plummeted as a result of the closure of the UK’s major bioethanol plants and decreased usage by brewers, maltsters and distillers. The UK cereals supply…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Larger UK wheat crop may drive exports and weigh on prices

The expectation of a larger domestic wheat crop this year could leave the UK having to compete more on global export markets, according to grain industry specialists. A panel discussion…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Farmers advised to respond to crops fairness review

With just over a fortnight left before the deadline, arable farmers are being urged to respond to Defra’s consultation on fairness in the UK combinable crops supply chain, amid concerns…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

'Challenging' year sees profits fall at Frontier Agriculture

Profit before tax at grain merchant Frontier Agriculture dropped to £9.4m for the financial year ending 26 June 2025, down from £40m the previous year. Revenue dipped from £1.76bn to…

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

AgXeed develops more powerful tracked driverless tractor

A more powerful version of the tracked AgBot self-guided driverless tractor has been developed by Dutch specialist AgXeed to cater for growers who like the concept but want more muscle…

CEREAL DRILLS

Versatile 3m He-Va G-Drill sows grass and grain

Farmers looking for a do-it-all drill might find what they’re looking for in the latest He-Va catalogue, which now includes the 3m G-Drill. It comes with two rows of versatile…

TELEHANDLERS

Lamma 2026: Kubota brings big SVL 75-3 skid-steer to the UK

National plans to increase solar capacity was a major motivator behind Kubota’s decision to bring its SVL 75-3 skid-steer handler to the UK. Its 1.7m width allows contractors to slink…

TELEHANDLERS

Lamma 2026: Compact JCB 526-60 gets swankier cab

JCB has lavished its compact Loadall telehandlers with some attention, fitting higher-spec cabs, improved brakes and twin-line trailer braking. The 526-60 is the smaller of the two models, benefiting from…

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