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Know How / Other crops

There are many minor and niche break crops, such as oats and linseed, which can bring many benefits to a crop rotation. This page aims to help you grow a more profitable break crop.

This is your starting point for identifying which crops to grow, how to grow them and address challenges such as weed and disease control.

Key areas of focus:

  • Choosing the right crop and finding contracts
  • Getting establishment right
  • Meeting market specifications
  • Crop agronomy, such as disease and weed control

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Case studies

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OTHER CROPS

How a passion for nature turned into bird food business

When Lincolnshire farmer Nicholas Watts first began surveying bird populations, little did he know this was the first stepping stone to a thriving bird food business. Originally, the farm was…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Relay cropping: What it is and how it might work in the UK

Relay cropping, where a grower plants a second crop into a field before the first crop is harvested, has gained niche popularity in the US as an alternative to double-cropping…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Caithness farmer grows over 10t/ha spring oat crop

Growing crops on the far north coast of mainland Scotland can be a challenge, with heavy rain and gusty winds often limiting establishment. But this didn’t stop Caithness farmer John…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Why one farm switched from dairy to hay, straw and trees

A Leicestershire farming family has built a more resilient farming business, diversifying into selling hay, straw and Christmas trees direct to the public alongside cereal cropping. This summer, Jim Mount,…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How technology is delivering income and impact at scale

New technology has a central role in the day-to-day operations at Waldersey Farms, but only where it fits with the strategic direction of the 8,000ha business and improves data-led decisions.…

CROP SELECTION

How polycrop is paving way to premium feed market

No field is planted to just one type of crop at Paul Baker’s mixed farm in Devon – instead fields are planted to either polycrops, variety blends or companions. A…

Practical advice

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CROP SELECTION

High fertiliser costs: Two cheaper crop options for 2027

With soaring fertiliser prices, lacklustre commodity prices and rising pest and disease pressures, experts have highlighted two alternative crops for this autumn, that are much cheaper to grow than wheat…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Integrating sheep into arable rotations - how to get started

The return of the “golden hoof” to arable rotations has gained momentum as more farmers embrace livestock integration as one of the key principles in a “regenerative” system. Potential benefits…

OTHER CROPS

How to maximise SFI herbal leys in arable rotations

About 175,000ha of SAM3 herbal leys are due to be grown in Sustainable Farming Incentive 2023 (SFI23) schemes, according to the figures released by Defra for agreements reached by the…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Tips for spring barley growers as lodging risk rises

Spring barley and oat growers are being advised to use plant growth regulator this spring to avoid yield losses in what could be a higher risk year. Growth regulators can…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How to tackle hefty spring arable workloads after wet winter

Spring workloads are mounting on most arable farms, so sorting fieldwork priorities to ensure optimum return on investment where crops are variable and harvest profitability remains uncertain is a tricky…

OTHER CROPS

Round-up of the niche crop options for UK growers

Introducing alternative break crops to an arable rotation can help growers improve soil health, spread market risk and further financial gain. As pesticide actives are lost and resistance fears build,…

Insights

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SOILS

Why increasing soil microbes is key to regen cropping

Microbes are an integral part of soil life and they are essential to allow soil to perform all of its functions, including nutrient cycling, says an expert. Healthy soils should…

CROP SELECTION

Gene-edited soya shows promise in UK field trials

Gene editing could help overcome one of the biggest barriers to growing soya commercially in Britain – getting the crop to mature before autumn weather arrives. Corteva Agriscience is trialling…

ARABLE

Five novel crops that could help counter climate change  

Arable growers looking to diversify their cropping could start by taking a look at novel and underused crops such as lentils, millet, lupins, hemp and sunflowers to give a good…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Grower trial aims to unlock food-grade millet production

A crop of millet stood like a green oasis in the middle of the parched Kent landscape in mid-August this year at Nonington Farms, seven miles outside Canterbury. Grower Emma…

VARIETY SELECTION

Winter barley varieties: BYDV debate in high-pressure year

Variety choice has improved for those still growing winter barley, but after such a high-pressure year, the barley yellow dwarf virus tolerance or resistance debate has reopened. Unexpected symptoms of…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Project investigates feasibility of combinable hemp

For a crop that is relatively cheap to grow, with plenty of end market uses, hemp hasn’t exactly hit major highs in the UK. Hemp has an array of potential…

ROTATIONS

Cereals 2026: Benefits of OSR and linseed in the rotation

While many see it as a choice between oilseed rape or winter linseed, one expert argues there is much to be gained by growing both within a rotation. Nigel Padbury,…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Novel electric weeder works without chemicals or moving soil

A non-chemical systemic approach to weed control is now commercially available to UK farmers, following the launch of Garford’s electric weeder. The novel system is the result of a collaboration…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Why demand for hybrid rye and maize is set to rise

The expansion of biomethane injection plants and on‑farm anaerobic digestion capacity is creating  long‑term demand for home‑grown feedstocks, offering growers new low‑risk routes to improve profitability and resilience. With 130…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Why Scottish growers are turning to winter linseed

What started out as a trial to test the winter hardiness of new winter linseed varieties has ended up being a springboard for the crop’s introduction on Scottish arable farms.…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Arable Insights farmers doubtful about Profitability Review

Farmers on this year’s Farmers Weekly Arable Insights panel are sceptical that Baroness Minette Batters’ Farming Profitability Review for Defra will significantly affect their future profits. A formal response from…

Video

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ARABLE

Video: Why cows and trees are part of Essex arable business

George Young is making big changes to his arable business with nature at its heart. Read the full report and watch the videos for more detail on his tree planting…

ARABLE

Video: Heavy duty drone can cope with changeable UK weather

Farmers are forever being told that in the not-so-distant future drones will become a common crop monitoring tool, but what good is this technology if it cannot withstand the unique…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Video: How nozzle choice affects spray quality and efficacy

Selecting the appropriate sprayer nozzle for pre-emergence weed control is an important step in cutting spray drift and maximising the efficacy of the chemicals being applied. There are four key…

Video: Farmer demonstrates benefits of mixed cover crops

The advantages of growing winter cover crop soon after harvest have been highlighted at a farm on the Gloucestershire/Worcestershire border. Linking Environment and Farming (Leaf) demonstration farmer Jake Freestone, from…