Potato summit seeks radical changes to supply chain
A cross section of the potato industry is set to meet on 7th March in Westminster to help future-proof the potato supply chain. “With representatives from retail, farming unions, trade bodies, government, packers, processors, food service and growers, this is a massive opportunity to share not only the current structural problems within the chain but […]
Repairing pasture a priority this spring
Grassland farmers need to plan remedial field work now to prevent forage shortfalls next winter says Rod Bonshor, general manager for Oliver Seeds. “While many farmers are quite rightly focussed on the daily tasks of feeding and eking out current forage stocks, they also need to think about how to bolster grassland productivity this spring […]
Soils at all-time nutrient low
“Farmers will be desperate to apply early N to encourage backward crops, but it is important they make the right decisions based upon the right information to make the most of what is already turning out to be a tough season” Recent soil analysis carried out by Yara across six sites has shown that over […]
GB takes the lead as number one EU exporter of seed potatoes to Egypt
Even though GB seed export tonnage is still being calculated for the 2012/2013 season, official export statistics confirm that GB is now the EU’s leading source of seed potatoes to Egypt. Exports of British seed have been increasing steadily for the last ten years, but with the challenging conditions of the 2012 season, it would […]
Nutrient status of rain drenched soils drives 2013 fertiliser strategy
Following months of heavy rain, a considerable amount of nutrients will have been leached from the soil and Nitrogen index is likely to be at, or close, to zero. “Last year was almost without precedent in terms of the damage done to soil structure and nutrient values and management moving forward must take this […]
Improving unproductive swards
Last summer was a washout for farmers from across the UK and Ireland, with many starting 2013 with unhealthy, damaged and unproductive grassland. But to help farmers improve and prepare their swards for this year’s growing season, specialist grass seed breeder Barenbrug has produced an informative video offering guidance on how to identify an unproductive […]
Key biological fungicide to be marketed by Bayer CropScience
The termination of the license reflects Bayer CropScience’s desire to leverage their August 2012 acquisition of AgraQuest. Under the termination agreement, Bayer CropScience will reacquire the worldwide control of the development and commercialization of the Bacillus subtilis QST713 fungicides, previously granted to BASF by AgraQuest. Customers seeking Serenade products should contact Bayer CropScience, which immediately […]
New Marathon hybrid achieves highest seed yield
Not only does Marathon achieve a seed yield 105% of the control it also has the best stem and lodging characteristics of the top five yielding varieties on the list, following in the footsteps of DSV’s hugely successful Compass variety. “Marathon is underpinned by the same breeding values as Compass, so it’s a good, strong […]
Soil Nitrogen levels likely to be low this spring – or are they?
Allison Grundy, Arable Agronomist at GrowHow UK has been looking at rainfall data. “We’ve had an awful lot of rain since then,” she says. “Looking at the figures up until the middle of December, rainfall across England and Wales has been on average 150% of the norm, with some regions having over 180% more rain […]
