CAP decision is sensible compromise for farming and environment
Farmers have today learned that planting nitrogen fixing crops such as peas and beans will count towards their greening measures under the new Common Agriculture Policy rules, something long-argued for by the NFU. Defra has released further details on how CAP will be implemented from 2015, including an announcement that limited landscape features will count […]
Maintain beet gene spread to include proven performance
Beet growers should select varieties that will maintain genetic diversity across their area for the 2015 growing season, advised Syngenta Technical Manager, James Evans. He warned against over reliance on a limited gene pool from one single breeder, which would increase expose to the risk of resistance or adverse conditions. “Industry advisors have countenanced caution […]
Tasmanian pasture experiment of global significance for future plant production
The results of a 12-year experiment by University of Tasmania School of Biological Science researcher Associate Professor Mark Hovenden could lead to major changes in the way farmers irrigate and fertilise the land – especially if they want to increase production by up to 90 per cent. On plots of pasture at Pontville in south-eastern […]
Better understanding of disease resistance genes in crops to secure future food production
A new understanding as to how plants defend themselves against some pathogens that cause crop diseases is proposed by researchers from the University of Hertfordshire to help scientists breed new, more successful disease-resistant agricultural crops. The new concept is called effector-triggered defence or ETD. Breeding agricultural crops for resistance against disease pathogens is essential in […]
Researchers seize the black-grass initiative
The urgent call for solutions to the current UK black-grass management challenge has seen HGCA and BBSRC join forces to co-fund a pioneering new research initiative – and growers are asked to play a crucial role in the project by providing black-grass samples. The £2.8m injection of funding has helped six UK academic institutions combine […]
Average grain haulage costs in 2014 down 1.2%, but costs for longer journeys increase
Results from AHDB/HGCA’s UK Grain Haulage Survey 2014 show a 1.2% decline in average journey costs, compared with last year’s survey. The average journey in 2014 cost £8.43/t, compared with £8.53/t in 2013. However, although a decline in journey costs was seen for distances lower than 80 miles, the reverse was true for longer journeys. […]
Collaborative roots could reduce reliance on phosphorus fertilisers
Farmers could improve the efficiency of phosphorus in crop production by coupling plants with complementary traits, which would allow them to harness the ‘phosphorus bank’ already present in soils. Exploring the potential of ‘collaborative roots’ to make organic phosphorus available to plants is the objective of a new £1.2 million, three-year project undertaken by a […]
Potato Council marks 50 years of storage research
The Potato Council division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) recently marked the 50th anniversary of the opening of its Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research (SBCSR) facility, near Spalding in Lincolnshire. The leading post-harvest applied research centre for agricultural storage in the UK, SBCSR (then known as Sutton Bridge Experimental Station) was opened […]
CLA welcomes initiative for sustainable use of pesticides
The CLA today (14 April) welcomed the launch of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan which aims to deliver sustainable pest and weed control. The organisation, a founding member of The Voluntary Initiative (VI) which launched the plan, said it provides UK farmers and landowners with a straightforward format for sustainable pest control. CLA President […]
