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PEST MANAGEMENT

Agronomists stress need for correct pest ID in maize crops

Following numerous reports of caterpillar activity in maize crops across the country over recent weeks, agronomists are advising growers to remain vigilant and make sure they identify species correctly. In…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: My next idea is more Zen than YEN

As I write, the combine (or parts of it) should be heading over to Little Goldsmiths Farm for harvest 2026. This will be the first time I’ve started harvest before…

VARIETY SELECTION

Could highest yielding soft wheat be the next market leader?

After the recent success of Bamford, which became the UK’s market-leading winter wheat for 2026, could another soft wheat from the same breeder repeat this feat? Will Compson, managing director…

PEST MANAGEMENT

New biostimulant offers OSR defence against flea beetle

A new biostimulant offers oilseed rape growers another tool for managing cabbage stem flea beetle in emerging crop this autumn.  Reports of cabbage stem flea beetle infestations in harvested crops…

POTATOES

Growers warned of herbicide drift damage in seed potatoes

Specialists warn that avoidable herbicide damage caused by pre-harvest glyphosate applications continue to ruin seed potato crops every year. Just a small amount of herbicide can have severe consequences, with…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Wheat harvest a month earlier than usual

I think I may have been a little too optimistic in my previous article when I said the rain would do a world of good and that the spring crops…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Norfolk estate trials liquid green fertiliser

The Holkham Farming Company is conducting the UK’s first field-scale trial of liquid green fertiliser. Undertaken in partnership with Omex Agriculture, it forms a key part of the estate’s wider…

PEST MANAGEMENT

Natural aphid control gets boost from biological spray

A new biological product that attracts beneficial insects to crops to improve aphid control is available to growers. Developed by BASF, the product, known as Apthena, contains the natural pheromone…

PEST MANAGEMENT

Why strategic soil sampling is key to PCN control

As harvest approaches, potato growers are being urged to prioritise accurate soil sampling to support more informed potato cyst nematode (PCN) management decisions for future crops. PCN remains one of…

DRILLING

Machinery expert's tips on drilling cereals into cover crops

Cover crops have a valuable role in improving soil health, however, dense residues, reduced soil movement and increased pressure from pests like slugs can make autumn cereal establishment more challenging.…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Change is inevitable – just don't give up

Change is inevitable. Unfortunately, it is with a sad heart that I write I am no longer managing Brewood Park Farm. The pain and anguish of losing the farm I…

HARVEST

Harvest Highlights: Crops suffer in East and 2am wheat harvest

Harvest is proving a very mixed affair. Some farmers are reasonably happy with both yields and quality, and others think it will be a year to forget.  See also: 5…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

5 top tips on getting the most from slurry on stubble

The post-harvest period is a crucial time for arable farmers putting nutrients back into soil before incorporating and drilling the next crop. However, applying slurry in hot conditions can reduce…

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HARVEST

Harvest 2026: Mixed wheat quality and spring barley under way

Cornwall In the far south, Mike Champion at Kernow Grain near Bodmin is expecting the first loads of wheat this week, with spring barley harvest also under way. “That is…

ARABLE

Early wheat harvest delivers mixed returns

The first combines rolling into winter wheat have delivered a mixed picture, with some growers reporting yields more than a third below normal after the prolonged dry spell. Although only…

SOILS

Lancs veg grower scoops Soil Farmer of the Year Award

Two to three years of herbal leys gives enough fertility to Chris Molyneux’s south Lancashire soils to grow a string of vegetable crops without nitrogen, helping him to win the…

ARABLE

Beet armyworm outbreaks put maize growers on alert

Agronomists are urging maize growers to inspect crops after an unusual series of beet armyworm caused significant damage to young maize crops along England’s south coast. The pest has now…

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VARIETY SELECTION

Could highest yielding soft wheat be the next market leader?

After the recent success of Bamford, which became the UK’s market-leading winter wheat for 2026, could another soft wheat from the same breeder repeat this feat? Will Compson, managing director…

POTATOES

Growers warned of herbicide drift damage in seed potatoes

Specialists warn that avoidable herbicide damage caused by pre-harvest glyphosate applications continue to ruin seed potato crops every year. Just a small amount of herbicide can have severe consequences, with…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Norfolk estate trials liquid green fertiliser

The Holkham Farming Company is conducting the UK’s first field-scale trial of liquid green fertiliser. Undertaken in partnership with Omex Agriculture, it forms a key part of the estate’s wider…

DRILLING

Machinery expert's tips on drilling cereals into cover crops

Cover crops have a valuable role in improving soil health, however, dense residues, reduced soil movement and increased pressure from pests like slugs can make autumn cereal establishment more challenging.…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

5 top tips on getting the most from slurry on stubble

The post-harvest period is a crucial time for arable farmers putting nutrients back into soil before incorporating and drilling the next crop. However, applying slurry in hot conditions can reduce…

ARABLE

Changes Arable Insights farmers are making for next season

Defra’s recently published Farming Roadmap hasn’t created any immediate impetus for change on our Arable Insights farmer panel’s farms, indeed most of the panel in the week following publication hadn’t…

VARIETY SELECTION

Grower reveals top wheat and OSR contenders for autumn 2026

Bedfordshire-based farms director Andrew Robinson of Heathcote Farms is a dedicated milling wheat grower so finds himself in a good position on variety choice, given the recent Group1 additions. He…

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…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Oxfordshire farm expands to be self-sufficient for wheat

A fully integrated mixed farm business is the aim for Blanchard Farms in Oxfordshire, where planned growth in the arable enterprise will ensure self-sufficiency, keep costs down and support its…

VARIETY SELECTION

Why new bread wheat is becoming millers’ favourite  

Bedfordshire wheat grower Peter Sinnott is impressed with the yield and quality of new milling variety Vibe, and is looking to increase his area if results from the combine match…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Narrow row spacing and livestock key to farm's high yields

Narrow row spacing and evenly planted crops are key to achieving consistently high yields on David Passmore’s Oxfordshire farm, with winter wheat frequently achieving 12-14t/ha. All cereal crops are drilled…

SOILS

Growers share insights on using Johnson-Su compost extracts

Two farmers shared their experience of feeding soils with Johnson-Su compost extracts at the recent Groundswell event, as interest in the technique for giving soil biology a helping hand continues…

VARIETY SELECTION

Precision breeding: Targeted traits or patented problems?

Do farmers have the necessary information to make informed decisions about growing precision-bred gene-edited crops in the future? That was the question - albeit one that was only partially answered…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Drought conditions drive farming change in central Europe

Growing crops in drought conditions in central Europe is increasingly relying on techniques that preserve soil moisture and improve soil organic matter levels, according to experience from Hungary and Poland.…

SOILS

US research reveals benefits of regenerative agriculture

Regenerative agriculture is a proven route for arable farmers to break out of the high-input systems many of them are trapped in, claims a leading US researcher. Speaking at Groundswell…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Project aims to unlock nitrogen savings through soil biology

Why can two fields managed in exactly the same way differ so dramatically in nutrient efficiency, crop resilience or fertiliser response?  That’s what NutriGrow, a three-year Innovate-UK funded project launched…

Farmer Focus

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FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: My next idea is more Zen than YEN

As I write, the combine (or parts of it) should be heading over to Little Goldsmiths Farm for harvest 2026. This will be the first time I’ve started harvest before…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Wheat harvest a month earlier than usual

I think I may have been a little too optimistic in my previous article when I said the rain would do a world of good and that the spring crops…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Change is inevitable – just don't give up

Change is inevitable. Unfortunately, it is with a sad heart that I write I am no longer managing Brewood Park Farm. The pain and anguish of losing the farm I…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Fuel price fall welcomed as harvest approaches

With winter barley about to receive its pre-harvest glyphosate, thoughts once again turn to how valuable this product is in terms of making crops harvest ready for ease of combining,…

Markets

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CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Wheat futures gain £10/t on the week as prices firm

Grain markets are having a bullish week amid ongoing turmoil in the Middle East and Ukraine, alongside continued hot weather affecting crops across much of the northern hemisphere. London’s November…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Wheat prices show welcome signs of improvement

Feed wheat prices have shown an encouraging upturn in recent days, prompted by tightening supply predictions and interruptions to shipping in the Black Sea region. Latest reports from the US…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Pressure eases on oilseed rape market – for now

With the oilseed rape harvest gathering pace, markets have enjoyed some relief this week as traders respond to global factors. As Farmers Weekly went to press on Wednesday (8 July),…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Early-cut barley meets with lacklustre demand

First cuts of the 2026 barley harvest are coming up against weak demand and depressed prices, though prospects for the rest of the season will very much depend on quality…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Standing straw demand remains firm at early auctions

Standing straw auctions are in full swing across England ahead of harvest, with auctioneers reporting solid demand. However, auctioneers say bidding has generally been more cautious than during last year’s…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Feed wheat falls to £178/t amid ample global stocks

Margins for UK cereal growers remain under pressure, with subdued wheat prices struggling to offset high on-farm input costs. Ex-farm feed wheat softened slightly this week to £178/t on 24…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Volatile markets put grain-selling tactics in the spotlight

An increasingly volatile global marketplace can have a considerable impact on farm profitability, with huge swings in wheat prices seen throughout the past year. Ex-farm feed wheat values collected by…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

NFU presses Defra over stalled crops fairness review

The NFU has urged Defra to press ahead with its review of fairness in the combinable crops supply chain, arguing that greater transparency and better data are needed to secure…

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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CEREAL DRILLS

Lemken ups Saphir XMR box drill capacity to 1,500 litres

More seed carrying capacity is the stand-out improvement to Lemken’s latest 3m Saphir box drill. The new XMRs pick up where the old 10s left off, but with the standard…

TRACTORS

Claas pulls the wraps off revamped 264-313hp Axion 8 tractors

As part of an update programme across its entire tractor range, Claas has launched revamped versions of its 800-series machines. Three new variants – the Axion 8.240, 8.270 and 8.290…

COMBINES

'Dad's Army' of farmers share combine for cheaper harvesting

For decades, Park Farm, Peels Farm and Church Farm handled their own harvesting operations. Machinery was more affordable, the workforce larger and time pressure less intense. But with the balance…

COMBINES

50ft header and 19,400-litre tank for John Deere X9 combine

More crop-cutting and grain-carrying capacity for flagship X9 combines is among a suite of updates to John Deere’s harvester range. These start with a wider header for the biggest 1100…

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