Menu

Know How / Rotations

Advice for growers on building the best crop rotation plan to keep disease, pest and weed pressure down, while maximising return on cereals, oilseed rape, beans, sugar beet and potatoes. Find out how other farmers are managing the switch to spring cropping to get on top of blackgrass.

Advice and tips

ROTATIONS

8 top tips for designing the right arable rotation

Many farmers are being forced to make changes to their rotations on the back of two wet winters disrupting cropping plans and the key break crop oilseed rape becoming too…

PULSES

Guide to growing a successful spring bean break crop

Spring beans make an excellent break crop, fixing nitrogen and improving soils to provide a helpful entry for subsequent cropping, and successful production rides ultimately on conditions at planting. Drill…

ROTATIONS

How to successfully grow a crop of winter linseed

Farmers growing winter linseed as an alternative break crop to oilseed rape are advised to focus on their autumn management, as treating it like OSR can increase the lodging risk…

CROP SELECTION

Why arable farmers should consider growing rye for pig feed

Cheaper to grow than a second wheat or winter barley and with high yields, hybrid rye offers a better margin and can help in the battle against grass weeds. In…

See all

Case studies

PEST MANAGEMENT

Four OSR growers try different strategies to beat flea beetle

Despite its reputation for being a risky and expensive crop option, oilseed rape is currently enjoying better market prices and growing demand – but will that be enough to reverse…

CROP SELECTION

How Kent farmer has cut costs by focusing on soil health

James Loder-Symonds is setting ambitious targets for his Kent farm as he prepares for a future based on enhancing natural capital, delivering public goods and becoming carbon neutral. Good progress…

ROTATIONS

Why one Norfolk grower has kept oilseed rape in his rotation

Oilseed rape has continued to hold its own as one of the best break crop choices for grower Kit Papworth in north Norfolk. He recognises that he has a few…

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…

See all

Insights

ROTATIONS

Why yield mapping is first step in bridging BPS income gap

Change is coming with the loss of basic payment scheme payments forcing arable businesses to look at ways of bridging this income gap, which may involve bold changes like overhauling…

ROTATIONS

Analysis: Could lupins solve the break crop challenge?

Lupins could soon feature in arable rotations across parts of the UK, offering farmers a true break crop with potentially high margins along with valuable soil-improving benefits. The seed is…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Why farmers battling wild oats should identify the species

Farmers battling a wild oat problem are advised to check whether it’s the winter or spring type, before planning their strategy against the weed. While blackgrass gets all the attention,…

SUGAR BEET

How the new sugar beet contract shares virus yellows risk

Sugar beet growers are set to benefit from some brand new features contained in the 2021 contract, which resulted from negotiations between British Sugar and NFU Sugar. Described as ground-breaking…

See all

News

PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTS

NI protein crop scheme gets the green light

Northern Ireland’s government has given the green light to a direct support scheme that will pay arable growers £330/ha to produce protein crops. The Protein Crops Payment Pilot Scheme was…

ROTATIONS

Cereals 2020: Two key crop questions for growers this autumn

Cropping plans will be influenced by the need to get rotations back on track after such a disruptive year, say experts at Cereals LIVE. Minimising the legacy of this year’s…

CROP SELECTION

Survey reveals slump in OSR area and Group 3 wheat revival

The oilseed rape area in England and Scotland is 11% down on last year, making it the smallest area of the crop for 16 years, according to new AHDB figures.…

WEED MANAGEMENT

First signs of resistance found to key herbicide flufenacet

The first signs of ryegrass and blackgrass resistance to the widely used used herbicide flufenacet are being detected, with growers being urged to use other methods of control as well…

See all

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…

ARABLE

Video: Hertfordshire grower introduces livestock to rotation

One grower's experiences of introducing livestock into the rotation of a Hertfordshire arable farm have been discussed in a new video from AHDB Cereal and Oilseeds. Royston Monitor Farm host Jo…

See all