Menu

Arable top stories

VARIETY SELECTION

Cereals 2025: Elsoms has high hopes for new wheat varieties

British-based plant breeder Elsoms has high expectations for two of its new feed winter wheat varieties coming up for recommendation later this year due to their high yields, good septoria…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Still desperate for rain as ground is parched

The brook at the bottom of our farm often runs low during the summer months. This spring, however, it has completely dried up. It’s no surprise really, considering throughout May…

COVER CROPS

How Arable Insights farmers are using cover crops in rotation

Whether it is to increase soil organic matter, provide grazing for sheep, prevent nutrients from leaching, or deliver extra income within the rotation, cover cropping has become a key part…

OTHER CROPS

Cereals 2025: Winter oat Mascani awarded Niab Variety Cup

The winter oat variety Mascani has been awarded the 2025 Niab Variety Cup in recognition of its longevity and commercial success, it was announced at Cereals. Now in its 21st…

OILSEED RAPE

Cereals 2025: Lowest OSR flea beetle pressure in six years

Cabbage stem flea beetle pressure is at its lowest level in six years, with well over half of UK oilseed rape growers reporting little or no autumn challenge from the…

ARABLE

East Yorkshire sprayer operator picks up top award at Cereals

It was fourth time lucky for East Yorkshire farmworker Mark Turner, who picked up the prestigious Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year 2025 award from Syngenta at this week’s Cereals…

ARABLE

Farmer Focus: Blackgrass warning to growers in the North

The rain has arrived and just in the nick of time. We had 48mm during the last 10 days of May, which has undoubtedly altered our harvest outlook for the…

VARIETY SELECTION

Cereals 2025: Two new wheat varieties to make the top six

Two new winter wheat varieties Vibe and Scope are set to break into the top six best-selling varieties, helped by their high yields and grain quality, and as they have…

VARIETY SELECTION

Cereals 2025: Royalty collection fee for Group 4 winter wheat

New winter wheat Hexton is the first mainstream cereal variety set for an alternative royalty collection rate, which aims to “level the playing field” for farm-saved and certified seed fees.…

CROP WATCH

Crop Watch: Yellow rust plague and OSR pod sealants

As we approach mid-June, spraying pod stick on oilseed rape crops, the yellow rust plague in the North and weed control in maize are some of the topics covered in…

PEST MANAGEMENT

Cereals 2025: Top 10 strategies to tackle flea beetle

A list of the top 10 strategies to tackle the critical cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB) pest in oilseed rape crops has been released to help reverse the fortunes of…

OILSEED RAPE

Cereals 2025: Drone applies pod sealant to OSR in UK first

A pod sealant has been successfully applied to an oilseed rape crop ahead of this harvest using a drone, in the first ever trial in the UK. Pod sealants are…

BLACKGRASS

Trial leads to shift in blackgrass strategy on Oxon farm

Rotational ploughing and maximising autumn flushes are part of the new strategy at Tusmore estate near Bicester, as its farm manager looks to get blackgrass back under control. The grassweed…

Arable news

VARIETY SELECTION

Cereals 2025: AHDB survey reveals variety winners and losers

This harvest will see a smaller area of milling wheats, while the Group 3 category has seen a recovery, according to the AHDB 2025 Planting and Variety Survey. Carried out…

VARIETY SELECTION

Merchant seeks farmers to grow premium-earning bread wheat

A Lincolnshire merchant is seeking farmers to grow Nelson winter wheat next season, in response to growing demand from millers for the high-protein variety. Farmers can grow it under buyback…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Autonomous drone spraying poised to become a reality

Pioneering work by a group of drone experts could soon overcome the regulatory hurdles that have hampered drone use. The work involves allowing beyond-visual-line-of-sight flight, the aerial application of key…

POTATOES

New guide released to help tackle costly potato pests

Two potato organisations have jointly published a guide aimed at helping farmers manage a soil pest that results in yield losses estimated to cost the sector as much as £26m/year.…

More articles

How to make SFI a success on your arable farm

Explore arable Know How

  • Business advice
  • Essential guides
  • Practical tips
  • Case studies
Wheat
Barley
Oilseed rape
Potatoes
Sugar beet
Maize
Pulses
Other crops
Explore all topics

Latest from arable Know How

See all

VARIETY SELECTION

Cereals 2025: Elsoms has high hopes for new wheat varieties

British-based plant breeder Elsoms has high expectations for two of its new feed winter wheat varieties coming up for recommendation later this year due to their high yields, good septoria…

COVER CROPS

How Arable Insights farmers are using cover crops in rotation

Whether it is to increase soil organic matter, provide grazing for sheep, prevent nutrients from leaching, or deliver extra income within the rotation, cover cropping has become a key part…

VARIETY SELECTION

Cereals 2025: Two new wheat varieties to make the top six

Two new winter wheat varieties Vibe and Scope are set to break into the top six best-selling varieties, helped by their high yields and grain quality, and as they have…

VARIETY SELECTION

Cereals 2025: Royalty collection fee for Group 4 winter wheat

New winter wheat Hexton is the first mainstream cereal variety set for an alternative royalty collection rate, which aims to “level the playing field” for farm-saved and certified seed fees.…

PEST MANAGEMENT

Cereals 2025: Top 10 strategies to tackle flea beetle

A list of the top 10 strategies to tackle the critical cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB) pest in oilseed rape crops has been released to help reverse the fortunes of…

BLACKGRASS

Trial leads to shift in blackgrass strategy on Oxon farm

Rotational ploughing and maximising autumn flushes are part of the new strategy at Tusmore estate near Bicester, as its farm manager looks to get blackgrass back under control. The grassweed…

BIODIVERSITY

What bioacoustics means for farm habitats and biodiversity

Using sensors and smart listening technology to understand more about on-farm habitats and the biodiversity they support is coming to a field near you. Known as bioacoustics, it combines biology…

PEST MANAGEMENT

Why leafhoppers are an emerging threat to potatoes

Covering a small patch of potatoes with insect mesh has highlighted the potential damage leafhopper species might be doing to the UK crop. Grown under the mesh, the processing variety…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Irish farmer ditches fungicides on marginal crop land

Irish arable farmer Samuel Deane is successfully growing fungicide-free crops on what is considered the very limit of viable arable land in the rain-drenched landscape of County Cork. Sam is…

ARABLE

Getting the most from on-farm ponds for wildlife

Often one of the most neglected on-farm habitats, ponds can really have an impact on wildlife considering the small area they occupy. Providing they remain unpolluted, ponds are refuges for…

WEED MANAGEMENT

New advice to maximise brome control in cereals

Cereal growers can simplify brome weed management post-harvest by responding to environmental conditions, regardless of the brome species present, says John Cussans, principle weed science consultant with Adas. Instead of…

HARVEST AND CROP STORAGE

What's in your grain store? Tackling pests before harvest

It is estimated that 90% of grain stores harbour at least one insect species known to infest grain, underlining the critical importance of good store hygiene in the run-up to…

WEED MANAGEMENT

How cultivation can control resistant Italian ryegrass

After Italian ryegrass with resistance to high rates of glyphosate was discovered on a Kent farm earlier this year, it was zero-till systems researchers pinpointed as particularly at risk. They…

VARIETY SELECTION

Disease resistance is key for variety choice, reveals survey

Resistance to pests, diseases and virus is the most important factor when choosing which cereal varieties to grow, according to research carried out by Farmers Weekly in conjunction with Syngenta.…

OTHER CROPS

How estate uses niche crops to broaden risk and flexibility

Farming across 15 different soil types, along with three seasons of extreme weather, has made rotation planning an interesting exercise for Ragley Estate farm manager Andrew Keyte. This has not…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

3 key factors to help hit milling wheat protein specs

Optimising nitrogen use to meet milling wheat protein specifications without overstepping economic thresholds is a key factor to balance this season, particularly as grain prices remain feeble. Winter wheat crops…

Farmer Focus

See all

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Still desperate for rain as ground is parched

The brook at the bottom of our farm often runs low during the summer months. This spring, however, it has completely dried up. It’s no surprise really, considering throughout May…

ARABLE

Farmer Focus: Blackgrass warning to growers in the North

The rain has arrived and just in the nick of time. We had 48mm during the last 10 days of May, which has undoubtedly altered our harvest outlook for the…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Tasty bread made with low protein wheat

Farming always has its challenges, and this spring has certainly been one of those. Nitrogen was left lying on the ground for weeks on end and plants are suffering from…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Topping legume fallow to stamp out blackgrass

For the past eight weeks I’ve been doing a rain dance every day, and it’s finally paid off. We got nearly 30mm of rain over the past week. This was…

Markets

See all

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

New crop wheat at £176/t sparks concern for growers

Sentiment among arable farmers has been downbeat for much of the past year, with farmgate prices in descent and persistent weather challenges weighing on the sector. A strong pound has…

BUSINESS

Farmers to get fairer deals for combinable crops

Arable farmers could soon benefit from new legislation that aims to tackle unfair practices in the combinable crops supply chain. Defra said the review – which launched on Thursday 5…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Malting barley premium erodes with prices under pressure

Margins for malting barley have dwindled in recent years and are now roughly £15/t above feed barley prices. This marks a sharp decline from previous seasons, where premiums exceeded £60/t…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Dry weather across Europe adds support to UK oilseeds markets

Paris rapeseed futures approached €500/t (£419/t) for the November contract on 27 May, the highest level in nearly three months. In the UK, oilseed rape prices stood at £452/t for…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

UK biofuels sector in jeopardy as US trade deal stings

Domestic wheat growers could be set to lose a vital market if Associated British Foods decides to shut down Vivergo Fuels, its bioethanol plant near Hull, East Yorkshire. The company…

MARKETS AND TRENDS

Grain market outlook dampened by economic uncertainty

Wheat prices have been in freefall throughout spring and global markets continue to look bearish in the short term. UK feed wheat futures have fallen £20/t this spring, to just…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

UK bioethanol firms ‘under threat’ from US trade deal

The UK biofuels industry has warned that domestic bioethanol production could be at risk if tariffs are removed on imports as part of the US-UK trade deal. Vivergo and Ensus,…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Cefetra grain pool outperforms market at over £200/t in 2024

Glasgow-based grain merchant Cefetra says its marketing pool outperformed the wider UK market by £15/t during 2024. Cefetra says its grain-buying team was able to achieve “market beating” results by…

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

See all

CEREAL DRILLS

Cereals 2025: Taege debuts simple 300E direct tine drill

Armed with 25 heavy-duty spring tine coulters, the 300E box drill from New Zealand outfit Taege is geared up for fuss-free direct crop establishment. And by staggering the outlets over…

CULTIVATORS

Cereals 2025: Maschio shows monster 10m Jumbo X power harrow

Growers with the horsepower, if not the implement, to beat up cloddy soil on a big scale can now do so with Maschio’s one-of-a-kind 10m power harrow. The appropriately named…

301-400HP

288-340hp Case IH Optum tractors get digital tech updates

Joystick operation of the rear lift is one of several digital technology improvements on Case IH's three latest Optum tractors, with peak outputs of 288hp, 313hp and 340hp. The armrest…

TRACTORS

Lower cost Farmall C ManualDrive rejoins Case IH line-up

After a brief period off-sale, Farmall C tractors running the simple 12x12 ManualDrive gearbox are back in the Case IH fold with driveline and digital tech upgrades. Easily recognisable thanks…

Most popular this week